RIA welcomes new Ministerial Team

20 February 2020


The Railway Industry Association (RIA) has welcomed the new Ministerial Team at the Department for Transport, following the confirmation of portfolios yesterday.
 
Darren Caplan, Chief Executive of the Railway Industry Association (RIA), said: “Congratulations to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps MP, Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris MP and Lords Minister Baroness Vere on their reappointments to the Department for Transport. I would also like to welcome, on behalf of the Railway Industry Association and its members, new Major Rail Projects Minister Andrew Stephenson MP, Decarbonisation and Future Transport Minister Rachel MacLean MP, and Kelly Tolhurst MP too.
 
“We look forward to working with all the Ministers within the Department to build a bigger and better rail industry over the coming years, delivering the Government's positive and ambitious vision for our railways. To do so, we’ll need to overcome the five ‘crunch points’ RIA has identified that could act as a barrier to investment, around renewals, enhancements, rolling stock, decarbonisation and digitalisation.  
 
“I would also like to thank outgoing Ministers Paul Maynard MP, Nusrat Ghani MP and George Freeman MP, for their important work and their engagement with the rail supply industry. We look forward to continuing to work with all of them in Parliament.”


Notes to Editors

  1. The five ‘crunch points’ are set out in RIA’s Submission to the Spring Budget. They are:
  • ‘Boom and bust’ in renewals;
  • A lack of ‘shovel-ready’ enhancements and – whilst acknowledging the Prime Ministerial statement of support for HS2 on 11 February – continuing uncertainty around major projects;
  • Volatility in the rolling stock market, and a possible hiatus in decision-making whilst the Williams Rail Review is implemented;
  • The need to increase rail electrification, and promote a range of clean traction modes; and
  • A significant ramp up in digitalisation in 2024.

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 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.