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10 Reasons to Continue to Invest in Rail 6. Rail can lead the green recovery – It is not possible to meet zero carbon goals for transport without rail. Rail is a green mode of mass transit, contributing to just 2.5% greenhouse gas emissions from transport and only 0.6% of total UK emissions. 7. Rail cannot easily be mothballed - Once rail infrastructure is decommissioned, it is not easily reopened. 8. Rail investment has a knock-on economic impact - For every £1 spent on the rail network, £2.20 value is delivered in the wider economy. 9. Investment cannot wait – Much of the rail spending planned cannot be postponed, in order to meet our decarbonisation and digitalisation targets. 10. There is a clear window to get work done – The pandemic has provided an opportunity to get work done without impacting services, which should be capitalised on before passenger and freight numbers return. Published ahead of the Spending Review, RIA will be using this document to make the case for continued rail investment over the coming weeks and months ahead.
RIA has published a new short document highlighting 10 reasons the Government should continue to invest in rail, following the Coronavirus pandemic. The document makes the case that policy decisions about the future of rail should not be based on the shortterm impact of Coronavirus on passenger numbers, during a clearly exceptional period – and nor should they be based on unsubstantiated forecasts of the future, with past forecasts often proving to be underestimates. The 10 reasons include: 1. Rail is a long-term game – Investments in infrastructure or rolling stock are usually delivered and create continuing value for passengers and the wider economy over years. 2. The reduction in passenger numbers is likely to be temporary – Based on previous economic slumps in the 1980s, 1990s and post-2008, and past health crises, passenger numbers have always recovered to continue their pattern of growth. 3. Rail is not just for passengers – It is also vital for freight, with over 4 billion tonnes being delivered annually before Coronavirus. 4. Rail travel is clean and safe – A study undertaken by RSSB in August 2020 has estimates that the risk of infection per passenger journey is 1-in-11,000 journeys, with similar results found in other countries. 5. Investment can support the whole of the UK – The rail network touches almost every part of the country and has the potential to unlock a new generation of talent.
Member Survey results announced
The results of an independent Pulse survey of RIA members has been published: • 84% now say they are either ‘Really or quite happy’ with their membership compared to 75% at the start of the year. • The satisfaction score ‘Really happy’ highest category, has increased from 34% in 2017 to 52% in 2020. • This year, 88% surveyed said they believe RIA is playing a leadership role as the voice of the UK rail supply community; and 85% feel RIA has been performing really or quite well as the ‘go-to’ body for advising on government policy. 22 Headfort Place, London SW1X 7RY +44 (0) 207 201 0777
Annual Conference sees Are you ready for EU Exit? year end with a bang RIA's Annual Conference took place virtually, for the first time this year, from 4 to 6 November 2020, with over 400 people attending. The event saw leading industry figures speak about the impact of Coronavirus has had over the past year and how rail can recover. Speakers included Rail Minister Chris HeatonHarris MP, Transport for London Commissioner Andy Byford, Porterbrook Chief Executive Mary Grant, Network Rail Chairman Sir Peter Hendy and Florence Eshalomi MP AM. Read our Special Report on page 12
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With the uncertainty around the UK's exit of the EU at the end of December, RIA is gearing up to support members at this critical time. At the time of writing no deal has yet been confirmed, with negotiations possibly running through December. RIA Policy Director Kate Jennings and Exports Director Neil Walker are leading on this work, and are supported by other Team RIA colleagues too. Between them, they will be available to answer any questions, or go digging on RIA members' behalf, over the coming weeks and months, to do whatever they can to help members. Read more on page 9. ria@riagb.org.uk www.riagb.org.uk
RIA Update 112 Winter 2020
An extraordinary year, in which rail has supported the nation Dear RIA colleagues Welcome to the final Update of 2020, in what has been a truly extraordinary year.
You have informed our thinking and activity throughout the year; and the fact that independent Pulse surveying shows our highest level of member satisfaction since we started measuring this, and also that the survey positions RIA as the go-to and leadership organisation in dealing with policy-makers and stakeholders – is testament to our active membership, ensuring we are delivering on your agenda. This year we have also won Awards for Membership Engagement and Public Affairs In-House Team of the Year, which we hope is further evidence that we are delivering a high level of impactful service for you. I would additionally like to thank the 50+ members who joined us this year – including both household name businesses and SMEs. We hope to repay your trust in us in the months and years ahead, and deliver value for money.
2020 – the impact of Coronavirus At the start of this year, we were planning our 145th Anniversary as a trade association, and held two prestigious events, with the Westminster Parliamentary Reception in January and a Gala Dinner in February. Who would have guessed by March that the tragedy of Coronavirus would turn all our worlds upside down, and millions of people in the UK would be asked to stay at home, and knuckle down to just one hour a day’s exercise in the local park? It is clear that despite decimated passenger numbers this year, rail has stepped up to the challenges thrown at our industry in 2020. The trains kept moving, with work on rail infrastructure continuing – at one point, 25% of all construction work in the UK this year was on the railway – and key workers were able to do their jobs, often working in hospitals and care homes. Freight moved around the country delivering goods. And colleagues in rail supply continued to develop and build the world-class rail network we’re going to need in 2021 and beyond to help the economy recover in the years ahead.
Team RIA None of RIA’s offering this year would be possible without such a talented and hard-working team, responding to the Coronavirus challenge, a well as delivering on the Business As Usual agenda. A third of the team went on furlough earlier this year, and I can only record my thanks to them for doing this – it’s great now to have a full complement back, serving members. This year has seen us add Policy Director Kate Jennings, Technical & Innovation (T&I) Managers Sam Bemment and Karl King, PR & Communications Executive Alexis King, and EA & Operations Executive Dominika Kokosikova to the ranks. And we have sadly said farewell to Snr T&I Manager Richard Jones, PR & Comms Executive Lesley Mukenge, and Senior Policy Manager Damian Testa, all of whom we wish well for the future. In addition, congratulations go to Milda Manomaityte who has been promoted to Senior Technical & Policy Manager, and also to Isabella Lawson, who is moving roles from EA & Operations to Policy Executive. We now seek one more addition, in the shape of a new Policy Manager to join our Policy team.
The impact on RIA and members, and future lobbying agenda As with our members, RIA’s plans for 2020 were thrown up in the air too. From Quarter 2 of this year we have been virtualising both how our team works and also how we deliver our services. We hope you feel we have delivered, holding myriad ‘virtual’ meetings and events – including a three-day Annual Conference and two week-long Unlocking Innovation conferences – with senior politicians and policy makers, clients and stakeholders, to enable the issues you want raised to be discussed and information you needed disseminated. RIA is now turning its attention to lobbying for rail’s role in helping reboot the UK economy post Coronavirus. Whether campaigning for major projects like HS2, Northern Powerhouse Rail, Crossrail 2, Trans Pennine Route Upgrade or East West Rail - to name a few - to be delivered in full, getting better enhancement scheme visibility, or seeking to accelerate electrification, decarbonisation and digitalisation of the network, we hope to demonstrate a bigger, better, supply sector benefits not just rail but also the UK economy, including jobs and GVA, more widely.
2021 priorities As you can imagine, we now have a number of priorities, going into 2021: • Helping members navigate the post EU Transition period; • Campaigning for a return to mass rail travel (when it is again safe to do so); • Dealing with the Williams Rail Review restructure, which we understand will be announced early in the New Year; • Collaborating with Network Rail on its regional restructuring
Putting members first We try never to forget in Team RIA the importance of putting members first in all that we do; and I would like to thank you, our valued members, for sticking with us in this difficult year. 22 Headfort Place, London SW1X 7RY +44 (0) 207 201 0777
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RIA Update 112 Winter 2020
and Project SPEED plans, as well as other initiatives and other rail clients, so members can work on schemes right across the country; • Lobbying for the smoothing of workload boom and bust, enhancements visibility, and regional support during the local and mayoral elections next May; • Delivering an expansive programme of RIA meetings, events, conferences, and intelligence-sharing; and • Moving RIA to a new home in Westminster by the Spring, for use by and for members. Our major campaign going in to 2021 is ’10 reasons to invest in rail’, as highlighted on the front page of the Update. It is essential that we in the railway industry make the long term case for rail now, and are publicly positive about passenger numbers bouncing back in 2021+ so we can get the support we need to build today to benefit the industry’s future. If we in rail do not make the case, we cannot expect others outside the industry to do so on our behalf; and policy-makers will be questioning why rail needs the funding levels which are needed to build a railway fit for the future.
