Description
Railfuture (formerly the Railway Development Society) is a UK advocacy group which promotes better rail services for passengers and freight across a bigger rail network. The group's national policies are determined by its national board of directors (one-third elected by the membership every year, for a three-year term) and its national AGM. The group's campaigns are pursued nationally by three policy groups (Passenger, Infrastructure & Networks, Freight) and locally through regional branches (12 in England, plus one each in Wales and Scotland). Its honorary president is Christian Wolmar, a transport writer and broadcaster.
Its vice-presidents include former rail industry leaders Adrian Shooter CBE, Ian Brown CBE, Chris Green, and Stewart Palmer, and leading commentators such as Roger Ford of Modern Railways, fellow columnist Alan Williams, and Paul Abell, a former editor of Today's Railways UK.
Railfuture's opinions and campaigns receive coverage in the UK press, including national, regional, and rail publications. It has been mentioned in both houses of Parliament, and transport unions and international press also cite its reports and follow its actions. It claims to have 20,000 affiliated and individual members.