Rail Minister Andrew Jones MP confirmed as keynote speaker for Railtex

The Rail Minister Andrew Jones MP has been confirmed as a keynote speaker for Railtex, the international exhibition of railway equipment, systems and services, taking place from 14 to 16 May at the NEC Birmingham.

The Minister is scheduled to speak on Wednesday 15 May at 10.30am at the Future Focus Conference. The Conference, contained within the exhibition and organised by the Railway Industry Association (RIA), will cover key challenges and opportunities UK rail will face in the coming years.  He will be joined by other speakers including senior representatives from Crossrail 2, High Speed Rail Industry Leaders (HSRIL), Digital Railway, Rail Freight Group and many more.

Darren Caplan, Chief Executive of the Railway Industry Association (RIA), said: “I am delighted to welcome Rail Minister Andrew Jones MP to the Railway Industry Association Future Focus Conference at Railtex. Railtex is the leading exhibition for the industry, so it is fantastic to have the Minister’s support for such an important event.”

Natalia Charman, Exhibition Manager for Railtex, said: “We are very much looking forward to welcoming  the Rail Minister to Railtex next month. The rail industry is of huge importance to the UK’s economy and as such our exhibition has always received great backing from the Government and the Department for Transport. It will be important and beneficial for the attendees to hear from one of the rail industry’s most influential political figures, who is responsible for projects including Crossrail 2, Northern Powerhouse rail and the security of our railways.”  

Notes to Editors

1.  About Railtex: Railtex is the essential showcase for products and services for the all sectors of the rail market in the UK. The show is held biennially and has successfully served this market for more than 25 years. It is organised by Mack Brooks Exhibitions (www.mackbrooks.com), which also runs the Infrarail series of railway infrastructure technology shows. Outside the UK, the company’s regular rail industry exhibitions include SIFER in France and EXPO Ferroviaria in Italy, as well as Exporail India.
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 250+ 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.