Thursday 17 September 2026 | 1:30pm–3:30pm | Online
How can rural transport systems better connect people with employment, education, services and opportunity?
Join the Rural Services Network for a dedicated National Rural Conference session exploring practical and innovative approaches to improving rural connectivity.
Taking place online on Thursday 17 September, this session will bring together expertise from local government, public transport, active travel and transport innovation. Attendees will hear about solutions already being developed and delivered, from integrated timetables and locally led passenger transport to better rural walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure.
What Will The Session Explore?
Reliable and accessible transport is fundamental to the sustainability of rural communities. However, lower population densities, longer distances and limited commercial viability can make conventional transport models difficult to deliver.
Poor connectivity can restrict access to employment, education, healthcare and essential services, particularly for people who do not have access to a car. Tackling these challenges requires approaches designed around the needs and circumstances of rural places.
The session will explore:
- Practical approaches to connecting rural people with services and opportunities
- The delivery and transformation of passenger transport in a rural county
- Why the needs of children and young people must be reflected in transport planning
- What rural Britain can learn from Switzerland’s integrated transport system
- Designing high-quality rural walking, wheeling and cycling networks
- Community-centred approaches to transport innovation
- How councils, businesses, operators and communities can work together to develop effective solutions
- The role of transport in creating connected, resilient and prosperous rural communities
The presentations will be followed by an open panel discussion and audience Q&A, providing an opportunity to put questions directly to the speakers and contribute to the wider conversation.
Meet The Speakers
Cllr Christine Wise, Leader, Rutland County Council
Cllr Christine Wise is Leader of Rutland County Council, having previously served as Portfolio Holder for Transport.
She is passionate about making services accessible to everyone who needs them, particularly young people as they take their first steps towards independence.
Before entering local government, Christine worked as a schoolteacher, youth worker, motorcycle instructor, university academic and carer. Having lived in Rutland throughout her adult life, she brings a strong understanding of the county and the changing needs of its communities.
Victoria Nicholls, Transport Services Manager, Rutland County Council
Victoria Nicholls is a transport leader with more than 20 years’ experience across local authorities of different sizes, geographies and demographics, including three rural councils.
As Transport Services Manager at Rutland County Council, she provides strategic leadership for passenger transport, overseeing the development, commissioning and delivery of services that improve accessibility and support thriving communities.
Victoria is a strong advocate for encouraging active and sustainable travel from an early age. Her expertise includes transport planning, service transformation, network development and policy implementation, with particular insight into the challenges and opportunities facing rural areas.
Joint presentation from Cllr Christine Wise and Victoria Nicholls: Connecting People and Places
Thomas Ableman, Founder, Freewheeling
Thomas Ableman is the founder of Freewheeling, where he helps transport authorities and operators make major decisions, with a particular focus on turning the ambition of integrated transport into practical reality.
He originated Mini Switzerland, a demonstrator in the Hope Valley applying Swiss principles of timetable integration to a British rural railway. The project is now funded by the Department for Transport.
Thomas’s career has included senior roles at National Express, Chiltern Railways and Transport for London, as well as founding the demand-responsive transport start-up Sn-ap. He has given evidence to the Transport Select Committee on integrated transport and to the London Assembly on autonomous vehicles.
Presentation: Mini Switzerland: What the Swiss Get Right About Rural Transport and How We Can Learn from Them
Kit Allwinter, Senior Inspector, Active Travel England
Kit Allwinter has more than 15 years’ experience in the design of transport systems and places. His work focuses on improving accessibility and inclusion while minimising the impact of transport and deliveries on communities.
At Active Travel England, Kit leads the development of guidance for designing and implementing active-travel networks in rural and urban environments. He also works to measure how street and public-space design affects sustainable transport, local residents and businesses.
His previous roles across the private sector and local and regional government have focused on embedding high-quality public environments into people’s everyday lives.
Presentation: Rural Design Guide: High-Quality Interventions to Support Rural Walking, Wheeling and Cycling
David Peinturier, Enterprise Support Consultant, Connected Places Catapult
David Peinturier is an Enterprise Support Consultant at Connected Places Catapult, the UK’s innovation accelerator for transport, the built environment, cities and local growth.
He leads the Department for Transport Freight Innovation Cluster, bringing together around 400 professionals from industry, academia and government to support innovation in transport and logistics.
Through the Department for Transport’s rural transport programme, David has pioneered community-centred approaches that bring local councils and SMEs together to develop solutions based on genuine local needs. Participating businesses have gone on to secure further commercial contracts to continue trialling their ideas.
David will share insights into supporting rural transport innovation through collaboration between communities, councils and businesses.
Presentation: “Integrating Transport Solutions in a Local Authority: what we learned so far from the Better Connected Strategy and the Department for Transport”
Who Should Attend?
This session will be particularly valuable for:
- Local-authority transport, highways and passenger-services teams
- Elected members with responsibility for transport, accessibility or rural communities
- Combined authorities and regional transport bodies
- Bus, rail and community-transport operators
- Transport planners, commissioners and policy professionals
- Active-travel, walking, wheeling and cycling organisations
- Businesses and innovators developing transport solutions
- Education, health and community organisations affected by rural accessibility
- Anyone working to improve connectivity in rural communities
This is not an exhaustive list. We welcome colleagues from across RSN member organisations who have an interest in rural mobility, accessibility, sustainable transport or the long-term resilience of rural places.
This session is exclusively available to RSN members. Attendance is included at no additional cost with eligible membership packages, while a small fee applies to Rural Village Services Group and Rural Market Town Group members.
Please note that the session will not be recorded. To hear directly from our speakers, take part in the Q&A and contribute to the discussion, you will need to join us live.
Thursday 17 September 2026
1:30pm – 3:30pm
Online
With thanks to our conference supporters
The Rural Services Network would like to thank our National Rural Conference 2026 supporters for helping us deliver this important programme of discussion, learning and shared rural experience.