Finally… Jeremy Candfield RIP Finally, I would like to recognise the immense contribution to rail made by my predecessor at the helm of RIA, Jeremy Candfield, who sadly passed away last month. Jeremy led RIA for 18 years, and was incredibly well known and regarded both by RIA members and the railway industry. We hope the current RIA team has continued the tradition passed on from his day to today, of ensuring RIA represents the interests of the rail supply sector, and also enables it to come together and collaborate in building a bigger and better railway industry for the future. So that’s it for 2020. Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Please do keep well and safe; and we look forward to seeing you – whether in person or virtually! – in 2021. Enjoy the Update. Yours, Darren Darren Caplan, RIA Chief Executive
RIA has made a Christmas donation to the Railway Benefit Fund. If your organisation would also like to contribute, go to www.railwaybenefitfund.org.uk 22 Headfort Place, London SW1X 7RY +44 (0) 207 201 0777
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RIA Update 112 Winter 2020
A Decarbonisation Action Plan for Scotland's Railways In July 2020, the Scottish Government published its Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan. Cabinet Secretary Michael Matheson MSP explains what it involves. The impact of the climate crisis is becoming increasingly evident in our daily lives – we are seeing more and more extreme weather events including the very tragic rail incident near Stonehaven. They are a stark reminder of the toll extreme weather takes across transport infrastructure. Even whilst we are responding to a health pandemic, climate change remains the most important and pressing environmental, economic and moral issue that we face. We owe it to future generations to tackle it robustly. We recognise this in Scotland and have responded with our ambitious plans for transition to net-zero by 2045, with our exacting legislation, and I am delighted to say that we have made an excellent start in our delivery against these plans. However, we are acutely aware that transport is Scotland’s biggest emitting sector and that greenhouse gas emissions from transport have remained stubbornly high. We know that we need to set ourselves and our transport networks on a clear and unambiguous pathway to net-zero. Guided by science, and experts in this field, elected politicians, like me, must set the sectoral policy framework, demonstrate leadership, be bold and so drive forward the required actions forced on us by climate change. I am proud to have done so for rail in Scotland through the publication of the Rail Decarbonisation Action Pan, showing our ambitious pathway to decarbonise all passenger services by 2035. We are moving away from diesel to other sources such as electric, battery or fuel cell and our principal aim is to electrify more of our rail network. Where we cannot electrify, or it is inappropriate to do so, we will invest in battery electricpowered trains and work with developers 22 Headfort Place, London SW1X 7RY +44 (0) 207 201 0777
of hydrogen fuel cell powered trains to accelerate their development and deployment in Scotland. I confirmed funding for the hydrogen accelerator project at St Andrews University, this will help deliver further innovation in the use of hydrogen technology and help us move towards a strategic hydrogen workforce in Scotland. It is beyond doubt that rail electrification delivers considerable passenger, freight and operational benefits and we have made significant progress in the past few years. We’ve electrified the line between Edinburgh and Glasgow via Falkirk High; between Edinburgh and Glasgow via Shotts; and the routes northwards to Stirling, Dunblane and Alloa. We now have five electrified routes between Edinburgh and Glasgow – surely now the best-connected city pairing in the UK – and a staggering 76% of all Scottish rail passenger journeys are undertaken on electric services. This is before we deliver the next stage of our ambitious electrification programme. One of the key challenges in driving forward the action plan is how we can reduce the cost and impact of physical electrification. Working alongside our industry partners we must secure greater efficiencies, we must deliver more and achieve quicker outcomes. Electrification is also essential to improve the competitive position of rail freight and it will further enhance its environmental benefits, especially so north of Scotland’s central belt through Perth to Aberdeen and Inverness. Working with you and others across the industry we will drive forward the activities within the plan in an integrated and focussed manner. The work of the RIA and RSSB, and their members, as well as that of the wider rail industry
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on efficient costs and lower rates for electrification will be critical in delivering this action plan. Together we have a once in a generation opportunity to not only stimulate innovation within the train manufacturing industry but also to create skilled, sustainable employment in Scotland through stable workbanks. This has corresponding benefits for up skilling the workforce, for more apprenticeships, for the development of talent, and for long-term employment security. All of this should and will make a significant impact to our green economic recovery now and in the longer-term. Working together I am confident that Scotland can and will continue to lead the UK and global march to net-zero.
About Michael Matheson MSP Michael Matheson was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity in June 2018. He was born in Glasgow in 1970 and educated at St John Bosco Secondary School. He went on to study at Queen Margaret College, Edinburgh, where he obtained a BSc in Occupational Therapy. He also holds a BA and a Diploma in Applied Social Sciences from the Open University. Prior to becoming an MSP, Mr Matheson practised as a Community Occupational Therapist with Stirling Council, Central Regional Council, and Highland Regional Council. He was elected as the MSP for Falkirk West following the May 2007 elections. Previous to that he was a Regional MSP for Central Scotland from 1999 to 2007. ria@riagb.org.uk www.riagb.org.uk
RIA Update 112 Winter 2020
Resilience on the railways Resilience First's Executive Director Robert Hall writes in RIA's Update about the resilience issues facing UK rail. The effects of adverse weather on the railways can most recently be seen at Stonehaven on 12 August this year but also at Dawlish on 5 February 2014. Both events were the result of flooding of the tracks. However, the potential for other even more severe weather-related events affecting our rail infrastructure is growing, especially on the back of climate change. A salutary lesson can be seen at Choluteca Bridge in Honduras. Albeit a road bridge, this structure is a symbol for what can happen if we are unprepared for when the world around us changes in profound ways. The bridge opened in 1998 and linked two vibrant part of Honduras. While the bridge survived Hurricane Mitch soon after being finished, the river found a new channel to pursue which made the bridge redundant. A bridge may have appeared to be the best solution on site at the time and built robustly enough to survive a hurricane but the designers didn’t think that the circumstances could change and the purpose washed away literally - now it’s a bridge to nowhere. While Covid-19 has certainly brought about considerable disruption to our lives, there are other megatrends like climate change and resource depletion racing down the track. Organisations and infrastructures are increasingly subject to severe disruptions and catastrophes with little or no predictability and with increasing frequency and high impact. We can’t predict precisely the scale, scope and speed of these trends – some will remain unknown unknowns. But, we can prepare for the likely consequences in a holistic and determined way. A report by the National Infrastructure Commission in May this year on resilient systems offered a valuable framework titled ‘anticipating, reacting and recovering’. We need to have such frameworks to allow us to adapt in the light of new challenges, not just bounce back to the status quo ante: this is the essence of resilience. Certainly, our old models of analysing historical trends and our structured procedures like business continuity management and enterprise risk management are proving inadequate when dealing with new complexities and challenges. Operations management and supply-chain professionals are increasingly focusing their efforts on cultivating various types of flexible, agile and adaptive measures to cope with increasingly volatile business conditions. To reflect this emphasis, a PWC report in 2019 talked of ‘crisis preparedness rather than risk management [being] the new competitive advantage’. Preparedness, however, 22 Headfort Place, London SW1X 7RY +44 (0) 207 201 0777
