Who We Are

Paul Rowen BSc, PGCE, NPQH, Chair of the LRTA, Member Executive UK Tram

Paul has been Chair of the LRTA since February 2018, prior to that he was Vice Chair from 2013-2018. Paul has extensive experience in the governance of UK Transport systems having served as an elected Councillor on the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority for 9 years from 1996-2005. He was also Leader of Rochdale Council from 1992-96 and 2004-05 during which time he led the campaign for the Manchester Metrolink Phase 3. He was elected to the UK Parliament in 2005-2010 during which time he set up the All Party Light Rail Group, becoming its first Chair. In 2007 he was awarded the Campaigner of the Year Award at the Light Rail Awards. This was in recognition of his efforts in helping secure funding for Nottingham Phase 2 and the renewal of the Blackpool Tramway. In 2010 he chaired an APPG inquiry into the Light Rail in the UK. Many of the recommendations of this report were subsequently adopted in the UK Government Green Light for Light Rail Report which included the setting up of UK Tram and the Tram Train Pilot in Sheffield. In 2013 Paul became a Board Member of Passenger Focus, a government funded but independent body that represents and champions the opinions of passengers using the UK’s Rail, Bus and Tram network. He helped introduce the first UK wide Tram Passenger Survey. As Chair of the LRTA he has continued to advocate and influence for the development of more Light Rail systems in the UK.

David Connor BA CMILT

David was born in 1971 and grew up in Chingford, north-east London.  Fascinated by railways from an early age, his interest in light rail was initially sparked in his formative years, thanks to family holidays in Seaton and periodic visits to the electric Southend Pier Railway.  In his early teens, he witnessed the first stage of the Docklands Light Railway being built only a few kilometres away.  He soon saw just how powerful a catalyst for urban growth and regeneration a modern light rail system can be.

He began working in the bus and coach industry while still a sixth-former.  He first joined the LRTA in 1990 – the same year that he moved to Newcastle to continue his studies.  He gained an HND in Business & Transport from Northumbria University (a course which included six-month bus-industry placements in Hertfordshire and Sussex).  He then spent a year as an intern with the light rail system in Sacramento, California.  Returning to Northumbria University, he completed a Business degree (with an Operations Management specialism).

After graduation he returned to the bus and coach industry, notably steering an independent operator through a period of rapid growth as it gained multiple London bus service contracts.  In 2002 and 2003 he worked for the fledgling Nottingham Express Transit as Commercial Manager, as it prepared for the start of revenue service.  In 2004 he returned to his home city and joined London Underground.  Initially managing station operations, since 2012 he has managed train operations at a number of locations across the LU network.

In 2014, he became the LRTA’s London Area Officer, arranging meetings for local members throughout the year.  In 2019 he was co-opted onto LRTA Council, and began organising the annual Association Officers Conference.  In 2022 he joined the LRTA Membership Committee as Area Liaison Officer.

Tim Kendell BSc CEng MICE MAPM FPWI

Tim is a 65 year old chartered civil engineer with over 45 years experience in the Railway Industry having worked for British Rail, Atkins Rail, Strategic Rail Authority, UK Government Department for Transport and is now a Director of the Light Rail Transit Association. Tim has gained a broad experience of railway civil engineering ranging from PWay & S&C design, depots upgrades, major station improvements, and major projects involving Parliamentary or TWA Powers including the Thameslink Programme and LUL’s East London Line Southern Extension

Tim has been an Expert Witness for KCRC on the East Rail extension to Loc Ma Chau in Hong Kong as their Railway Alignment expert and has represented an Objector to the L.I.F.E TWA proposal near Slough and the junction of the M4/M25.

Tim has experience with light rail, evaluating routes for the Dublin Metro West proposal, extensions to Warsaw Metro and the Sheffield to Rotherham Tram Train Pilot.

At the DfT, Tim was the acknowledged expert on infrastructure such as track, structures and stations and sat on several cross-industry committees covering standards, research, development and innovation. Tim has been a member of teams undertaking Scottish Government Reviews for several railway projects in Scotland. Tim sits on the BSI Committees for Railway Infrastructure (RAE/2) and subcommittees for Train Track Interaction and Ballastless Track.

