Rail industry responds to Network Rail’s ‘100 Day’ Plan

Today, Network Rail released their ‘100 Day’ Plan, setting out a programme to restructure to five regions, with Managing Directors for each, and 13 routes under them.

Darren Caplan, Chief Executive of the Railway Industry Association, said: “We welcome the publication today of Network Rail’s ‘100 Day’ Plan.

“Restructuring Network Rail, under the leadership of new Chief Executive Andrew Haines, is an acknowledgement that the organisation needs to become more transparent, accessible and business-focused. As far as the Railway Industry Association and its members are concerned, this ‘100-day’ plan will be a success if it creates a culture of collaboration that ensures suppliers, from world-class multinationals through to our many innovative SMEs, are seen as partners with Network Rail, delivering value rather than as just the providers of products and services.

“We will consider Network Rail’s plans to create five regions, with 13 routes under them, in further detail. And, going forward, we will do whatever we can to work with Network Rail, to ensure a smooth transition and to deliver the new structure as we head into CP6, the new five yearly funding cycle.”

Notes to Editors

1. 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 250+ 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.