should not be seen just as a cost burden but rather delivering potential savings by dealing early with oncoming disruptions – witness the Covid-19 experience. For the railways and any organisation, agility and adaptation can be achieved through having: a common purpose around which organisations can coalesce during times of change; a decision-making structure that allows for the quick re-allocation of resources (money, people and time) in response to events; a network of flexible, flat and local teams with the ability to flex quickly; and a culture of empowerment and entrepreneurialism that motivates employees. Technology can facilitate all these aspects. Yet, in a recent KPMG survey of businesses where respondents were asked if they had a clear view of the risks ahead and how to tackle them, only 8% reported having a fully-fledged plan in place, with 89% in early-stage discussions, and 3% not at all. (1) With the government's long-term ambitions for levelling up and decarbonisation, the railways - like much of the rest of the public transport system - needs to adapt if it is to survive and thrive against the growing twin challenges of Covid-19 and climate change - and with other unknowns around the corner. Notes 1. Network Rail has launched two independent task forces to help it better manage its massive earthworks (cuttings and embankments) portfolio and its understanding and response to severe weather events. See: https://www.globalrailwayreview. com/news/107039/network-rail-task-forces-weather-events Resilience First is a membership organisation with the mission to improve urban resilience for business communities in the UK and beyond. Earlier this year, RIA and Resilience First signed a MoU and are working in partnership to develop events, share information and support our respective memberships. Find out more at www.resiliencefirst.org
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RIA Events calendar 2021 January
February
April
May
July
August
12 Electrification TIG* 13 RIA Board 14 Infrastructure Clients Interface Group 18 RIA Fellowship Visit 19 Middle East Webinar *TBC 26 Traction & Rolling Stock Group 28 SME Group 29 EU Future relationship PACN * Date TBC 20 Electrification TIG* 21 RIA Board 22 SME Group 28 - 30 RIA Innovation Conference PACN * Date TBC 1 Train Clients Interface Group 5 – 9 Unlocking Innovation 8 RSN Derby 13 Signalling & Telecommunications TIG* PACN * Date TBC
October
5 Safety, Standards & Sustainability Group 11 – 15 Unlocking Innovation 12 – 13 Middle East Rail, UAE 13 RIA Board 14 Infrastructure Clients Interface Group 28 Train Clients Interface Group PACN * Date TBC
1 – 12 Virtual Rail Trade Mission 2 Infrastructure TIG* 4 Consultants Group 9 – 12 Unlocking Innovation 22 – 26 RIA Devolved Nations & R 23 Information Management Gro
2 RIN London 10 – 14 Unlocking Innovation 18 Traction & Rolling Stock Grou 20 Infrastructure Clients Interfac 25 Infrastructure TIG* TBC
November
4 - 5 RIA Annual Conference 16 Signalling & Telecommunicati 18 Consultants Group 23 Vehicle Track Interface Group
Technical & Innovation PA/PR & Policy Exports Flagship event RIA Internal Joint Event
*TIG: Technical Interest Group / SIG: Special Interest Group
Last u
to Canada
Regions Events oup
up ce Group
ions TIG*
March
4 Consultants Strategic Group 16 Safety, Standards & Sustainability Group 22 – 26 RIA/DIT Virtual Rail Trade Mission Australia *TBC 23 Vehicle Track Interface Group 25 Train Clients Interface Group 30 Signalling & Telecommunications TIG*
June
8 Information Management Group 15 Safety, Standards & Sustainability Group 16 – 18 Rail Solutions Asia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 24 RIA Trade Meeting 30 RIA Board
September
7 Electrification TIG* 7 – 9 Railtex / Infrarail 14 Infrastructure TIG* 16 SME Group 21 – 24 Trako, Gdansk, Poland 22 Traction & Rolling Stock Group 24 RIA Trade Meeting 28 Information Management Group
December
30 – 2 AusRAIL PLUS 2021, Brisbane, Australia 6 – 10 Unlocking Innovation
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update: 04/12/2020 - Please check RIA website for latest information
RIA Update 112 Winter 2020
Public Affairs & Policy RIA speaks to Transport Committee on decarbonising rail RIA's Technical Director David Clarke has given evidence to Parliament's Transport Committee for its inquiry on Trains Fit For the Future. Launched last year before the General Election, the inquiry has been revived this Parliamentary term and will be looking at how the rail industry can decarbonise its train fleet and deliver more efficently and reliably for rail customers.
David appeared alongside Porterbrook Chief Executive Mary Grant and Leo Murray, Director at Riding Sunbeams, both of whom emphasised the need for a rolling programme of electrification alongside fleet orders for low carbon rolling stock, such as battery and hydrogen. The session can be watched on the Committee page at www.parliament.uk.
Rail Interviews held at Party Conferences Although Party Conferences moved online this year, RIA once again provided its signature Rail Interview events, partnering with High Speed Rail Group. This year saw even more events than usual, with Rail Interviews at Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat and SNP Party Conferences. Each event saw a key figure from the respective Conference's Party talk about rail policy: • At Labour, Shadow Rail Minister Tan Dhesi MP was interviewed by Sunday Times Transport Correspondent Nicholas Hellen; • At Lib Dem, Transport
Spokesperson Sarah Olney MP was interviewed by RIA Policy Director Kate Jennings; • At Conservative, Hellen joined once again to interview Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris MP and Transport Committee Chair Huw Merriman MP; and • At SNP, Cabinet Secretary Michael Matheson MSP was interviewed by The Scotsman Transport Correspondent Alastair Dalton. Thanks to sponsors Porterbrook, Hitachi ABB Powergrids and VolkerWessels.
Top left to right: Tan Dhesi MP, Michael Matheson MSP, Huw Merriman MP Bottom left to right: Sarah Olney MP, Chris HeatonHarris MP 22 Headfort Place, London SW1X 7RY +44 (0) 207 201 0777
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Independent polling shows mixed picture
A survey of 250 rail industry leaders was published by RIA on the eve of its Annual Conference. Conducted by independent polling company Savanta ComRes, the survey shows that railway decision makers are almost split down the middle on the prospects for the rail supply industry in the coming year, with 35% saying the industry is likely to grow and 36% saying its likely to contract, with 25% saying it will stay the same. When it comes to their own businesses, leaders are more likely to be optimistic about growth prospects, with half (51%) saying their business is likely to grow in the coming year, and one in five (21%) saying likely to contract. And on the impact of Coronavirus, 61% of railway business leaders say Coronavirus has worsened their business’s outlook for the coming year. Amongst those who expect their business to contract, 74% said the pandemic had worsened their outlook. Contact Max Sugarman to find out more. ria@riagb.org.uk www.riagb.org.uk
RIA Update 112 Winter 2020
Special Interest Group Overview SME Group, 8 October 2020 Chaired by SME Group Chair John Chappell of CPC and Deputy Chair Lucy Prior of 3Squared, the SME Group included pitches from RIA SME Members Opinsta Ferrabyrne, and the CPC Systems R&D team. There was a ‘Meet the Buyer’ session with Porterbrook’s Anvesh Prasad and an update from the Rail Supply Group, Sector Deal Programme Manager Paul Corcororan covering the results of RSG's Coronavirus Survey and Act Now priorities on data, expenditure profiling and possessions management. The group also heard from TfL SME Lead Saritha Visvalingam. We also shared NR data which demonstrated how they are hitting Government targets for 33% of spend to go to SMEs and shared the results of the RIA SME survey.
System Operator Economic Advisor, shared passenger demand scenarios that will be used to inform the WISP. Infrastructure Clients Group, 27 October 2020 ICIG heard from Denise Wetton, Director, Commercial & Business Development, and Vicky Hill-Stanford, Head of Commercial Performance at the North West and Central Region of Network Rail regarding their strategic priorities and procurement plans. David Ollerhead, NR's Open for Business Programme Lead, shared programme successes and Aidan Brooks and Tom Quinn from NSAR highlighted their work on skills development including Kick Start, Routes into Rail and the TIES Living Lab. the group also heard from the Rail Supply Group, Sector Deal Programme Manager, Paul Corcoran.
Consultants Group, 13 October 2020 Our key note speaker was Simon Blanchflower, Chief Executive of East West Rail. We also head from Calvin Lloyd, Strategy and Planning Director and Harriet Hepburn, Corporate Finance and Business Development Director at Network Rail on plans for a Whole Industry Strategic Plan (WISP) and the Open for Business Programme respectively. Robin Lapish, HS2 Supply Chain Manager, also spoke about live HS2 procurement plans.
Strategic Roundtables Building on long standing strategic infrastructure engagement, we held a number of strategic round tables for Members, giving them exclusive access to key client decision makers including Ruth Hannant, Rail Director General and Nick Bisson, Director, HS2 Phase 2, at DfT, Tim Smart, Managing Director, at HS2 Phase 2, Peter Wilkinson, Director Passenger Services at DfT, Jon Loveday, Director Infrastructure Enterprise and Growth at the Infrastructure Projects Authority and RSSB Chair Barbara Moorhouse and Chief Executives Mark Philips.
