3 Days 1 Digital Rail Vision.

Shobhan Chaudhuri is an Engineering graduate and post graduate in Business Management. He is a Signalling and Telecommunications veteran of Indian Railways (IR) and has recently superannuated after heading Northern Railway the biggest zonal railway of the country. During his 36+ yrs of tenure on IR he has worked in all facets of Railroad Transportation and Mass Transit Systems with specialization in execution of infrastructure projects and management of train operations.

As General Manager Northern Railway (biggest zone of Indian Railways with rail network spread over 7300 Route KMs) successfully completed all many major and important infrastructure works including New line in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (including world's highest Cable stay bridge over river Chenab) a step towards rail-linking of Kashmir valley with the rest of the Indian peninsula.

He has attended Executive Development Program in EMLYON Business School, Lyon and Advance Management Program in INSEAD, Singapore. Currently he is working as Advisor/ Research & Development, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.

DI Dr. Johann Pluy has been a Member of the Board of Management at ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG since March 2019, where he is responsible for Operations, Market, and Digitalisation. He began his professional career in 1989 at Kapsch AG as a programmer in the commercial IT department. From 1992 to 1997, he worked at the Vienna University of Technology, first as a research assistant and later as a university assistant at the Institute of Electrical Power Systems. In 1997, he joined the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), where he held various positions before becoming Head of Energy Marketing, Sales, and Trading in the Power Plants Division from 2001 to 2004. He then took on several leadership roles within the ÖBB-Infrastruktur group: Head of Energy Management in the Power Plants Division at ÖBB-Infrastruktur Bau AG (2005–2006), Head of the Power Plants Division (2006–2010), Head of the Energy Division at ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG (2010–2014), and later Head of the Railway Systems Division (2014–2016).

From 2016 to 2019, Dr. Pluy served as Managing Director of ÖBB-Business Competence Center GmbH before joining the Board of Management of ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG. Throughout his career, he has played a key role in shaping the Austrian railway infrastructure, particularly in the fields of energy, operations, and digital transformation.

Bogdan Godziejewski, Rail Director at Mott MacDonald (Netherlands) and the 101st President of The Institution of Railway Signal Engineers (IRSE), boasts four decades of experience in signalling and train control research, development, and deployment. He began his career in 1985 at the Railway Scientific and Technical Centre in Poland, and later coordinated and led various innovation projects at the European Rail Research Institute for the UIC, ERTMS Users Group, and European Commission (EC). He continues to collaborate with the EC by reviewing projects and proposals related to the implementation and development of the ERTMS.

Since joining Mott MacDonald in 2014, he has led the competence centre for digital transformation of signalling and train control, supporting projects like the ETCS deployments in Belgium, and Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) for the Sydney Metro. He has also conducted CBTC technical studies in Washington, New York, Seattle, and Toronto. In the Netherlands, he serves as a member of the advisory commission for the digitalisation of railways.

As the IRSE President, Bogdan Godziejewski has chosen the theme 'Engaging Generation Unlimited' and is committed to listening to young professionals, understanding their ideas and needs. He aims to prepare the IRSE to better support future leaders in their professional development within the signalling and train control field.

Michael Thiel has been Chief Executive Officer of Frauscher Sensor Technology since 2009. He completed his diploma in automation with a focus on railway automation and railway signalling at the "Friedrich List" University of Transportation in Dresden. Michael has several years of experience working for well-known companies in the railway industry, such as Balfour Beatty Rail and Bombardier. Under his leadership, Frauscher has developed into a technology company operating worldwide.

Richard Plokhaar is a rail professional with 39 years of experience in the industry. His comprehensive knowledge about signalling systems, rail operations, and maintenance concept has brought him to projects in Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia as well as in areas of high-speed trains, heavy rail, freight rail, commuter rail, subway systems, and operations control centres. He specializes in the analysis and optimization of all facets of operations and maintenance, from the conceptual phase to real operations. His expertise extends to the functional planning and design of systems, fleet operations and maintenance facilities. Richard has significant experience in preparing facility conceptual designs, site selection studies, facility design criteria, equipment selection, requirements specification, and construction documents. He has participated in facility design on multiple successful projects and worked extensively with agencies on their bus, rail, and fleet maintenance facility needs. He is currently working as a Senior Technical Director for WSP from the Toronto office in Canada and assisting teams globally for the implementation of various signalling systems including CBTC and ERTMS/ETCS.

