Rail Industry welcomes new Ministers
Responding to the appointment of the new Ministerial team for rail, Darren Caplan, Chief
Executive of the Railway Industry Association (RIA) said:
“I would like to welcome Jo Johnson MP, the new Rail Minister, and Nusrat Ghani MP, the
new Minister for HS2, on behalf of the Railway Industry Association and its members. This is
an exciting time for both to be coming in to rail, with a record of rising passenger numbers
and freight in the sector, a strong safety record amongst the highest in Europe, and with rail
companies working hard to support economic growth across the UK and export world-class
products and services overseas.
“From our perspective, the key challenges now facing the new Ministerial team are ensuring
greater consistency in rail funding to avoid boom and bust in network investment, continuing
support for major infrastructure projects such as Crossrail, HS2, Northern Powerhouse Rail,
Crossrail 2 and East-West Rail, addressing the challenges and opportunities of Brexit, and
helping rail secure a sector deal as part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy.
“I would also like to warmly thank former Rail Minister Paul Maynard for his invaluable work
with our sector. He has been a great champion of the rail supply sector, backing its growth
both in the UK and on trade missions overseas to support our sector’s exports drive. We will
miss his commitment, enthusiasm, and personable character! And we wish him the best of
luck in his new role as a Government Whip.”
Notes to Editors
- About the Railway Industry Association: The Railway Industry Association (RIA) is the
representative body for UK-based suppliers to the UK and world-wide railways. It has
some 200 companies in membership and the sector employs 240,000 people and
contributes annually £11 billion Gross Value Added (GVA). 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 multinational
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.