RIA responds to appointment of Mike Putnam as Acting Chair of Network Rail

22 July 2024

Commenting on the news that Mike Putnam has been appointed Acting Chair of Network Rail, Railway Industry Association (RIA) Chief Executive Darren Caplan said:

“The Railway Industry Association (RIA) and our members would like to welcome Mike Putnam to his role as Acting Chair of Network Rail, following the appointment of Lord Peter Hendy to the position of Rail Minister at the Department for Transport.

“Mike Putnam’s industry experience and strategic expertise will be invaluable as the infrastructure operator navigates both the early months of a new Control Period and, longer-term, the new Labour Government’s agenda and plan for rail. We look forward to working with him, and the wider Network Rail team, to help deliver a well-performing and safe, railway as well as supporting the transition to Great British Railways and rail reform in the future.”

Notes to Editors

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 over 360 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