Jonathan Hu is a seasoned professional with 25 years of experience in the rail and transit industry. He has extensive global experience in designing, implementing, and deploying signalling systems for metro, light rail, and mainline railway projects. His specialization in Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) systems is particularly noteworthy, as he has deployed various projects in North America, Europe, and Asia. 

His career started with Alcatel (later known as Thales and now recently Hitachi), where he worked as a software designer for the legacy SelTrac S40 product. This product is the one that delivered the first CBTC system in Toronto and Vancouver in the 1980s. Jonathan was involved in the development of the Interoperability Interface Specification (I2S) solution that meets the requirements of New York City Transit for Alcatel. Currently, Jonathan is the lead engineer representing the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency in upgrading their signalling system with the Hitachi SelTrac G9 solution using 5G technology as the primary mode of communication.

In sharing his knowledge in signalling, he was an instructor for the WSP Global Academy of Rail and Transit, which provided WSP colleagues with classroom and workshop training for the CBTC system. He was the lead author of a railway automation paper for Transport Canada exploring various signalling system technologies, such as Positive Train Control, European Train Control System, and CBTC, that can be adopted for Canadian mainline railways. He also participated in a Canadian Standards Association working group to develop an interoperable signalling system specification for the Canadian market.

With decades of experience in railway signalling, I have built a broad and deep understanding of signalling engineering, systems integration, and management. My career has taken me across multiple roles, locations, and even countries, allowing me to work with diverse systems, cultures, and methodologies. This exposure has significantly expanded my knowledge base and professional network, enabling me to offer valuable insights, solutions, and mentorship to others in the industry.

I began my railway signalling career in Sydney as an apprentice in 1984, qualifying as a signalling maintenance technician. Over the years, I progressed into various technical and managerial roles, ultimately becoming a railway signal engineer. This journey has provided me with expertise in design, systems, equipment, and industry Standards—ensuring their seamless integration to create safe and efficient railway operations.

Currently, I specialise in signalling assurance, Standards, equipment type approval, and mentorship in a technical managerial role. While my primary focus is on governance and assurance, I remain actively involved in hands-on testing and commissioning, maintaining my field qualifications to support project delivery teams when needed.

I am passionate about developing future railway signalling professionals, offering guidance both formally as a course tutor and informally to those seeking support. My goal is to add value to project scoping and planning by introducing innovative approaches and technologies that challenge traditional methods while maintaining the highest safety and operational integrity standards.

Mirko Caspar holds a diploma in Computer Engineering and a PhD (Dr.-Ing.) from Chemnitz University of Technology, where he worked as a researcher and lecturer from 2006 to 2015. His work focused on embedded systems, model-driven development, and verification and validation methods, including international teaching activities in cooperation with KMUTNB.

From 2015 to 2020, he continued his career at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in the Department of Railway Systems, specializing in the development of safety-critical systems and their lab- and field-based verification and validation. Since 2020, he has been with Deutsche Bahn, where he is engaged in the integration, RAMS, approval, and testing of digital interlockings.

Mirko Blazic is a railway signalling engineer with extensive experience in signalling standardisation projects. His expertise spans requirements and project management, focusing on harmonisation and standardisation activities at the European level. His current role is the management of the EULYNX Consortium as the Technical Lead.  

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Karl-Albrecht Klinge currently leads the Working Groups on Diagnostics and Configuration in the EU Rail System Pillar as a Professor for Distributed Systems. He is also CIO for the Hochschule Mainz and founded praedicta GmbH in 2019. Prior to that he has worked at DB InfraGO to develop digital twin models from 2011-2023. In parallel he founded infraView GmbH in 2010 and contributed to the development of diagnostics platforms, such as DIANA and TecWatch as well as various algorithms. The company later became part of the DB E.C.O. group. From 2015-2024, Mr Klinge was also the Dean for the Faculty of Technology at Hochschule Mainz, where he is a Professor since 2010. Before his academic career, he worked in DB AG and DB Netze AG from 2005-2010.

