Kate Jennings joins the Railway Industry Association as Policy Director

2 March 2020

The Railway Industry Association is delighted to announce that Kate Jennings joins as its Policy Director today. Kate has been the DfT’s Head of Rail Strategy Projects Division from October 2016 to November 2019, supporting rail strategy development, including the Transport Secretary’s ‘Strategic Vision for Rail’, and rail policy, including devolution, investment, workforce, freight, and engagement with industry clients like Network Rail and the Rail Delivery Group. From December 2019 to February 2020, Kate worked on the development of transport policy for EU exit.

Kate has had an extensive career in the civil service, which began in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, including a posting to Beijing working on the handover of Hong Kong. And she has subsequently worked in the Cabinet Office on the Better Regulation agenda, leading the secretariat for a PM-chaired committee which challenged Government to ensure regulation minimised costs on business. More recent roles in the DfT prior to rail include working with Ministers on EU and international negotiations and trade visits, and airport and airspace policy.

On joining RIA, new Policy Director Kate Jennings said: “The Railway Industry Association has played a significant role in helping to build a bigger and better rail supply industry, both at home and abroad. I am now looking forward to joining RIA and the railway industry - playing my part in developing policy, representing the world-class UK rail supply sector and working to ensure its continued growth and success in the months and years ahead.”.

Darren Caplan, RIA Chief Executive, said: “I am delighted that Kate is joining us, at this important stage in RIA’s development. RIA is celebrating its 145th year in 2020, and Kate – with her experience and understanding of UK rail – will be a strong addition to our talented team as we and our members seek to build an even bigger and better railway industry in what are very uncertain times. We look forward to having Kate on board!”


Notes to Editors
  1. Kate Jennings takes over the role from Peter Loosley, who retired from RIA as Policy Director in December, after 17 years.
  2. 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 290+ 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. www.riagb.org.uk