Train Clients Interface Group, 11 November 2020 Our key note speaker for TCIG was Peter Wilkinson, Director of Passenger Services, DfT. Peter gave an overview of Government support for Train Operating Companies including the live contract negotiations. He highlighted that suppliers should expect TOCs to honour contracted obligations and prompt payment terms and noted that the move to Emergency Recovery Management Agreements had enabled the Department to begin implementation of the Williams Review. Further updates were heard from the Rail Delivery Group's Neil Ovenden and James Brewer, Head of Rail, at BEIS, who shared the latest thinking on the Industrial Strategy. Finally, Dave Harding, Network Rail's
RIA also continued its strategic engagement with both the Department for Transport, Network Rail and ORR – including discussions on Spending Review and CP7 planning and our quarterly programme of engagement with Network Rail Regional Managing Directors Rob McIntosh and John Halsall which included honest and open dialogue on Network Rail ambitions for Project Speed.
2020 Trade & EU Transition Policy Activity RIA's Policy Director Kate Jennings and Exports Director Neil Walker held a RIA open meeting to review trade and exports activity and priorities for 2021. On the trade policy side the priorities have been: • Lobbying: We have produced our 5 Trade Asks and have written to and heard from Graham Stewart, Exports Minister, Michael Gove, Cabinet Office – EU Future Relations, Lord Grimstone, Trade and Investment Minister BEIS and DIT and Angus MacNeil, International Trade Committee and responded to relevant consultations; • Information sharing and meetings for Members: We're regularly keeping members in the loop through our weekly Trade Watch. We've also set up Member Meetings with 22 Headfort Place, London SW1X 7RY +44 (0) 207 201 0777
Ministers Rachel Mclean, Graham Stewart and Lord Grimstone. Members were also invited to RIA/UKTiE joint events with Government officials from DfT and UKMIS in Brussels. • Informing Trade Policy and Government Trade Advisory Groups: RIA also represents Member interests on DIT's Themed Working Groups on procurement and transport services. We have asked for a seat on the SME themed working group and lobbied for a rail representative on Liz Truss, Trade Secretary’s Transport Services Advisory Group.
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RIA Update 112 Winter 2020
Devolved regions & nations week 2021
Building up to the local, mayoral and devolved nation elections due to be held in May 2021, RIA will hold a fiveday event series to look at transport policy in each region of the UK. The five days will cover Scotland, the North, the Midlands, London and Wales. Each event will have a highprofile speaker to discuss transport policy and the political state of play, which will be used to develop a rail manifesto for each region and nation. Keep an eye out on our website and future communications for details: www.riab.org.uk/RIA/RIAevents
Ministerial Roundtable on Innovation held
£1bn cut in rail enhancement projects
RIA wins Public Affairs Award
Following a Parliamentary Question to the Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris MP, it was announced that the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline contained £9.4 billion of potential schemes, a reduction since the Spending Review of £1 billion. RIA Chief Executive Darren Caplan said the news was 'very disappointing' and called for the full list of enhancement schemes to be published to give certainty to suppliers. RIA's response received extensive coverage, including in the BBC, Independent, Financial Times, and Mail Online, with Darren appearing on LBC.
RIA has been awarded the PRCA’s prestigious Public Affairs Award for In-House Team of Year. The winning submission focused on RIA’s work supporting the rail supply industry in 2020, especially related to Coronavirus, including representing the views of RIA members to Government, rail clients and industry stakeholders. This award is not only recognition of Team RIA's work, but also the tremendous efforts RIA members have gone to, in working with policy makers to keep the rail network moving.
NRIL publish decarbonisation report
On 7 December, Northern Rail Industry Leaders (NRIL) published its latest White Paper setting out how the region can decarbonise its railways. The report highlights that: • The railway network should play a key role in the Government’s 'levelling up' agenda and the decarbonisation of the railway can play a crucial part; • Railways in the North of England are heavily dependent on diesel traction, so alternatives like electrification, battery and hydrogen will need to be implemented; • Train operators will need to deliver rail decarbonisation strategies for their routes; and • Early deployment of schemes and development of low cost solutions will be essential. NRIL is the representative body for more than 150 The virtual roundtable attended by the Rail Minister, offered organisations in the North of
Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris MP joined an Unlocking Innovation roundtable, led by RIA, on 3 December, to hear from organisations developing leading innovations in the rail sector. The roundtable saw the Minister hear from organisations across the supply chain, including RIA Members, Network Rail, TfL and HS2, RSSB and InnovateUK. The discussion, organised as part of RIA’s Unlocking Innovation programme – which seeks to drive technical developments across the rail supply chain - provided an opportunity to discuss how the rail industry can deliver new products and services in the areas of decarbonisation, reliability and accessibility, and customer experience, amongst others.
England. Decarbonisation is one of the key workstreams it is working on to support investment plans in the North. More information can be found at www. northernrailleaders.com or on the RIA website.
Contact our Policy, Public Affairs & PR team Kate Jennings
Policy Director kate.jennings@riagb.org.uk 07771 944135
Max Sugarman Public Affairs & PR Director max.sugarman@riagb.org.uk
07399 042383
Alexis King PR & Comms Executive alexis.king@riagb.org.uk 07399 042385
Isabella Lawson Policy Executive isabella.lawson@riagb.org.uk
07964 263836
members the opportunity to showcase innovations. 22 Headfort Place, London SW1X 7RY +44 (0) 207 201 0777
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RIA Innovation Conference // Number one event for innovators in the UK railway industry // 3-day Virtual Conference with interactive workshops and live-streamed keynotes and interviews // Fully virtual 2D exhibition hall with unique networking tools and premium features // Evening entertainment including dinner, quiz, prizes, and a surprise activity // MEMCOMS’s Best Membership Event of the Year 2020 and TAF’s Best Conference Award 2018
28-30 April 2021, Virtual SAVE THE DATE! Strategic Partners
22 Headfort Place, London SW1X 7RY +44 (0) 207 201 0777
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RIA Update 112 Winter 2020
RIA Annual Conference 2020 saw RIA hold its Annual Conference virtually for the first time in its 145 year history. After what has been a challenging year for many of us, RIA held its virtual Annual Conference in eary November. While we were all sad not to be at the Conference in-person, the 3-day event was a huge success and heard from a wide range of fantastic speakers. The events provided the opportunity to hear from senior policy makers and decision makers in the industry and beyond on key policy issues and challenges for the sector moving forward. In particular, we want to say thank you to all our sponsors and to everyone who attended, as well as a special mention to Kirsten Whitehouse who helped put the whole thing together! We would also like to thank our wonderful compere for the Conference, BBC South Transport Correspondent, Paul Clifton. Read a summary of the events below.
Day One The day began with RIA Chief Executive Darren Caplan's opening speech, where he welcomed attendees. Darren also presented new polling, undertaken by independent analysts Savanta ComRes of more than 250 rail business leaders on the state of the industry. The picture was mixed, he stated, with 35% of business leaders saying the industry is likely to grow and 36% saying its likely to contract over the coming year. Darren was adament, though, on the need to 'Build Back Rail'. "We cannot allow the rail network to be neglected while we wait for
passengers to return. Rail stands in a good place to help the UK's economic recovery", he said. Next up was new Transport for London Commissioner Andy Byford who began by saying how strange it was to join TfL as the Coronavirus pandemic hit. "It has certainly been the most surreal introduction to any job I have ever taken. We really are in very unusual territory", he said. He added that he came in with two key jobs to do, the first being to get TfL out of the Coronavirus pandemic and the second to get Crossrail completed. The first panel of the Conference focused on rolling stock and whether there was a need for a long term strategy for the sector. Compere Paul Clifton was joined by Sambit Banerjee of Siemens Mobility; Mary Grant of Porterbrook; Mark Hopwood of SWR; Journalist and accessibility campaigner Mik Scarlet; Steve White of GTR; Susie Homan of RDG and Tim Jenkins of Gemini Rail Group. The group were split on whether the rolling stock sector should have a long term strategy, with Mary Grant highlighting the urgent need for a long term plan for assets which have a thirty year life. The second panel of the day focused on the Rail Supply Group's 'Act Now' Report. Panel chair Philip Hoare (Chair of RSG) was joined by Anna Delvecchio of Mott MacDonald, Darren James of Keltbray Group, James Bain of Worldline, Hannah Vickers of the ACE and John Chappell of CPC Project Services. Philip Hoare began by setting out the RSG's latest 'Act Now' report. The key takeaway was from Darren James, Champion for the Sustainability Pillar in the Rail Sector Deal, who emphasised that "visibility of pipeline is very, very important." The final session of the day saw HS2 Chief Executive Mark Thurston sit down for a one-to-one conversation with Paul Clifton. Thurston was asked what Coronavirus meant for the project. Phase 1 will finish in ten years time, and Thurston said the long-term strategic case for it has not changed. The project will also create economic growth and jobs for the UK now, so can support the economic recovery, he added. Thurston also praised the support from the rail industry for the HS2 programme and encouraged RIA Members to continue to work with them and Government to promote the scheme.
