RIA congratulates new Transport Secretary on appointment

The Railway Industry Association (RIA) has welcomed the new Secretary of State for Transport, Anne-Marie Trevelyan to her post following this week’s reshuffle.

This comes days after RIA published its six ‘asks’ for the new Government, which will help to support the industry and maximise the immensely positive impact of rail on both connectivity and economic growth.

Commenting, Darren Caplan, Chief Executive of the Railway Industry Association (RIA) said: “We would like to congratulate Anne-Marie Trevelyan on being appointed as Secretary of State for Transport. It is clearly a challenging but exciting time for the railway, with the industry standing ready and willing to play its part as the Government seeks to generate economic growth, level up and deliver Net Zero. We wish the Secretary of State well in her new role.

“Rail plays a transformational role in creating economic growth, hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions of pounds in tax revenue. With passenger numbers regularly reaching over 90 percent of pre-pandemic levels, it’s clear that rail has a bright and prosperous future.

“We’d also like to pay tribute to the outgoing Secretary of State and the Rail Minister, and wish Grant Shapps and Wendy Morton respectively all the very best for the future”.

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