Rail industry backs greater devolution for Midlands

20 June 2018

The Railway Industry Association (RIA) has called for Midlands Connect to be given Sub National Transport Body (STB) status in its response to a consultation on the issue.

Darren Caplan, Chief Executive of the Railway Industry Association (RIA) said: “We agree that Midlands Connect should become a Sub National Transport Body (STB), as Transport for the North did earlier this year.

“STB status gives the organisation the power to drive transport policy in the region. It will not only give local communities a greater say over decision making, but will increase efficiency, reliability, quality and resilience in the transport system, enable economic growth across the Midlands and provide certainty for private investment through the development of a transport strategy.

“Rail is a vital component of the Midlands’ economy. In the region covered by Midlands Connect, rail generates over £4.6 billion in economic growth and provides over 87,000 jobs. So it is important that - should Midlands Connect be given STB status - it ensures there is continued investment in rail across the region.”

Notes to Editors

  1. RIA's consultation response can be found here.
  2. About RIA: The Railway Industry Association (RIA) is the representative body for UK-based suppliers to the UK and world-wide railways. It has more than 200 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.