Day Two Conference compere Paul Clifton presenting from his home 22 Headfort Place, London SW1X 7RY +44 (0) 207 201 0777
The second Day began with a keynote address from Exports Minister Graham Stuart MP, whose speech highlighted the
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RIA Update 112 Winter 2020
importance of accessing and making the most of new markets once the UK officially leaves the EU. In particular he praised the work of UK rail businesses who "are creating solutions to some of the most considerable transport challenges we face." He also said that rail's decarbonisation challenge could put the sector in a good place to export its expertise abroad, particularly in areas such as low carbon rolling stock. Next we welcomed Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris MP, who made a positive case for the future of rail, while staying realistic about the challenges the industry has faced over the last few months. First, he said that the UK Government has backed the sector, and had worked to provide support with the EMAs and ERMAs over the past six months. Notably he highlighted the importance of electrification for decarbonsing and improving the rail network, saying "electrification fits very nicely with Government's green agenda", alongside investment in hydrgoen and battery technology. The Minister further praised the industry for building the skills needed to deliver these types of projects. We were then joined by Shadow Transport Secretary Jim McMahon MP, who only took up the transport brief in April this year. During his speech he gave his full backing to HS2 and urged the Government to publish a long-term transport plan with fair funding for every region. When it came to Labour policy, McMahon said the Party still wanted to take rail into public ownership, but said there was a place for the private sector. The Chief Executive of the Infrastructure Projects Authority (IPA) Nick Smallwood was the next guest to visit RIA's virtual stage. He gave a frank presentation, saying that whilst infrastructure was high up the Government's agenda, he did not feel the UK was delivering to the best of its ability. "I don't see leading-edge technology being used on building railways", he said. He was clear that the industry needed to "to modernise, shape up and become more diverse". Our first panel of the day saw a discussion on 'Delivering Project Excellence', chaired by Costain's MD of Transportation Sue Kershaw. Our panellists included; Crossrail's Mark Wild, Network Rail's Stuart Calvert, TfN's David Hughes and CECA's Alasdair Reisner. The session began with a strong warning from Sue Kershaw against using the term 'World Class' in describing any project, saying she often felt many projects did not deserve the title. Mark Wild added that the key for any major project is to design "the minimal viable product and to build out from there". Next, came our panel session on 'Build Back Better', where compere Paul Clifton was joined by John Larkinson of ORR, Rob
Exports Minister Graham Stuart MP speaking on Day Two 22 Headfort Place, London SW1X 7RY +44 (0) 207 201 0777
The panellists for our discussion on Skills, opportunity and inclusion
McIntosh of Network Rail Eastern Region, Nick Bisson from the Department for Transport, Russell Jackson of AECOM and Jo Moffatt of Atkins. Russell Jackson began by saying the industry need to put outcomes first, whether that is passenger's interests, creating jobs or the economy. Our final session of the day saw a 'fireside chat' with Network Rail Chairman Sir Peter Hendy OBE. During a fascinating and candid discussion, Sir Peter set out a positive future vision for the UK's railways. Saving his best until last, Sir Peter ended in style by showing us his station sign from Dovey Junction, before adding: "The railway is part of British life."
Day Three The day began with a panel session on how UK rail can make the most of overseas exports. On the panel were Shanker Singham of Competere; Louis Taylor of UK Export Finance; Jake Rudham of Unipart Rail and RSG Exports & Investment Industry Champion; Steve Butcher of John Holland, Australia; Lucy Prior of 3Squared; Simon Argyle of the UK Mission to the EU; and Kaspars Briskens of Rail Baltica. Lucy Prior gave the SME perspective, saying how important it was for UK SMEs to diversify their client base and to look abroad for new work. Our next panel on Skills, opportunity and inclusion began with the launch of RIA and Women in Rail's new Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Charter. Chaired by Dyan Crowther, CEO of HS1 and Chair of NSAR, the panel consisted of Florence Eshalomi AM/MP; George Chilcott, Chair of Young Rail Professionals; Women in Rail Founder Adeline Ginn; Professor Clive Roberts of the University of Birmingham; the National Railway Museum's Andrew Maclean and CPMS Group's Farah Sajwani. Florence Eshalomi emphasised that UK rail needed to show it was more than just driving trains - "there's fantastic opportunities for people from a diverse background". The last session of the Conference saw Network Rail Chief Executive Andrew Haines quizzed by compere Paul Clifton. Haines was realistic about the challenge for rail, stressing: "We are going to have to fight for those passengers to come back", saying that more needed to be done to showcase how safe transport was." The session closed on a light-hearted note, with Paul Clifton urging all attendees to vote for Andrew Haines to have his legs shaved for the RailAid. Overall, it was a great way to close out a difficult year!
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RIA Update 112 Winter 2020
Exports RIA Welcomes RSG Rail Exports Survey RIA has welcomed the publication of the the Rail Sector Deal UK Exports Survey Report, by the Rail Supply Group (RSG). The report sets out the key views of rail suppliers on the UK exports market. The survey reveals that: • Over half, 55%, of respondents confirmed they are currently exporting, or planning to export, or considering exporting goods or services for the rail sector from the UK; • Current priority markets for UK rail exporters are Australia, the United States and Germany, with Australia, the United States and India identified as the top priority markets where companies believe their goods or services have potential to be exported; • Respondents highlighted that their products or services being UK specific was the most common reason for not
RSG's Exports Survey was published on 2 October 2020
exporting. RIA Exports Director Neil Walker, said the RSG Exports Survey was a "valuable tool in understanding the key markets for rail businesses and what support they need at a critical time for the UK’s trade policy. "The UK rail sector can play an even bigger role in achieving the Government’s export aims – RIA and our members look forward to working with the Rail Supply Group, as part of the Rail Sector Deal’s Export Pillar, to deliver even more for UK trade,” he added.
Virtual rail trade mission to Canada launched with DIT RIA and the UK’s Department for International Trade are partnering to launch their first ever joint virtual UK rail trade mission, to Canada. The mission will see delegates take part in a programme of activities over 1 to 12 February 2021 with key players across the Canadian rail sector. The first week will involve virtual roundtables and presentations over a number of days, with week two containing
RIA will continue to work closely with DIT into 2021 22 Headfort Place, London SW1X 7RY +44 (0) 207 201 0777
one-to-one meetings where mission delegates will be able to speak directly to Canadian stakeholders about collaboration opportunities. This mission follows our series of Rail Outreach Webinars, each exploring a different international market, with the July edition on Canada attracting a very large UK audience. RSG Rail Exports Survey Canada is of keen interest to UK rail suppliers and was listed in the top ten priority markets for UK rail businesses in the recent Rail Sector Deal Exports Survey. The Canadian Government has made infrastructure investment a high priority, with £48 billion in planned and announced rail projects over the coming decades. This trade mission is a great opportunity to showcase UK expertise in rail and shows how the industry is working collaboratively with Government to overcome the travel restrictions caused by the Coronavirus pandemic, ensuring we continue to promote UK plc in these difficult times. If you are interested in joining the trade mission please email Neil Walker (details opposite).
