Rail companies should work directly with young people and digital creators to strengthen the industry’s future talent pipeline, 16-year-old InnoTrans ambassador Adam El Rafey has said.
Speaking at the 2026 Railway Influencer Festival, El Rafey argued that rail has an “incredible ability to attract young talent”, but that many young people still associate technology and innovation primarily with Silicon Valley rather than transport.
Showing rail’s technology
El Rafey said he had been “passionate about all things trains and rail for as long as I can remember” and discovered InnoTrans while reading Railway Gazette in class. He recalled being impressed by the use of artificial intelligence for predictive maintenance at the trade fair.
“Far too many young people hear tech, AI or innovation, and their mind immediately jumps to Silicon Valley. They definitely don’t think of rail first, and that’s a pretty big issue for the future talent pipeline,” he said.
He suggested that influencers could act as a link between railway companies and younger audiences by translating new technology into content capable of sparking interest among potential recruits.
Opportunities, not assumptions
El Rafey became a public speaker at eight and began studying computer science at the University of Wollongong in Dubai at 12. He recently completed a six-month internship at Hitachi Rail, following an opportunity offered after he took part in the first Railway Influencer Festival at InnoTrans 2024.
“Don’t judge people by how old they are; give them the opportunities to show you what they can do,” he said. “This breaks down the barriers that can stand between people and what they’re capable of.”
El Rafey called for companies to create practical routes into the sector, including youth boards and opportunities to work alongside the next generation. “Open a door, break down a barrier, start a youth board, make an opportunity available that works directly alongside the next generation,” he said.
He urged railway businesses to make collaboration with youth influencers a normal part of planning future cities and transport systems.