Community Rail Event at Surbiton Station in collaboration with South Western Railway and the Community Rail Network

The Railway Study Network (RSN) is delighted to host a knowledge sharing and networking event at one of the South West’s treasured station gems.

Surbiton station, part of the South Western Railway (SWR) network, will play host to the event in partnership with the Community Rail Network (CRN) on Tuesday 2 June 2026, to coincide with national Community Rail Week.

At this special event, expect to hear from:

• Lawrence Bowman, the Managing Director of SWR and Wessex Route on the importance of Community Rail to the SWR network.
• Robin Hutchinson MBE on the work of the local Community Train Partnership, who will also showcase the work that has been done to transform Surbiton station with a behind the scenes tour
• The CRN themselves on the work done by the CRN in the UK

This event will be chaired by Neil Micklethwaite.

Refreshments will be provided by The Community Brain’s Kitchen Roots Community Project, supporting sustainable, nourishing food and community‑led initiatives.

Join us afterwards at The Elm Tree, a local independent pub to continue sharing stories and creating new networks from c.1700 onwards.

Lawrence Bowman has spent the majority of his twenty plus years in the rail industry working for Train Operators and Transport Owning Groups in a range of customer, commercial and operational leadership roles. Before joining Network Rail three and half years ago Lawrence was Deputy Managing Director and Customer Experience Director, followed by a short period as Managing Director at West Midlands Trains.  More recently Lawrence was interim Group Director, System Operator looking after national timetabling teams, strategic planning, national rail freight and a range of network programmes and for a period of twelve months (as maternity cover) Route Director for Anglia.  Lawrence joined SWR in June last year in the new role of integrated Managing Director responsible for both infrastructure and train operations starting the journey towards Great British Railways.

Neil Micklethwaite has over 20 years board-level experience, from SMEs to multi-billion-pound global PLC businesses, including Stagecoach Group, East Midlands Trains, Virgin Rail Group, First Great Western, Chiltern Railways, National Rail Enquiries, Rail Delivery Group, CBS and CMAC Group. Neil was the Rail Division Commercial Director and Group Business Development Director of Stagecoach Group, was a shareholder director for Stagecoach’s rail joint venture with Virgin Rail Group and has previously been a ‘three-time’ UK Rail TOC Commercial Director. He has a long career covering all modes of surface transport, with considerable overseas experience. Uniquely, as a qualified accountant, Neil has led frontline service delivery functions in UK Rail, as well as major projects, M&A activity, business strategy, finance and business development. Neil is now a director of Crescar Partners, a Dubai headquartered boutique strategic advisory firm focused on transport across the globe, Chair of both SLC, the innovative and rail infrastructure advisory firm, and BA Events, the events and media experts. He is additionally an industrial fellow of the University of East London, advisor and mentor. He was previously a two-term President of the RSN.

Robin Hutchinson MBE is the founder and a Director of The Community Brain, a community interest company dedicated to supporting and empowering communities through creativity, local heritage, the arts, the environment, and imaginative projects and events. He also serves as Chair of The Community Train, a community rail partnership operating in South West London.

Robin holds several prominent roles within the creative and civic sectors. He is a Mayor of London Design Advocate, a Visiting Senior Fellow at Kingston School of Art, a board member of the South London Partnership, and serves on the board of the Creative and Digital Cluster for South West London.

He is Chair of the youth arts charity Creative Youth, which recently launched FUSEBOX, a new creative venue in Kingston upon Thames. Creative Youth also delivers FUSE International, an international festival showcasing leading emerging talent in the arts from around the world. Robin was a founding Trustee and Director of The Rose Theatre, Kingston, where he now acts as the Rose animateur.

Robin’s contribution to arts and community development has been widely recognised. He is an Honorary Freeman of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, holds an Honorary Doctorate from Kingston University, and was awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours list for his services to the arts and communities.

Places are extremely limited at this one-off event.

The RSN (formerly the Railway Study Association and the Railway Study Forum) is one of the rail industry’s longest standing bodies and sets out to improve knowledge of how railways work and operate around the world. It provides a forum for the exchange of experience, knowledge and opinion on issues relating to all aspects of the railway industry.

Booking for RSN members and NSAR members – Free

Note: If you are not a current Member of the RSN or NSAR, please be aware our membership team may be in touch with you using your email address provided regards membership opportunities. If you do not wish to be contacted, please email and let us know at RailwayStudyNetwork@nsar.co.uk

Doors open at 14:30 for a 15:00 start.

15:00-17:00

Directions to venue:

The venue is located on the Glenbuck Road side of the station. As you leave the main station please head towards the old ticket office.

Surbiton Station

Glenbuck Rd,

Surbiton

KT6 6BZ

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