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RIA and DIT join forces to deliver Export Webinars Since May this year, RIA has held a series of webinars in partnership with the Department of International Trade (DIT), to support UK rail companies looking to export. With all physical export events cancelled, these have been hugely successful with over 1250 registrations. In each webinar, attendees hear from DIT Trade Advisors and guest speakers from across a number of countries on the opportunities available to UK companies in their respective markets. RIA have held nine rail outreach webinars and an export support event to date, covering 19 markets - as follows: • 6 May - Austria, Portugal, Spain & Switzerland; • 11 May - Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania (includes a Rail Baltica update); • 27 May - Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden; • 22 July - Canada - Highlighting Some Major Transit Projects; • 23 July - Australia and New Zealand; • 18 August - India - Opportunities in the Rail & Metro sectors; • 2 October - France, the Grand Paris Express Metro Project; • 6 October - Webinar re DIT Support For UK Exporters or
Neil Walker Joins RTM's Tech Talk On the date Innotrans was orginally due to be held, our Exports lead Neil Walker was interviewed by Rail Technology Magazine (RTM) for an episode of their Track Talk podcast. In the episode he sets out what RIA have planned for InnoTrans 2021, and how rail suppliers can continue to grow their exports. Listen to the record ing here
The second webinar covered the opportunities in Eastern European nations
Those Looking To Export; • 16 October - Key Projects in Brazil, Mexico and Peru • 10 December - Rail Baltica Webinar (No recording available) During the webinars, RIA Members have had the opportunity to ask their questions and share their views on the issues of the day. This is increasingly important as the UK approaches the end of the transition period with the EU and is in the process of negotiating a range of FTAs with countries across the World. The presentations and video recordings of each webinar are available in the Members area of the RIA website, you will need to log-in to access these. RIA hopes to be back holding physical trade missions soon, but in the meantime, will be arranging new webinars and overseas missions in the new year. Contact Neil Walker (details below) to find out more.
RIA joins Reshoring UK to promote rail In August this year, RIA joined Reshoring UK to promote the rail industry and our Members' expertise. The partnership will support RIA members who are looking to fill the gaps in their supply chains from within the UK or to support the creation of new ones. It will connect them with other companies in the UK or by providing another platform for overseas buyers to source members' products from. RIA Exports Director Neil Walker, said: "The Railway Industry Association is excited to have joined Reshoring UK, an organisation that brings rail suppliers with a UK presence
together to create supply chains and develop an even stronger UK rail offer. We look forward to working with Reshoring UK and RIA members to deliver a growing, sustainable rail sector which promotes resilience, growth, investment and export opportunities for the benefit of UK plc."
Contact Exports:
22 Headfort Place, London SW1X 7RY +44 (0) 207 201 0777
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Neil Walker Exports Director neil.walker@riagb.org.uk
07860 928506 www.riagb.org.uk
ria@riagb.org.uk www.riagb.org.uk
RIA Update 112 Winter 2020
Technical & Innovation UI covers Routes to Zero Carbon Rail RIA's well regarded Unlocking Innovation programme continued its programme of virtual events, covering key issues around the decarbonisation of the railways. All recordings are available to members on the RIA website. Due to the ongoing challenges efforts to reach net-zero by 2045. posed by Coronavirus, our latest He stressed that the majority of Unlocking Innovation event was emissions from major projects held virtually. Despite this we saw and companies are usually, what is great attendance, with over 400 termed, “scope 3”, that is to say in registrants. the supply chain. The four day event series The day's event also heard from Monday 19 to Thursday 22 from AECOM's Philip Charles, who October - covered Routes to Zero highlighted “data is king” when it Carbon Rail, held with our strategic comes to decarbonisaton. Network partners RSSB, the Network Rail Day 4 of the series looked at rail's role in the wider challenge to Rail's Janet Dunnett further offered reach net-zero by 2050. R&D portfolio and UKRRIN. a clear challenge to the supply chain, to work together to help reduce The series heard from a fantastic Network Rail’s scope 3 emissions, range of speakers from across the industry Day 2: Zero Carbon Rail via rolling stock which currently contribute 70% of their and beyond, and covered critical areas total carbon emissions. for the entire sector to meet the target of Day Two on Tuesday 20 October looked at the opportunities to use low carbon, selfreaching net-zero by 2050. Other speakers and elevators pitches powered rolling stock. came from Frazer Nash Consultancy, Day 1: Driving Electrification UKRRIN, Type Four Projects and Unipart On the challenge for industry, Angel Trains’ Brian Reynolds showcased work on Rail in partnership with McCulloch Rail. The first event on Monday 19 October a hybrid solution, setting out the formerfocused on electrification, with the Day 4: Generation Decarbonisation Rail Minister Jo Johnson’s challenge to speakers outlining the clear strategic and environmnetal case for electrifying the UK remove all diesel-only trains from the The ‘Generation Decarbonisation’ session network by 2040. He said that public rail network. heard speakers from across the industry opinion is increasingly focused on climate and beyond, covering how rail fits into the In particular Network Rail's Helen change, making it a significant issue for all wider drive to reach net-zero by 2050. McAllister made it clear that work industries. must start now with a clear prioritised The first speaker was RSSB's specialist Mike Muldoon of Alstom issued a clear Dr Andrew Kluth, who mapped out how programme for delivery in order for rail to warning during the session, highlighting “demonstrate that we can deliver, deliver rail can decarbonise - with electrification that whilst 2050 feels like a long time away being key, and clean hydrogen and battery efficiently, and deliver reliably.” "we are already within the lifetime of one technologies also needing to be developed Siemens' Justin Moss also higlighted train." The event also saw presentations extensively. We also heard from National that 58% of the rail network has yet from Ricardo Rail, Steamology, BCRRE and Grid’s Russell Fowler, who emphasised to be electrified. He emphasised that the University of Huddersfield. that transport contributes 28% of the UK’s everyone across the industry has a vital emissions, making it the largest emitting role to play in reaching zero carbon and Day 3: Zero Carbon Rail via operations sector for greenhouse gases. As he stated meeting the Government's challenge in The third day focused on delivering carbon clearly: “If we are going to decarbonise the its Decarbonising Transport report from UK, we need to decarbonise transport.” reductions in Operations, Maintenance March 2020. and Renewals. Chris Hayes, who leads Other speakers included from The session also heard from leading Skanska’s sustainability operations InnovateUK, Tyseley Enegry Park, Future innovators in this area such as Riding team, gave an outline of how their data Mobility Group andSellick Rail and TP Sunbeams, Loughborough University and on carbon emissions is informing their Group. Composite Braiding amongst others. 22 Headfort Place, London SW1X 7RY +44 (0) 207 201 0777
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RIA Update 112 Winter 2020
RIA host Network Rail PACE workshops to discuss replacement for GRIP process RIA were delighted to be asked by Network Rail to host two workshops with RIA members and supply chain stakeholders on their new process, Product Acceptance in a Controlled Environment (PACE). The events form part of Network Rail’s drive to reform through the Project SPEED initiative. GRIP (The Governance for Railway Investment Projects) is scheduled for retirement and the new, more dynamic framework, PACE, is set to be introduced.
To deliver a more efficient and effective framework for capital delivery projects, Network Rail have sought input from stakeholders across the supply chain who had experience with GRIP to come along and discuss the pro’s and con’s of the lifecycle framework. The sessions will feed into the revised design to ensure Network Rail retains the benefits and phases out the previous downsides in a flexible and dynamic framework for future project delivery.