Max Schubert is co-founder and managing director of INCYDE, a company that focuses on cybersecurity for operational technology (OT). While studying electrical engineering, he also received training in control and safety engineering and railway operations. After graduating, he focused on innovation projects, design support and regulations for LST, energy and lighting systems in railway operations at DB Netz AG. During his professional career, Mr Schubert has taken on various international projects in the railway sector, such as project management for fibre optic sensing, management of the LST group in cooperation with Japan, and responsibility for developing energy supply specifications in the DACH region. After holding management positions in the field of LST components and energy technology, Mr Schubert was most recently responsible for the architecture of the trades for the implementation of the digital strategy and the IT security of operational technology with security architecture, specification and setting up the Security Operation Centre. As Head of IT Security, he was already committed to a uniform security strategy and risk management at European level in order to support interface standardisation for RCA and EULYNX. Since taking over the management of INCYDE, Max Schubert has focused on the development of cybersecurity for OT with a focus on the railway and automotive sectors. The combination of research, operator and manufacturer projects gives the company comprehensive knowledge and a complete view of the design and operation of efficient cybersecurity solutions.

Alexander Kruse works as Technical Product Manager for SNCF Réseau since 07/2019. Prior to that, he took on various roles, such as System Engineer in RATP, System Validation in Alstom and Validation Engineer in GE Transportation. The foundation for his professional contribution throughout these positions was layed with his Engineering degree in Computer Science from University of Applied Sciences Munich / Würzburg-Schweinfurt.

Sayfeddine Eddous works as a Systems Engineer for SNCF Réseau since 04/2022. He holds a Master’s degree in Complex Systems Engineering from CentraleSupélec – France as well as Mechanical Engineering degree form National Engineering School of Monastir – Tunisia.

Juha Lehtola has been working with signalling systems in Finland from 2009. He started in consulting with design and commissioning activities before becomeing part of the first European alliance model track renovation project with the responsibility of all signaling works. In 2014 Mr Lehtola joined the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency (the railway infrastructure manager) and began working as a project manager in signaling projects also working closely with the interlocking requirements. Currently he is heading the national ERTMS program, including renewal of all signalling systems.

Florian Einböck is a Product Manager at Frauscher Sensor Technology. After graduating from the HTL Braunau, Florian Einböck worked as a programmer for PLC, focusing primarily on machine safety and machine data acquisition. Alongside his work, Florian commenced a part-time degree in mechatronics and business, with a specialisation in innovation and product management. Subsequently, he spent seven years as a product and project manager responsible for software and computer vision projects. In 2019, Florian joined Frauscher as a Product Manager of the Frauscher Advanced Counter FAdC® with a focus on "Future Signalling Architecture", Object Controller and protocols including Frauscher Safe Ethernet FSE and EULYNX. Florian speaks German and English.

Sergio Repetto graduated in Electronic Engineering in 1993 from the University of Genoa. Initially, he worked as a Software and System Designer for Safety Equipment for Railway Signaling in one of the main Italian companies in the sector, participating in the activation of the first Computer Based Interlocking system in commercial service in Italy at the Roma Termini station in 1999; moreover, he personally followed the installation of a line equipped with Computer Based Interlocking in the People's Republic of China in 1996.

Subsequently, he enriched his technological skills by working as a Project Leader at a major multinational company in the Telecommunications sector. He then became a Partner and Development Manager in an Engineering company in the Railway Signaling sector, with which he was involved in national and international projects in Italy, Denmark and Belgium.

In 2019, he joined the Research and Development Department of RFI S.p.A.; in 2022 he became deputy of the Systems Development Structure, of which he has been appointed manager since 2023 and in which he coordinates the development projects of innovative signaling systems.

Hannes Denil is an experienced team leader and project manager at Infrabel, specializing in product life cycle and interface management. He launched his career as a software engineer at RoomeR bvba in 2012, started working as Signalling Engineer for Infrabel in 2015 and became Team Leader Trackside Signalling Products in 2017 – a position he holds until today. Hannes Denil holds a degree as Master of Science in Industrial Sciences: Electrical Engineering – Major in Automation.

Dominic Winkler is an accomplished IT Enterprise Architect at ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG in Wien. With a strong background in software development and a focus on innovative technologies, Dominic has significantly contributed to the digital transformation of the railway industry. His expertise spans IoT, BIM, VR, and sensor systems, integrated into projects like the Railway Digital Twin. He spearheaded initiatives to adopt agile methodologies, significantly enhancing the digital transformation efforts.

Before joining ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG, Dominic was the CTO at TMC, steering the technology roadmap of digital products for track machines. Dominic has over 20 years of experience in the IT industry, with 10 years dedicated to the railway sector. He is also a sought-after speaker, sharing his insights on digital transformation and technology integration at various industry forum.

