17 July 2024
Commenting on the first King’s Speech under a Labour Government since 1950, Railway Industry Association (RIA) Chief Executive Darren Caplan said:
“The Railway Industry Association (RIA) welcomes today’s King’s Speech as a strong legislative programme for driving growth by building sustainable infrastructure and improving transport.
“RIA and our members support the Government’s pledge to establish a reformed and unified railway system under Great British Railways tasked with improving affordability, reliability and performance. A new body with strategic oversight and responsibility for rail can focus on meeting growing passenger demand and boosting industry revenues.
“Rail suppliers will also be positive about the previously announced plans to set out a strong and visible pipeline of rail work for the sector and to develop a long-term industrial strategy for rolling stock. Accelerating new train orders and low carbon network upgrades can fast-track growth by boosting jobs and skills across the UK and we would encourage the new Government to prioritise such investment. We look forward to more details of how these commitments will be implemented in due course.”