Infrastructure Technical Interest Group webinar We had 78 registrants at our InfraTIG which met on 1 October 2020. The session heard from Professor John Andrews from the University of Nottingham;
Matthew Brough, Director of Rail Asset Management Group at AECOM; Janine Fountain from Network Rail; and Neil Ovenden, Head of Engineering at Rail Delivery Group and Chair of RISAS Committee. Signalling & Telecoms Technical Interest Group webinar On 2 Septmeber 2020 our Electrification TIG met and heard from Brian Mallon, of Scotland's Railway Capital Delivery at Network Rail, Bill Reeve of Transport Scotland, Hitachi ABB Power Grids' Jay Mehta and Stuart Munro from SPL Powerlines. We had just under 100 attendees at the session. To find out about future TIGs click here www.riagb.org.uk
22 Headfort Place, London SW1X 7RY +44 (0) 207 201 0777
david.clarke@riagb.org.uk 07771 672089
Milda Manomaityte Senior Policy & Technical Manager milda.manomaityte@riagb. org.uk 07825 924581
Karl King Technical Manager karl.king@riagb.org.uk 07403 293935
Sam Bemment Technical Manager sbemment@riagb.org.uk
UI partners with KTN for Feb 2021 events For our first Unlocking Innovation event in 2021, we will be partnering with the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) and InnovateUK to hold a joint series on Customer Experience and COVID recovery. The events will take place from Tuesday 9 to Friday 12 February 2021. The virtual conference will co-incide
Contact our Technical & Innovation team: David Clarke Technical Director
Technical Interest Groups Traction & Rolling Stock Technical Interest Group webinar The virtual meeting took place on 24 November 2020 and heard from: Northern Rail’s Head of Engineering Transformation Andrew Marden; Neil Ovenden of RDG, the future of thei supply chain forum; Leevan Finney, Engineering Director, Network Rail Route Services; Professional Head of Rolling Stock at RSSB, Mark Oakley; and Emma Taylor, Principal Strategy Implementation Manager at RSSB.
In the intial feedback session, RIA members shared their views on the challenges of the GRIP process and the opportunities for how Project PACE can overcome these. Please get in contact with Hannah Brown for more information - hannah. brown@riagb.org.uk
07944 629317
with the launch of the UKRRIN Customer Experience Centre Competition. Transport KTN will also host the launch of Innovate UK’s First of a Kind (FOAK) competition. We will be sharing more information about the conference on the Unlocking Innovation page of RIA's website in due course - Stay tuned!
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Hannah Brown Technical & Operations Executive hannah.brown@riagb.org.uk
07495 043696
www.riagb.org.uk ria@riagb.org.uk www.riagb.org.uk
RIA Update 112 Winter 2020
Obituary - Former RIA Director General, Jeremy Candfield Former Director General of the Railway Industry Association, Jeremy Candfield, has sadly passed away. You can read an obituary from former RIA Policy Director Peter Loosley below. It is with sadness that the Railway Industry Association reports that its former Director-General Jeremy Candfield, passed away on Sunday 1 November, following a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. He had been D-G of RIA between 1998 and 2016. Rest in Peace Jeremy Candfield 28 August 1953 - 1 November 2020 An Obituary from former RIA Policy Director Peter Loosley can be found below. It is with the greatest sadness we report that RIA’s former Director General, Jeremy Candfield, passed away on Sunday 1 November. As many of you will know, Jeremy had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease for several years. Jeremy joined RIA as Director General in 1998 and relinquished the role in 2016 only when the onset of Parkinson’s was making it impossible for him to continue as he would have dearly wished. It is impossible to overstate the changes he made to RIA during his 18-year tenure. He transformed it from what had been regarded by many as ‘a gentleman’s club’ with relatively few member companies to the go-to trade association with a membership of over 200. It had also become the established voice of the railway supply chain and was viewed as a vital and integral piece of the post-privatisation rail jigsaw. Make no mistake, this was a sea-change in how RIA and the supply chain were perceived in the industry. Jeremy brought RIA to the top table and created the platform essential for RIA to continue to grow and progress. He achieved this transformation through, I believe, three key ingredients: First, a lot of hard work. He hardly ever stopped – not only the usual letters, e-mails, meetings and phone calls but also
22 Headfort Place, London SW1X 7RY +44 (0) 207 201 0777
countless evening functions and overseas trade missions. I should stress here that this would have been impossible without the dedicated constant support and understanding of his wife Uta. Second, he identified the key people and organisations with which to engage. And he did so in a firm but collaborative way – rightly gaining their confidence by being straight and open with them and seldom, if ever, resorting to public criticism which he did not view as being terribly productive. In establishing these strong relationships he ensured the necessary two-way dialogue that raised supply chain communication with Government and key clients to a new and mutually beneficial level. Third, his scrupulous honesty, integrity and consistency both within and without RIA (there was no duplicitous side to Jeremy). These are qualities that some might view old-fashioned but which perhaps demand greater currency than they enjoy in these very strange and difficult times. Colleagues with whom I have been in touch, both ex-RIA and members, have been unanimous in describing Jeremy as an absolute gentleman who will be much missed. Indeed he was. It was Jeremy who brought me to RIA and he was a constant source of sage advice, particularly in the early days when I was finding my feet. But not only that, he was a good and loyal friend and I remember with affection the occasions we put the world to rights over the odd tincture (or two). Others will recall similar experiences. I owe him a lot as do the collective RIA membership and the railway industry generally. Our deepest condolences go to his widow Uta, their children Sophie and Christopher and their respective families. I hope it will be of some comfort to them to know how much Jeremy was both admired and respected by everyone with whom he came into contact. It is just such a terrible shame that, having devoted so much of his substance to his work, he was not granted a longer and more comfortable retirement with his family. Jeremy’s funeral took place on 16 November, in the Sevenoaks area. Should you wish to make a donation in Jeremy’s memory they are being taken for Parkinson’s UK and Hospice in the Weald, and may be made via the funeral director – Welham Jones at https://www.welhamjones.co.uk/obituaries We shall all miss Jeremy very much. Peter Loosley
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Appeal: Funding London Transport Museum's Future Sam Mullins OBE, Director of London Transport Museum, talks about the Museum's appeal following its shutdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Coronavirus has changed the world as we know it. How we live, work, and enjoy our leisure time. For the rail industry in particular, the pandemic has turned the promotion of train travel on its head with operators needing to limit usage of their networks rather than encourage it - an unprecedented turn of events not seen in Britain since the Second World War. Cultural organisations like London Transport Museum have faced a similar conundrum. It is almost unimaginable for a museum which has proudly opened its doors for 40 years, and welcomed some 10 million visits, to tell people not to visit, but the need to keep our colleagues and visitors safe must always be the priority. Since closing in March, the Museum has lost £3 million and counting. In June we launched an appeal to help fund our future, raising more than £40,000 in generous donations. And in October, we received the very welcome news that our £1.75 million bid to the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund was successful. But with the move to Tier 3 in the Capital our doors are shut once more. With much of our self-generated income from ticket sales and venue hire cut off once again, we, like so many others right now, face great challenge and uncertainty. Our determination to reopen and ignite people’s curiosity for London’s story remains unwavering, however. Throughout the Spring lockdown, we set about sharing our collection and stories with people digitally and the response from our visitors and audiences has completely exceeded our expectations. In doing this we have been reminded of just how important it is for people to have access to culture, art and heritage. It inspires us, entertains us and offers us a moment of escape from our daily routines. Now when you visit our website, you will find a wealth of digital content to enjoy. Families can pick from interactive and downloadable activities. Stories and objects in our collection are explored in a series of new short and long reads. And from the comfort of your sofa you can delve into the history of London’s disused Underground stations and subterranean tunnels in a line-up of 22 Headfort Place, London SW1X 7RY +44 (0) 207 201 0777
three new virtual Hidden London tours. Our response to the pandemic and its impact on our business has demanded we be entrepreneurial and creative, keeping our audiences engaged and wanting more from the Museum when we reopen. Donations, big or small, help us to continue offering these invaluable experiences both online and in person. If you can, please consider making a donation to London Transport Museum today. Your generosity helps us to care for our unique collection and in the long-term will help us to return our fleet of operational heritage vehicles to London’s railways and roads.
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Our determination to reopen and ignite people’s curiosity for London’s story remains unwavering.
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With a recession looming, schemes like our Route into Work programme will become ever more vital too, supporting those young people hit hardest to get back on their feet with skills and employability training, as well as employment opportunities with our industry partners. Now, more than ever, there is a real need for this kind of support. Just prior to the lockdown we announced our exciting new partnership with the Railway Industry Association – intended to offer a line-up of thought-provoking and lively debates about the future of the rail sector. As we embrace our new normal, and the ebb and flow of changing restrictions, we look forward with earnest to delivering these events for RIA members once more and welcoming you back to our Museum. You can make a donation to the LTM here.
