Bolsover’s SRS Rail System hosts Mark Fletcher MP as vital local rail industry reopens for visitors

 

7 June 2021

  • Bolsover MP Mark Fletcher toured the road rail vehicle specialists SRS Rail System’s site to see the vital work that has been going on throughout the Coronavirus pandemic
  • Mark Fletcher met with rail workers, was given a demonstration of SRS’ vehicles, and got the chance to test drive one himself
  • The visit was part of the Railway Industry Association’s (RIA) Rail Fellowship Programme, which matches MPs to rail sites to showcase the industry

On Friday 4 June, SRS Rail System road rail lorry specialists welcomed local Bolsover MP, Mark Fletcher, highlighting the vital products they have continued to supply throughout the pandemic and to meet the team at its Bolsover site.

The visit showcased the people and work that had been undertaken over the past year, during which the rail industry has kept services running. It also served as an opportunity for the Derbyshire rail supply chain to demonstrate its importance for local communities and the country as a whole.

Mark Fletcher was given a tour of the purpose-built depot, where SRS convert a range of vehicles to travel on both road and rail. The specialist vehicles make it faster and more efficient to transport goods to rail projects, helping to build and maintain the UK’s railways. He had the chance to meet with workers on site, and even to drive a vehicle himself on SRS’ test track, under the supervision of site experts.

The visit was conducted as part of the Railway Industry Association’s (RIA) Rail Fellowship Programme, which encourages Parliamentarians and policy influencers to gain hands-on experience in the rail industry, and has been extremely successful, with politicians continuing to take part, throughout the pandemic, and with more visits planned in future.

Over the last three years a large number of influential and cross-party politicians have taken part, including the Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris MP, Home Secretary Priti Patel MP, Nicky Morgan MP, former Secretary of State for Education and Florence Eshalomi MP, whilst she was Labour’s transport spokesperson at City Hall and Chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee. 

Mark Fletcher MP said: “SRS Rail Systems are the Rolls Royce of railway maintenance and I’m incredibly proud to have an innovative and exciting company in Bolsover. Their efficiency and safety record is second to none globally. I look forward to seeing them go from strength to strength.

“I was also incredibly pleased to hear that they had managed to reduce their carbon emissions by 90% by switching to a different fuel source.”

Gethin Thomas, General and Technical Manager at SRS Rail said: “It was an absolute pleasure today to welcome Mark Fletcher MP to SRS Rail System Ltd as part of the Railway Industry Association’s Rail Fellowship Programme, giving us the opportunity to demonstrate our road rail vehicles, services and capabilities and to give Mark a hands-on experience of on tracking a vehicle. It also gave us the platform to highlight several industry challenges faced by rail plant suppliers.”

Max Sugarman, Public Affairs & PR Director at the Railway Industry Association (RIA), said: “It was a pleasure to welcome Mark Fletcher to SRS Rail System in Bolsover, and it was great for him to experience first-hand the work that goes on at one of his local rail depots. 

“We are delighted that the RIA Rail Fellowship Class of 2021 is growing, as new MPs sign up to take part and show their support. It is vital that MPs continue to see the hard work and innovation of one of Britain’s oldest and most resilient industries.” 
Notes to Editors

 

  1. Safety remains RIA’s top priority and all visits will continue to follow strict Covid-safe guidelines. Social distancing will be enforced, and visitors must wear appropriate PPE.

  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. 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 vital industry for the UK’s economic recovery, supporting green investment and jobs in towns and communities across the UK. 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

  3. About SRS Rail Systems: With a purpose-built depot and test track in the middle of England adjacent to the M1 motorway, and an ever-expanding fleet of SRS road rail lorries, SRS Rail System Limited supplies specialist vehicles, together with highly trained operators, on worldwide hire. The specialist vehicles make it faster and more efficient to transport goods to rail projects, helping to build and maintain the UK’s railways. SRS Rail also provide a specialised repair and maintenance service for other owners.

    The SRS Road Rail lorry was designed by Chief Civil Engineer of the Swedish Railways, and intended to travel on road, mount the track at a level crossing and complete its journey by rail. The road rail lorry added a new dimension to railway infrastructure engineering and the lorries move men, materials and equipment from depot to work site on the railway in the shortest possible time. SRS Road Rail trucks are standard commercial trucks, usually Volvo, which have been converted to the road rail role.