Welcome to UKRRIN Student Conference 2027
The UKRRIN Student Led Conference is the premier annual event for PhD students in the UK conducting research with applications in the railway industry. We are thrilled to announce that the 2027 edition will be hosted by the University of Leeds.
The conference brings together student researchers from across the UK rail research network, alongside members of the academic community and industry professionals, to discuss innovative solutions in areas such as safety, digital data and sustainable transport. To this end, we will feature keynote speakers from leading organisations and provide networking opportunities to facilitate collaboration across the railway sector.
Participants will have the chance to showcase their work in an interdisciplinary environment spanning fields such as engineering, computer science, economics and the social sciences. The conference encourages students to present their research through poster presentations and talks, providing a platform for emerging ideas that could shape the future of the rail industry.
Call for Abstracts
Submissions are subject to a 2-page limit and must clearly articulate the research objectives, methodology details, and a discussion of results. The abstract template is available via the submission form below.
Submit Your AbstractRegistration Fees
Registration opens on 16th November 2026.
In-Person Attendance
Includes full access to conference sessions, networking events, and conference materials on-site at Leeds.
Online Attendance
Includes a live broadcast of the conference sessions, so you can follow the talks remotely.
Previous Conferences
- The UKRRIN Student Conference 2026 was hosted by Swansea University.
- The UKRRIN Student Conference 2025 was hosted by the University of Sheffield.
Contact
Questions about the conference can be sent to:
- Lorenzo Muñoz – l.munoztorrejon@leeds.ac.uk
- Harry Roberts – ts22hr@leeds.ac.uk
Conference Themes
Our themes are based on the latest Rail Technical Strategy, with an added focus on economics and policy. We welcome contributions across the following themes:
Easy to use for all
Customer experience and accessibility.
Freight friendly
Infrastructure, operations, sustainability, and access to freight.
Low emissions
Electrification, decarbonisation, and energy management.
Optimised train operations
Improving infrastructure, planning, timetabling, improving capacity, improving incident recovery, and maximising lower use lines.
Efficient and reliable assets
Accelerating railway development while minimising risks, testing and verifications, railway resilience and security, and safe and incident maintenance.
Economics and policy
Applied railway economics and appraisal implications, including economics and policy contributions designed to enable system optimisation and innovation through an understanding of value and incentives.
Key Dates
- 31st October 2026 Abstract submission deadline
- 16th November 2026 Registration opens
- 12th – 13th January 2027 Conference dates
Venue
The conference will be held at the Edward Boyle Library, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.
Address
The Edward Boyle LibraryUniversity of Leeds
Cromer Rd
Leeds
LS2 9JT Open in Google Maps
Programme
Indicative Speakers
There will be five external speakers providing technical and economic research and broader policy perspectives. Indicative speaker list:
- Luisa Moisio, Director of Research at the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB)
- Speaker from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) or the Department for Transport
- Professor Andrew Smith, Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds
- Speaker from the supply chain
- Speaker from a train operator
Day 1 – Tuesday 12th January 2027
| Time | Session | |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | 09:00–09:30 | Registration |
| 09:30–09:40 | Welcome – Organising Committee, University of Leeds | |
| 09:40–09:55 | UK Rail Research & Innovation Network (UKRRIN) TBC | |
| 09:55–10:55 | Luisa Moisio – Director of Research at the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) | |
| 10:55–11:15 | Coffee Break | |
| 11:15–12:30 | Contributed Talks 1 | |
| Afternoon | 12:30–12:50 | Industry session TBC |
| 12:50–13:50 | Lunch & Poster Session | |
| 13:50–14:50 | Professor Andrew Smith – Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds | |
| 14:50–15:15 | Coffee Break | |
| 15:15–16:40 | Contributed Talks 2 | |
| 16:40–17:00 | Coffee Break & Poster Session | |
| 17:00–17:15 | Industry session TBC | |
| 17:15 | Close of Day 1 | |
| Evening | 18:00– | Conference Dinner TBC |
Day 2 – Wednesday 13th January 2027
| Time | Session | |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | 09:30–11:00 | Contributed Talks 3 |
| 11:00–11:30 | Coffee Break & Poster Session | |
| 11:30–12:30 | Speaker from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) or the Department for Transport TBC | |
| Afternoon | 12:30–13:30 | Lunch & Poster Session |
| 13:30–14:30 | Speaker from the supply chain TBC | |
| 14:30–15:00 | Coffee Break | |
| 15:00–16:00 | Speaker from a train operator TBC | |
| 16:00–16:30 | Closing remarks |