Railway Industry Association launches virtual Annual Conference, 4-6 November: ‘How UK Rail will reboot the economy’
The Railway Industry Association (RIA), the voice of the UK rail supply community, has announced that its flagship event, the RIA Annual Conference, will be moving online from 4-6 November 2020.
The Conference will see a stellar line up of political and industry participants, including:
- Transport Secretary Grant Shapps MP (invited) and Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris MP (confirmed);
- Shadow Transport Secretary Jim McMahon MP;
- Exports Minister Graham Stuart MP;
- Andrew Haines, Chief Executive, Network Rail;
- Mark Thurston, Chief Executive, HS2;
- Sir Peter Hendy, Chairman, Network Rail;
- Philip Hoare, President, Atkins & Chair, Rail Supply Group;
- Sue Kershaw, MD Transport, Costain;
- Mary Grant, CEO, Porterbrook;
- Florence Eshalomi AM MP;
- Kaspars Briskens, Head of Strategy & Development; RailBaltica
- David Hughes, Director of Strategy & Programme, TfN;
- James Bain, CEO, Worldline;
- Anna Delvecchio, Commercial Account Director, Mott MacDonald;
- Steve Butcher, Executive General Manager, John Holland Australia; and
- More to be confirmed.
Darren Caplan, Chief Executive of the Railway Industry Association, said: “RIA’s Annual Conference has always been a key date in the industry’s diary, providing a space for UK rail to meet, discuss the salient issues of the day and hear from decision makers and leaders.
“With Coronavirus having such a significant impact in 2020, the railway industry is one of the UK’s economic sectors which can play a vital role in rebooting the economy, ensuring we have a world-class rail system both now –providing the connectivity the country needs as it gets back to work – and in the future.
“RIA’s Annual Conference will explore these issues, as well as provide networking sessions involving all parts of the industry. We hope you can make it."
Sir Peter Hendy CBE, Chair of Network Rail, said: “The Railway Industry Association’s Annual Conference is always an important event, offering the opportunity for rail supply businesses to engage with clients and policy makers. For Network Rail, it’s a great opportunity to meet with the many businesses that support our work and to discuss the key issues of importance to our rail network. This year the Conference may be moving online, but the agenda looks as good as ever and it will provide a vital opportunity for us to meet and engage, at what is such a crucial time for our railways.”