Tim is a Tutor on the Institution of Railway Operators Degree and Diploma courses on Railway Operations Management – Railway Systems Engineering Modules (in association with Glasgow Caledonian University)

Tim is a Chartered Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, a Member of the Association for Project Management and a Fellow of the Permanent Way Institution, chairing their Croydon and Brighton Section.

Carl Frederik Isgar

Carl Isgar is the chairman of the LRTA Publications Group (PG). He has been an LRTA member for over 50 years and has had a passion for trams since his early childhood. In pursuit of his interest, he has travelled extensively around many parts of the world. He joined PG in 2011, became its chairman in 2013, and was co-opted to Council in November the same year. Carl was elected to Council in February 2018 and re-elected for a three-year period at the 2018 AGM. He is a retired Chartered Surveyor with considerable business management experience both in the UK and overseas. Since retiring in 2011 he has developed a keen interest in transport publishing and has typeset three of the LRTA’s recent titles.

The Publications Group (PG) is a functional group of the LRTA and as chairman Carl’s remit is to ensure that the terms of reference that were agreed by Council on 1st January 2009 are adhered to. These are:

• To secure the publication of books so as to maximise income for the Association.
• To control the stocks of books in conjunction with the Association’s appointed distributors.
• To contribute to the Association’s involvement in conferences and exhibitions.
• To submit a written report to the LRTA Council at least every three months.
• To maintain a set of accounts to submit to LRTA Council on a regular basis.

Jim Harkins FCILT MTPS

Jim has been an elected Council Member for over 30 years. He has been the Chair of the TramForward Campaigns Group (formerly the External Relations Group) since its inception, leading and shaping Campaigns for more Tramways and Light Rail in the UK and around the world. He has a passion for Trams as a means to address the pollution along major transport corridors in cities addressing both exhaust and particularly the Non-Exhaust Emissions (PM2.5) from tyre and road surface wear that are particularly deadly to health as confirmed by the WHO and The Air Quality Expert Group, an expert committee of DEFRA.

An active Board Member of Lightweight Community Transport Ltd

Jim is the Secretariat for the All Party Parliamentary Light Rail Group, a Fellow – Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport and a Member – Transport Planning Society.

Roger Morris CIPD

Roger is the existing Membership Secretary having served on Council for many years on a co-opted basis and has been the LRTA membership secretary for twelve years and a member of the Publications Group for more than four. As an amateur enthusiast, Roger has enjoyed meeting and working with like-minded people to promote interest in rail transport. He regularly attends Council and committee meetings in person or, during the pandemic restrictions, via zoom and now relishes the opportunity to carry on serving the Association for a further term on the Council as an elected member.

Mike Willsher BSc DipLib

Before he retired Mike was a professional librarian with no formal connection with the transport industry but with a lifelong interest in transport which developed into a specific interest in tramways and light rail.

Mike joined the Light Railway Transport League, as it then was, in 1964 and in 1975 took over the post of Librarian, a position he still holds today. In the same year he also became Home Features Editor of Modern Tramway, a post he held until 1982.

During the 1990s Mike took on the job of distributing press cuttings to the LRTA Development Group, an activity that became redundant with the coming of email, but from 2010 he has been secretary to the External Relations Group (now the Campaigns Group). During recent years he has also assisted the Secretariat of the All Party Parliamentary Light Rail Group (APPLRG) as record taker.

From 1975 Mike attended Council meetings as Librarian on an ad hoc basis but from 1990 and in subsequent years was co-opted to Council. In 2020 he was appointed a full Council member to fill a vacancy, which position was confirmed by election at the 2020 AGM.

Michael Gibson

Mike is the Chair of Lightweight Community Transport Ltd, a member of the Light Rail Transit Association TramForward Group and Emeritus Professor of Urban Planning, London South Bank University. As a chartered geographer-planner, he has over 50 years’ experience of teaching, management and research, in UK universities, local government and consultancy. He has worked in the USA, the Netherlands, Cyprus, the UAE, Israel, Australia and Turkey and is a published author of books, professional journal articles and local campaigning material.

James Willis

James has for the last 15 years been a passionate advocated for public transport. He is keen to join with the LRTA team to boost and promote its aims, especially advancing political understanding and support from Parliament So Local Authorities. He hopes that by putting himself forward to join the LRTA Council he can offer some energy and enthusiasm to boost Light rail or Tram growth. He is a local councillor and a Lib Dem parliamentary Candidate.