Today, Martin had a hands on day at two rail sites in Scunthorpe as part of the Railway Industry Association (RIA) Rail Fellowship Programme.
Martin, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Rail Group, spent the day seeing the work that goes on at the British Steel site in Scunthorpe, including the process route for manufacturing the steel rails used on UK rail tracks. He met workers and apprentices who will form tomorrow’s local workforce, both at British Steel, and at local telecommunications specialists AD Comms, who showed him their ongoing work on the digital innovations that are revolutionising our railways.
This is all part of an exciting campaign - the RIA Rail Fellowship Programme - which is showcasing the work of the UK rail supply chain by allowing Parliamentarians and influencers to gain hands-on experience in the industry. A number of MPs have now taken part in the RIA Rail Fellowship Programme, as decision makers line up to pledge their support for the UK rail industry.
Martin said: "It was fascinating to see with my own eyes the great work that gets done on-the-ground in our rail industry, and to witness products being manufactured from the very beginning of the process. I think it is important for MPs to take part in visits like this and the RIA Rail Fellowship Programme is a great way to get involved. I would like to thank everyone involved with planning this day, and to British Steel and AD Comms for having me."
Darren Caplan, Chief Executive of the Railway Industry Association said: “We would like to extend our warmest thanks to Martin Vickers MP for becoming the latest member of the RIA Rail Fellowship, Class of 2018. We are proud to see MPs from up and down the country taking part in the Programme, so they can see for themselves the role of the UK rail sector in providing skills, investment and jobs.”
Richard Bell, Commercial Director Rail from British Steel said: “We’re proud to regularly host visits from across the rail industry to give stakeholders, from government ministers to apprentices, an appreciation of the size and scale of the technology required to provide the fundamental building blocks and a secure supply chain for UK rail.”
Mike Hewitt, Chief Technical Officer at AD Comms said: “The fellowship programme is a fantastic initiative from RIA and is raising awareness of the challenges, and opportunities the UK Rail supply chain facing and is responding to is most welcome. Hosting Martin Vickers has provided him with the opportunity to see how technology is delivering the innovation and transformation required for a world class 21st Century Digital Railway.”
The RIA Rail Fellowship Programme is being run by the Railway Industry Association (RIA), the representative body for UK-based suppliers to the UK and world-wide railways. RIA has more than 200 member companies and 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.
The rail sector is of crucial importance to the UK economy, contributing £36 billion in economic growth and £11 billion in tax revenue each year, as well as employing 600,000 people—more than the workforce of Birmingham. 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.