Dominic holds a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering from TU Wien, where he completed a thesis and research papers on Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) in commercial WDM systems.

A Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the IRSE, Darren Dykstra brings over three decades of expertise in railway signalling and systems engineering. With a career spanning British Rail, Siemens, and Network Rail, Darren has played a pivotal role in major infrastructure projects including Crossrail West and ETCS Level 2 deployment from Heathrow to Paddington. Known for his deep technical knowledge and leadership in complex, multidisciplinary engineering environments, Darren currently leads Command and Control Systems Renewals Delivery Engineering efforts in the Wales & Western region. He is a published author, former IRSE committee member, and a passionate advocate for innovation and integration in rail systems engineering.

Dominik Eger has several years of experience at the interface between operational practice, safety management and digitalisation in the rail environment. Alongside his work as a quality management representative in the field of stand-alone solar systems, he completed a degree in business informatics and a master's degree in industrial safety and security, focussing on securing industrial systems and processes. As a consultant for information security management systems (ISMS), he supported operators of critical infrastructures in the introduction and maintenance of security standards in accordance with ISO/IEC 27001. Nowadays, his focus is on information security and project-related IT/OT security in the critical infrastructure sectors of transport and traffic, energy, information technology and telecommunications. In his role as information security and management system officer (ISO/IEC 27001| ISO 9001), he combines the aspects of quality and security and is responsible for the risk-based selection and integration of security measures in operational processes. He actively supports the digital transformation of safety-critical systems in the context of modern communication platforms for safety components. This includes the monitoring and secure networking of OT components. With his interdisciplinary background, he combines technical expertise with regulatory understanding - an essential combination for innovative and secure solutions in the field of future digital signalling technology.

Dr Michael Leining is the managing director of NEXTRAIL GmbH. As a driver of the digitisation of the railways, he works closely with pioneering thinkers, decision makers and committees in the railway sector, advising railway and infrastructure operators on technology and transformation projects at the national and international level. In addition to his work at NEXTRAIL, Dr Michael Leining teaches digital control-command and signalling system at the technical universities of Darmstadt, Munich and Singapore. 

Before joining NEXTRAIL, he held various management positions at Deutsche Bahn from 2002 to 2018. For almost a decade, he was responsible for technology development and plant and maintenance management for DB Netz AG’s signalling technology. During this time, he shaped topics relevant to the future of rail, such as the modularisation and standardisation of signalling technology (DLST/EULYNX), the introduction and approval of ETCS in Germany, automated driving on main railways (ATO), and the consideration of IT security for safety-critical infrastructures and their approval processes. As a leader in the cooperation between Deutsche Bahn and TU Darmstadt, he initiated future-relevant funding and research topics and continues to support these areas of innovation to this day. 

Dr Michael Leining graduated in with a degree in industrial engineering from TU Darmstadt. 

Lily Hashemi is currently serving as a Senior Product Manager at KONUX, where she manages the development of decision-support tools that translate complex infrastructure data into intuitive, actionable insights. With a multidisciplinary academic background in Computer Science, Business, and Human-Technology Interaction, Lily brings an interdiciplinary perspective to product innovation at the intersection of data, design, and strategy.
She began her career in smart environments research, followed by roles in user research and interaction design, before transitioning into product management. Over the past years, she has worked across a diverse range of industries (including fintech, IoT, mobility tech, and NGOs) and across markets in Europe, the UK, Africa, and the Middle East. Lily is passionate about making complexity more human - leveraging her experience in design thinking, behavioral science, and systems-level product strategy. She is particularly interested in creating tools that support sustainable decision-making and long-term impact in mission-critical domains.

Peter Knechtsberger is Head of Safety Systems for Railway Systems at ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG, where he leads the development and implementation of cutting-edge safety technologies in railway operations. With a strong focus on ETCS and digital interlocking systems, he brings a wealth of experience from across the rail industry. Prior to his current role, Peter was involved in system procurement for ETCS, digital interlocking, and level crossings at ÖBB-Infrastruktur. He also held key positions in ETCS system management at Siemens Mobility and system development at Thales Signaling.

Benjamin Gutmann is Mermec’s main representative in Digital Rail Germany (Digitale Schiene Deutschland, DSD) partnership program between DB InfraGO and the German Railway Industry Association (VDB) consisting of working groups optimizing and digitalizing technologies and procedures. Before his current position in homologation for ETCS and interlockings at Mermec Deutschland, he had gained the operators perspective at DB InfraGO, as well as an international perspective as rail systems consultant at DB E&C providing advice, concept design and feasibility studies for customers on several continents.