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RIA's Partnership with London Transport Museum
Last year, RIA and the London TransportMuseum held a number of events together as part of the Museum Interchange thought leadership programme. These included 'Data, Data, Everywhere', exploring data use in the rail industry and a decarbonisation roundtable. This partnership will continue next year- look out in RIA communications for future events. ria@riagb.org.uk www.riagb.org.uk
RIA Update 112 Winter 2020
Events & Information RIA and Women in Rail launch joint EDI Charter On 6 November, in partnership with Women in Rail (WR), we launched a Charter to champion equality, diversity and inclusion in the UK railway industry. The joint ‘Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Charter’ is a commitment to work together to build a more balanced higher performing sector and has now been backed by over 140 organisations. The Charter involves several key commitments, including to: appoint a member of the senior leadership team as an ‘EDI Champion’; agree an action plan, monitor and report on progress made; provide opportunities for training and education; and make recruitment and progression processes accessible and attractive to all to attract retain and develop people of all backgrounds, ages, genders and identities. RIA Chairman David Tonkin and Chief Executive Darren
Caplan issued a joint statement, saying: “We are delighted to announce the EDI Charter in partnership with Women in Rail. Whilst there has been plenty of progress in the rail supply sector which we should be proud of, there is still more to do to promote diversity and equal opportunity." Women in Rail Founder and Director Adeline Gin MBE said: "This Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Charter represents our industry’s commitment to openly support this agenda and we are delighted to be partnering with the Railway Industry Association, and all the signatories, on this exciting initiative.” Please visit our website to view a full list of signatories and for information on signing up. Follow the link here
RIA Announces RISE Awards Winners
The virtual awards ceremony hosted by Paul CLifton During our Annual Conference, we announced the winners of the yearly Rail Inudstry Supplier (RISE) Excellence Awards. The awards celebrate the work hard and fantastic acievements of the UK rail supply sector, during what has been an incredibly difficult year. The winners of the awards were as follows: • SME Growth in Rail Award – sponsored by Classone Systems| Joint Winners: 3Squared & Motion Rail • Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award – sponsored by Siemens| Winner: Amey Consulting’s Rail Degree Apprenticeship Programme 22 Headfort Place, London SW1X 7RY +44 (0) 207 201 0777
• Safety and Wellbeing Award – sponsored by Knorr-Bremse | Winner: Atkins’ OLE Static Analysis Tool • Environment and Sustainability Award – sponsored by Viper Innovations | Winner: Porterbrook for HydroFLEX • Unlocking Innovation Award – sponsored by Transmission Dynamics | Winner: Frazer Nash Consultancy - REPAIR • Collaboration Award – sponsored by Railtex / Infrarail | Winner: Siemens Mobility Joint submission with Porterbrook; West Midlands Trains; GB Railfreight – delivering medical supplies during lockdown • Future Leader of the Year Award – sponsored by Schnieder Electric | Winner: David Westcough, Atkins • Client of the Year Award | Winner: Helen Simpson and Chandra Morbey – Innovation and Projects Director (job share), Porterbrook • Special Award | Winner: Andrew Haines OBE, Chief Executive, Network Rail. RIA Operations Director Gaynor Pates congratulated the winners of the Rail Industry Supplier Excellence Awards, praising "all of whom show the very best of the rail supply sector in what has been a difficult 2020."
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RIA Update 112 Winter 2020
Changes to the RIA Team: Technical & Innovation and PR & Public Affairs bolstered Over the course of 2020 Team RIA has seen some exciting changes. We have welcomed three new colleagues and are delighted to announce that Milda Manomaityte has been promoted to Senior Policy and Technical Manager, and Isabella Lawson will be moving to become Policy Executive. We were sad to see Senior Policy Manager Damian Testa leaving RIA, to join the British Safety Council as their Head of L-R: Isabella Lawson & Milda Manomaityte Policy & Communications. tolerant track switching. Sam has a PhD in We have some new additions to the Railway Systems Engineering and founded team. First, Alexis King joined as PR & his own company, SkyBlue Engineering Communications Executive in September. Ltd, in 2015, specialising in research, Alexis has a background in PR & public development and innovation consulting. affairs and will be working to support Karl has worked extensively on Unlocking Innovation programme, as well large, complex safety-critical projects as RIA's PR and Public Affairs functions. predominantly in Command, Control Second, Dominika Kokosikova joined Signalling. With over 15 years of railway the team in December as an Operations experience, he has designed complex Executive and will be supporting RIA Chief electronics products and worked Executive Darren Caplan. extensively on the delivery and integration of complex programmes. RIA also welcomed two new additions to the Technical and Innovation team, Sam Bemment and Karl King (both pictured right). Sam joins from Loughborough University where he was leading the Repoint Project to create fault L-R: Dominika Kokosikova, Alexis King, Sam Bemment and Karl King
GEM Award winners for second half of 2020 RIA to support Railtex / Infrarail 2021 Ralitex / Infrarail has announced that the event will be moved to 9th - 12th September 2021. As a key partner RIA will work with organiser Mack Brooks Exhibitions to promote the new features for the show. You can find out more at: www.ukrailhub.com/2021/ 22 Headfort Place, London SW1X 7RY +44 (0) 207 201 0777
Well done to all the RIA Team Members who have recevied an award for Going the Extra Mile over the second half of this year. Recent GEM winners are: Gaynor Pates; Hannah Brown; Max Sugarman; Milda Manomaityte; Isabella Lawson; Rose Garber; Ann-Marie Esiaka; and Terry Eastmond. A fantastic effort from the whole team! RIA members can nominate a RIA colleague by contacting Chief Executive Darren Caplan at darren.caplan@riagb.org.uk
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Contact our Operations team: Gaynor Pates Operations Director gaynor.pates@riagb.org.uk 07799 337475
Katherine Anchorena Senior Marketing & Events Manager katherine.anchorena@riagb.org.uk
Rose Garber Membership Engagement Manager rose.garber@riagb.org.uk
07824 665007
Ann-Marie Esiaka Business Administration Manager AnnMarie.Esiaka@riagb.org.uk
07578 029744
Amalia Murray Operations & Exports Executive amalia.murray@riagb.org.uk
07900 921539
www.riagb.org.uk ria@riagb.org.uk www.riagb.org.uk
The Railway Industry Associa�on (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 exper�se and products. Although 2020 has brought many challenges to RIA and our members, we have had one of our busiest years so far. Moving all our ac�vi�es online helped us connect with more members, government officials and interna�onal experts.
58% members told us they are really happy with RIA and 32% are quite happy, which brings overall member happiness with RIA to 84%
318 Member companies 6% Increase since last year 5,518 individuals in the RIA member community
9 Rail Outreach Export webinars, covering 20 countries: Austria, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Poland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, France, Peru, Mexico, Brazil
Party Conference ‘Rail Interviews’ held – the most ever!
In-House Team of the Year PRCA Public Affairs Awards 2020 Membership Event of the Year <400 Memcom Excellence Awards 2020 e-Briefings on Coronavirus sent to RIA members
event registra�ons
Organisa�ons signed RIA’s and Women in Rail joint Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Charter
a�endee sessions webinar recording views
I think RIA's credibility and influence has increased in recent years and it now has a high profile
Registra�ons for the RIA Annual Conference
“Face to Face” networking is the most missed feature of 2020 RIA's events are top-class and give an opportunity to meet and talk to people in the industry that you would not otherwise get. Especially as representa�ve of an SME, I get a real feeling of being part of a community of interest.
Media hits throughout the year
twi�er followers LinkedIn followers number of Tweets this year
Number of Reasons in the 10 Reasons to Invest in Rail document
The percentage that rail contributed to the UK’s capital investment during the Spring lockdown 44% of RIA members say that Public Affairs, lobbying for sectorial growth and Brexit, should be the first priority in 2021
RIA members say that passenger confidence and the value of rail should be the key thought leadership priority for 2021
RIA Update 112 Winter 2020
Welcome to New Members
Interested in Membership? Find out about the benefits of becoming a RIA Member by contact Membership Engagement Manager Rose Garber on rose.garber@riagb.org.uk All RIA members can be found at www.riagb.org.uk Š 2020 Railway Industry Association Produced by: Railway Industry Association Please let us know if you have any comments or suggestions on this Update. Please circulate to your colleagues. 22 Headfort Place, London SW1X 7RY +44 (0) 207 201 0777
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