Rail industry sets out criteria for recovery plan ahead of Government announcement

29 June 2020

 

With the Government set to announce new spending plans on Tuesday 30 June, Darren Caplan, Chief Executive of the Railway Industry Association (RIA), has commented: “The Railway Industry Association and our members welcome all investment in the UK rail network, with rail clearly set to be one of the economic sectors which can support the jobs and GVA needed to drive the recovery.

“We urge the Government to ensure any rail investment announced sets out a clear pipeline of work with specific delivery timelines. This would enable rail businesses to plan and build their project teams for forthcoming accelerated work, support a clear skills strategy, enable rail suppliers grow their capabilities and deliver cost-effectively, help deliver the Government’s own objective to decarbonise rail by 2040, and provide opportunities for UK-based companies, supporting Government’s exports offer post the EU-transition.

“If the forthcoming announcements on rail infrastructure can deliver on these criteria, rail suppliers working with Government really will be able to boost the recovery and deliver a ‘golden age of rail’ in the months and years ahead.”
 

Notes to Editors

 

  1. Photo of Darren Caplan, RIA’s Chief Executive, available here
  2. RIA will be issuing a public statement following the announcement tomorrow. We will be available for interview or to provide further comment after the announcement
  3. About RIA: The Railway Industry Association (RIA) is the voice of the UK rail supply community. We help to grow a sustainable, high-performing, railway supply industry, and to export UK rail expertise and products. We promote and represent our members’ interests to policy makers, clients and other stakeholders in the UK and overseas. RIA has 300+ companies in membership in a sector that contributes £36 billion in economic growth and £11 billion in tax revenue each year, as well as employing 600,000 people—more than the workforce of Birmingham. It is also a growing industry with the number of rail journeys expected to double over the next 25 years and freight set to grow significantly too. RIA’s membership is active across the whole of railway supply, covering a diverse range of products and services and including both multi-national companies and SMEs (60% by number). RIA works to promote the importance of the rail system to UK plc, to help export UK expertise around the globe and to share best practice and innovation across the industry.