My Journey from Rolling Stock Engineer to TechArch2Ops Consultant

Learning Digital Transformation at the cutting edge of innovation and infrastructure.

When people ask about my background, the short answer is that I started my career in railways.  The longer answer: my career took off at Hitachi Rail - it’s where I learnt to run large-scale technology projects, innovate under pressure, and play a part in transforming not just an organisation but an entire industry.

The Hitachi Rail Chapter: Laying the Track

I joined Hitachi Rail as one of the first 40 employees in its European operation, at a time when the company was making a bold advance: expanding into Europe with a 30-year rolling stock deal for the UK’s Great Western Mainline and East Coast Mainline franchises. Under the visionary leadership of industry figures like Alistair Dormer and Andy Barr, we weren’t just selling trains; we were redefining what rolling stock could be for an evolving railway network.

My initial work focused on delivering advanced Japanese train technology to the to serve UK passengers across legacy British railway networks. Because these trains are designed to operate for decades, a huge part of the mission involved maximising that value. We obsessively worked towards targets of lowering costs, both in ongoing maintenance and operations, while ensuring unparalleled reliability and passenger service quality. These trains needed to be resilient, cost-effective, and, above all, transformative for operators and passengers alike.

Realising the Power of Data: Trains as Databases on Wheels

Here’s the thing about modern trains: they’re not just physical assets – they are data goldmines. Once I began grasping the immense volume and complexity of data generated by today’s trains (imagine a “databases on wheels” racing at 140 mph), everything changed. Every subsystem, sensor, and application produced real-time performance data, maintenance alerts, and operational stats. And this translated directly into reduced downtime, efficient practices, effective engineering investigations and design improvements.

But pulling that data off a moving train, analysing it, and converting it into actionable, real-life insights? That’s an entirely different challenge. And this became what would define much of my subsequent career.

The first step was to build and modernise the organisation’s IT infrastructure. Setting up reliable, integrated systems – SAP for enterprise processes, robust connectivity in both depots and rail yards, and a technology ecosystem and partners – became foundational. Only by laying these digital tracks could we begin to turn raw train data into operational value.

Transforming Maintenance Through Connectivity

With the right systems in place, I recognised the bigger opportunity of data-driven maintenance. Traditionally, railway maintenance was reactive or based on mileage intervals, often inefficient and costly. With advanced connectivity and real-time insights, I realised we could shift to predictive and even prescriptive models, reducing downtime, improving safety, and extending asset life.

Deploying Wi-Fi in depots was just the start. We were soon leveraging every byte of operational data – train performance metrics, component health, real-time location, fault patterns – to optimise our maintenance strategies. These early explorations in data connectivity and transformational technology practices opened my eyes to the broader impact IT could have on rail operations.

Enter IoT: Real-Time Railways

This curiosity quickly evolved into a passion for the Internet of Things (IoT). The next phase of my career involved spearheading the adoption of IoT technologies, enabling our trains to communicate their status in real-time over 4G networks - with the help of industry-leading platforms like those from Hitachi Vantara.

This wasn’t just an incremental improvement; it was a fundamental shift. Real-time data streams allowed us to monitor and analyse train health continuously, support faster responses to issues, and create opportunities for automated decision-making. Building these capabilities pushed me to grow, constantly mastering enterprise-scale technology delivery, risk management, cloud architectures, and frameworks such as TOGAF for enterprise architecture.

From Industry to Consultancy: The Deloitte Experience

Armed with hands-on experience in large-scale rail technology transformation, I moved into technology strategy and architecture at Deloitte. There, I had the privilege to work on global-scale technology trend reports, alongside consultants and clients from some of the most advanced companies in the world.

In this role, I rediscovered the importance of foundational skills: enterprise architecture, technology strategy, and delivery discipline. These were the building blocks not just for successful projects, but for transformational change at the enterprise level. Working in consulting forced me to see beyond a single industry and distil what made certain transformations – digital or operational – successful.

The Birth of TechArch2Ops: Turning Passion into Practice

Having spent years applying strategy, architecture, and technology in both railways and consulting (with stop-offs with in-house roles in communications networks and manufacturing), I found myself constantly at the intersection of technical vision and operational execution. I realised that the most impactful change happens when strategy, technology, and operations are tightly aligned – when enterprise architecture is not just a blueprint, but an enabler of true business transformation.

This understanding led me to start TechArch2Ops. The consultancy’s mission is straightforward: help organisations bridge the vital gap between technology architecture and operational excellence. We focus on industries where operational uptime, asset longevity, and data-driven decision-making are critical - not just in rail, but across all asset-intensive sectors undergoing digital transformation.

Every engagement at TechArch2Ops draws on three decades of experience: from commissioning trains and establishing cloud-connected depots to implementing global enterprise strategies and enabling IoT-powered operations. We help clients design technology roadmaps, implement scalable IT architectures, and build the capabilities needed for sustainable innovation.

Reflections

Looking back, I see a clear through-line: a fascination with making assets smarter, operations smoother, and strategies more actionable. Technology by itself is never the solution; it’s the connective tissue between vision and real-world value.

For me, the journey has never been about chasing trends for their own sake. It’s about pragmatic transformation – deploying the right technology, in the right way, to create lasting business results. That’s the ethos at TechArch2Ops, and it’s what I bring to every client and project.

If you’re facing challenges at the apex of enterprise architecture, technology strategy, and operations, let’s connect. There’s never been a more exciting and critical time to turn data into insight and strategy into action.