RIA responds to the resignation of TfL Commissioner Andy Byford

Following the announcement that TfL Commissioner Andy Byford will be leaving next month, RIA Chief Executive Darren Caplan said: "I am sorry to learn that Andy Byford is set to leave TfL later this year. As Commissioner he has been a true champion of the rail supply sector and, on behalf of our members, I’d like to wish him all the very best for the future. 

“I’d also like to welcome the current Chief Operating Officer Andy Lord to his post as Interim Commissioner - we and rail suppliers look forward to working closely with him in the coming months. 

“Looking ahead, it is clear longer-term funding certainty will be essential for the delivery of rail in London. With changes now in both Government Ministers and the TfL Commissioner, RIA and our members continue to call for funding deals similar in length to the five-year Control Period settlements used for the national railway. This would enable the rail supply sector to deliver work which maximises value for money for fare and tax payers in London.

“Whilst TfL’s current 20-month funding deal is better than what went before, lack of longer-term certainty simply puts rail supply members in limbo and makes it harder for them to renew, enhance and build world-class rail infrastructure in the capital as cost effectively and efficiently as they could.”

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. RIA has 300+ companies in membership in a sector that contributes £43 billion in economic growth and £14 billion in tax revenue each year, as well as employing 710,000 people. It is also a vital industry for the UK’s economic recovery, supporting green investment and jobs in towns and communities across the UK; for every £1 spent in rail, £2.50 is generated in the wider economy. 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). www.riagb.org.uk