• Fellow of IRSE, London and IET, UK
• Officer of Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers (IRSSE) now retired after 36 years of service with last assignment as Principal Chief Signal & Telecommunication Engineer of South Central Zone of Indian Railways spanning over 6400 Route Kms covering 591 stations. During the tenure India’s indigenously developed Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) has been deployed in 1200 Route Kms for the first time, which was inspected and authorised for commissioning.
• More than 19 years’ experience in Leadership role of Indian Railways in General Management, Operation and Safety Management, Signalling & Telecommunication System Maintenance and Human Resource Management.
• More than 12 years’ experience in Signalling & Telecommunication System Program management including Projects Planning, Design & Execution, Procurement, Tenders & Contracts, Statutory inspections and authorisation for commissioning.
• Experienced in British Railway signalling by working in TPWS, TPWS+, Speed Enhancement and Solid State Interlocking projects for more than 4 years.
• Experienced in HSR signalling by working for Taiwan High Speed Rail project and involved in the Control Table verification of 7 stations.
• Presented five technical papers during ASPECT (2008, 2012, 2015 and 2019), a quadrennial Global Conference organised by the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers (IRSE), London at London, United Kingdom, Delft, Netherlands and New Delhi.

Since 06/2025: UNIFE
UNISIG General Manager

2015 – 2025: Siemens Mobility GmbH
Head of Validation, RAMSS, Certification & Authorisation for on-board CCS subsystems and ETCS vehicle retrofits

2013 – 2015: Thales Transportation Systems GmbH
Senior Approval Manager for on-board and trackside CCS

2006 – 2013: Siemens AG – Transportation Systems
Safety and Approval Manager for on-board and trackside CCS

2004 – 2006: TÜV Rheinland IntertraUic GmbH
Assessor for Energy and CCS subsystems

Tanja Kienegger is the CEO of Siemens Mobility Austria and the assigned CEE countries. She is responsible for the sales region covering Austria and Central and Eastern Europe, overseeing a total of 5,300 employees. Moreover, since 2024, she has served as Vice President of the Austrian Association of the Railway Industry (VBI), Austria’s largest rail supply advocacy group representing around 50 companies – from global leaders to specialized SMEs – contributing to the country’s mobility and climate transition. She is a successful manager with diverse experience: Prior to joining Siemens Mobility Austria, she led the Energy division at ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG and and spent ten years in various leadership roles at Wien Energie GmbH. She holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from TU Wien and an international MBA in Energy Management from WU Vienna. Born in Eastern Styria, she is married with two children and describes herself as a passionate railway enthusiast.

Kathrin Hanzl is a business moderator and communication expert specialising in leadership visibility. With long-standing experience in the infrastructure industry, she brings strategic depth and eloquence to international conferences, bilingual panel talks, and corporate events. Beyond the stage, she works as a public speaking coach and media trainer, supporting CEOs and emerging leaders in developing their public voice, mastering high-pressure appearances, and building strong personal brands.

Hans Andreas Busemann is an international executive with extensive leadership experience in the railway industry. Over the course of his career, he has held top executive roles at Siemens, Deutsche Bahn, Vossloh, KONUX, ONxpress and most recently as Managing Partner with quattron GmbH. He is recognized for driving large-scale transformations, building high-performing teams, and combining strategic vision with operational excellence. With a proven track record in digitalization, innovation, and business model transformation, Andreas continues to advise leading railway infrastructure managers, train operators and technology suppliers while mentoring the next generation of leaders. Andreas holds a Diplom-Ingenieur degree in Aerospace Engineering from TU Braunschweig, Germany.

With over 20 years of experience in the rail industry, Mayank Tripathi serves as Chief Sales Officer at Frauscher Sensor Technology, a leading provider of wheel detection, axle counting, and tracking solutions. He holds a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from the École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Nancy and brings expertise in international business, business strategy, and contract negotiation.

In his role as Chief Sales Officer, he is responsible for developing and implementing the global sales strategy, overseeing sales operations, and managing relationships with key customers and partners. His mission is to drive innovation and growth in the rail industry by providing reliable, efficient, and sustainable solutions that meet the needs of customers and stakeholders. Passionate about creating value and building trust, he consistently strives to uphold the highest standards of quality and integrity.