COMMENT


Opening up


With a membership of around 160 the Railway Industry Association provides much needed help to enable its members to deal with the many challenges which they face as part of the rail industry. Rail Technology Magazine spoke to Jeremy Candfield to find out more


G


iven the current focus of media attention, one could be forgiven for thinking that funding was the only issue worth thinking about in rail.


Although funding for the railways is a major concern at the moment – and has been for almost as long as I can remember - like every other large and complex industry there are many other issues which require just as much attention, such as the skills of those within the industry.


“Maintaining and growing the industry’s capability, resources and in particular skilled resources is a seriously important challenge for all of us - especially with the demographics of the working population being as they are,” explained Jeremy Candfield, director general at the Railway Industry Association (RIA).


“RIA is taking that challenge very seriously and is the lead sponsor of the creation – on behalf of the industry as a whole – of the National Skills Academy for Railway Engineering.


“The focus of the academy will be to ensure an adequate provision of skilled resources to do what the industry has to do.”


Improving the skill set within the rail industry will play a key part in improving the productivity of the industry – just as Network Rail and the other key players have been told that they must improve their productivity, it follows that their suppliers must also do their best to deliver more for less.


way to go in terms of using the supply industry as effectively as possible.”


Jeremy is certainly a man who knows a thing or two about Britain’s railways – his background in rail stretches all the way back to his time at the Department of Transport, as it was called then, in the 1980s.


Jeremy Candfield


“In conjunction with other industry parties, there is a great deal which suppliers can do to make things better. We believe the rail industry depends on having a healthy supply base and that it also depends on making as much use of the talents within that supply base as it can - although it has not always managed to do this.


“Whilst we have achieved a considerably greater involvement with major client organisations, such as Network Rail and London Underground, over the years – especially


“I worked on the financing for British Rail and then on light rail projects. Then I moved on to join what became Union Railways, working as the government affairs director, planning the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, now known as HS1.


“Later I moved to London and Continental Railways as corporate affairs director and then came to the Railway Industry Association about twelve years ago.”


“…there is still a long way to go in terms of using the supply industry as effectively as possible.”


Network Rail – in terms of supplier collaboration on projects, there are many more opportunities to get supplier- side expertise involved in projects at a much earlier stage.


“This means suppliers being brought into the discussion before the client has – some might say prematurely – made up their mind about what the specifications of a particular project are going to be. We have done a lot of work in this area but there is still a long


22 | rail technology magazine Dec/Jan 11


So what does Jeremy see the role of the RIA as being in today’s rail industry?


“We see our


central role as promoting an appropriate and stable UK policy framework – which means a lot of dialogue with government obviously – to ensure it benefits the supply base. Apart from our discussions with government, we also communicate a lot with client organisations such as Network Rail, London Underground and the train operating company community.


“We are also here to assist members in responding to opportunities - both in Britain


and overseas – which includes giving our members a large amount of information along with having a major export promotions role. This involves us providing suppliers with a lot of opportunities to meet with potential clients on a collective basis. We do all of this within a policy of constructive engagement with the other major industry parties.”


Given the current state of finances around the world this kind of help can be invaluable in bringing together suppliers and clients.


“Our work in exports promotion is particularly geared towards helping member companies cope with the uncertainty and volatilities of the domestic market – by engaging in the export market, those companies will be able to mitigate against the gaps in their domestic orders.


“All the things we do are geared towards helping out members in the short and long term.”


During its time, RIA has achieved a lot for its members and for the industry.


“Our main achievement is being recognised as the voice of the railway supply industry as a whole.


“As with all trade associations, we could always do with more resources and when you are spending other people’s money, you really need to prioritise what you are doing.


“The consequences of this prioritisation is that some things which you would like to do more of, you just can’t do. I think this is the case for most people in one way or the other.


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