Railway Industry Association

📣 RIA Manifesto 2024: A fresh start for UK rail Today RIA has published its five main asks of Government, in a manifesto for the next Parliament which seeks a fresh start for UK rail. These are: 🔹Publish a long-term rail strategy; 🔹Deliver on railway industry reform; 🔹Accelerate new train orders and low carbon network upgrades; 🔹Support a sustainable supply chain; and 🔹Leverage private investment. Read the full press release and manifesto here: https://lnkd.in/dErNNSed #RIAManifesto24 #Manifesto #RailReform #SupplyChain #NetZero

In the afternoon, several companies presented their ideas to a panel of representatives from Network Rail and Train Operating Companies as part of the TOC Pitch Sessions. We heard keynotes from: 🟣 Emma Poppleton, Sustainable Rail Design Engineer and Bryony Goldsmith FRICS, Key Account Director, Arcadis  🟣 Paul Corcoran, Rail Supply Group 🟣 Richard Thorp, Chief Operating Officer, London St. Pancras Highspeed 🟣 Andy Mellors, Managing Director, Avanti West Coast Transmission Dynamics, PA Consulting, COMET and Unipart Rail delivered a series of short presentations, titled TechTalks. We’re looking forward to this evening’s networking dinner with live entertainment and tomorrow's activities. #RIC25 #RIAInnovationConference #Innovation #RailIndustry 

The RIA Innovation Conference kicked off with an opening speech from RIA Chief Executive Darren Caplan before a series of keynotes including: 🟣 Toufic Machnouk, Managing Director, GBRX, explained that GBRX was designed to tackle ecosystem challenges to innovation and acknowledged the commercial complexities of the sector. 🟣 Robert Ampomah, B. Eng (Hons), Chief Technology Officer, Network Rail, reflected on the 200 years of innovation in the rail industry and highlighted Network Rail’s four research and innovation priorities: cost reduction, boots off ballast, data-driven decisions, and weather resilience. 🟣 Shamit Weinberger Gaiger OBE, Managing Director, West Coast Partnership Development, talked about how the program embeds innovation in the processes, systems and governance. She highlighted that whilst good practice is not easy to implement, bad practice is easy to avoid Throughout the day, there will be exhibition spotlights from Network Rail, LB Foster, Westermo Network Technologies, Ampetronic, Unipart Rail, FuelActive®, Arcadis, Mavin Powercube, One Big Circle Ltd, Frazer-Nash Consultancy, Transmission Dynamics and MEGATECH PROJECTS LTD.. These will be followed by further keynotes from the Global Centre Of Rail Excellence, London North Eastern Railway, and Europe's Rail Joint Undertaking. #RIC25 #RIAInnovationConference #Innovation #RailIndustry 

🖋️ Our Chief Executive Darren Caplan has written for RAIL Magazine on how Chancellor Rachel Reeves can unlock rail’s potential to drive economic growth and create jobs. 🔗 Read it here: https://lnkd.in/en9Njmgf #Rail #RailIndustry #SupplyChain #Growth #UKRail

📆 Join us on 1 April for the Rolling Stock Group 🔵 Andrew Gainsbury, Rolling Stock Strategy Manager, Transport for Wales, will discuss future rolling stock options - such as hydrogen, battery bi-modes or even eFuels - and consider the opportunities and challenges of devolution and decarbonisation. 🔵 Low adhesion is an ongoing challenge facing the railway. Peter Hubbard, Loughborough University, will explain new technological developments in low adhesion detection, revealing how academic research can flow down to benefit the operational railway. 🔵 Work towards the future decarbonisation of the railway is leading to an increase in overhead line electrification and the use of battery units, and therefore a rise in the demand for electricity. Leo Murray, Riding Sunbeams, will talk about how to accommodate this and what could be done across the network. 🔵 Robert Hay, RIA Technical Advisor, will share the data and details behind the decarbonisation 'Plan of Thirds' shown in RIA's paper 'A lower cost, higher performing, net zero railway', while also highlighting challenges about power requirements in a decarbonised railway. Members can register here: https://lnkd.in/eV5irV6x #RailIndustry #UKRail #RollingStock

⭐ Accelerating Success - ESG-Driven Growth Strategies for Rail - 16 May ⭐   Join us to learn why and how ESG can positively impact and generate growth, including demonstrating organisational ESG ambitions, proving ESG progress and forging a robust growth strategy, testing it, implementing change and measuring success.   Course highlights: 🔹 Judge the current state of the environment in broad scientific terms. 🔹 Identify the key concepts in ESG. 🔹 Discuss ESG performance by comparing experiences and assumptions to 🔹 some popular models of ESG measurement. 🔹 Evaluate the capability of your organisation in respect of ESG, growth strategy, and technical competence. 🔹 Review, explain and challenge the purpose of your organisation. 🔹 Create a growth strategy methodology. 🔹 Compare the return on investment for ESG initiatives against the growth strategy. 🔹 Analyse the robustness of your organisation’s growth strategy.   🎤 John Downer, Board Director of the High Speed Rail Group, founder of ESG33 Ltd, and award-winning growth strategic will be leading this course, sharing his strong understanding of procurement, contracting, work winning, growth strategy, value creation, commercial risk and opportunity realisation.   The course is open to all, with special rates for RIA Members - register here: https://lnkd.in/e7M2_EeK   #RIATrainingCourse #RailMasterclass #RailTrainingCourse #WorkWinning Fiona Broomfield

Today, RIA's Policy Team held a Member Briefing to meet the Department for Transport (DfT), United Kingdom's Rail Reform Team. The discussion focused on areas such as the financial framework, long-term strategy and planning, and the process for GBR design and transition. A Member Briefing Note from the session will be published next week.   RIA's Policy Team previously held a Member Briefing session on the Rail Reform consultation. You can watch the recording or view the slides by clicking this link (Member log-in required): https://lnkd.in/eNshPaeG #RailReform #RailIndustry

🏆 We are pleased to announce that the deadline for the Railway Industry Supplier Excellence (RISE) Awards has been extended by one week, with entries now closing on 4 April! The awards celebrate the excellence and achievements of the UK rail supply community across 13 categories. Entries are reviewed by a panel of industry experts and winners will be announced at the RIA Dinner & RISE Awards 2025 on 26 June at The Landmark, London. 🔗 Follow the link or scan the QR code to enter: https://lnkd.in/eZUBJypM #UKRail #RISE25 #RailIndustry

RIA Chief Executive Darren Caplan comments on the latest passenger and revenue figures from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) and Department for Transport (DfT), United Kingdom. "These figures by the ORR provide further, sustained evidence, of a return to rail post-pandemic. Both passenger numbers and passenger revenues are up by 7% and 8% respectively in the quarter year-on-year. Furthermore, the DfT’s latest figures showing over 101% patronage of the railway, compared to pre-pandemic levels, are also proof-positive that rail has bounced back. Even in tough economic times, with a restructure in the offing, rail has a bright future. The Government clearly needs to continue to invest in it as the numbers using rail grow and more capacity will be needed." 🔗 Read the full press release here: https://lnkd.in/eQF4r5es #PassengerNumbers #RailPassengers #RailDemand #RailIndustry #PassengerGrowth

In our latest update video, our Chief Executive Mark Wild sets out the challenges facing the HS2 programme and outlines our focus for this year to reset HS2.     Watch the update video below👇  https://lnkd.in/eW-f7wmy