WWW.INFRARAIL.COM now live
Minister emphasises
positive future for rail
Opening Railtex 2009, Minister of rail links in London
State for Transport Lord Andrew and the South East.
Adonis reflected the upbeat mood And 1,300 extra rail
that characterised this year’s event, carriages will enter
pointing to the major programmes service over a five-year
that will create future business and period from 2008.”
employment opportunities in the rail Lord Adonis also
industry. referred to the
introduction of
domestic high-
speed services on
High Speed One
into St Pancras
later this year,
and to the recent Simon Kirby of Network Rail said £18.5 billion will be invested
announcement of
in renewals and enhancements to the system over the next five
years
the formation of
a new company
Simon Kirby drew attention to the
to consider the potential for high-
funding settlement of £28.5 billion
speed rail services from London
recently concluded with the Office
to Scotland.
of Rail Regulation to cover the
And he spoke of one of the
company’s activities over the next
underlying themes of this year’s
five years. Of this, £18.5 billion is
Railtex, the need to secure the
to expand and renew the network.
skills to deliver tomorrow’s
He also mentioned the contribution
railway. “Amidst all the
Network Rail is making to studies into
technology on display here,”
the potential for high-speed rail and
he said, “we mustn’t lose sight
further electrification.
of the fact that the rail industry
A tour of the exhibition that
stands or falls by the quality and
followed the formal opening enabled
skills of its staff. So I was pleased
the Minister to visit a number of
that DfT is contributing to the
exhibitors’ stands, including the two
funding of research planned to
representing the Department for
develop the case for a National
Transport – one promoting the work of
Rail Minister Lord Andrew Adonis pointed to major
investments to increase the capacity of Britain’s rail Skills Academy for Railway
the Technical Strategy Advisory Group,
network
Engineering.”
the other the Rail Safety and Standards
Lord Adonis was joined for the
Division.
Remarking on the current state of opening of the
the rail system, which has seen show by Simon
both passenger and freight volumes Kirby, Director,
grow by nearly 50% over the past Infrastructure
decade, he told the audience at the Investment for
show: “Despite the global economic Network Rail,
downturn, the rail industry is in Jeremy Candfield,
generally good shape. The industry Director
deserves credit for these and many General of the
other improvements which have Railway Industry
contributed to the renaissance of our Association
railway in recent years.” and Lord
Looking ahead, he added: “£26 Tony Berkeley,
billion will be invested to boost rail Chairman of
capacity over the next decade – the Rail Freight
including the Crossrail and Thameslink Group.
Lord Adonis talks to Adam Street of GE Transportation during his tour
projects, which together will transform Network Rail’s of Railtex
4 RAILTEX 2009 SHOW REVIEW WWW.INFRARAIL.COM now live
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24