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‘A fantastic showcase for what’s best in the industry’ –
at UKRIA 2014
Network Rail’s chairman gave a well-received speech at the Awards focusing on investment, innovation, and skills for the future. The speech is below.
hank you Josh, and good evening railway people! I don’t know about you, but that video really made me feel proud of this industry, and also reminded me – what a great time to be part of this industry. A fabulous time, when so much is going on that’s all positive. It’s a really great pleasure for me to be asked to give this address at the inaugural UK Rail Industry Awards.
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I think it says something about the appetite for an event like this, not just to see so many distinguished guests here supporting the event, but also to see the quite exceptional level of entries, 239 across the 18 categories. It’s fantastic to see so many people here supporting the nominees.
But the whole industry can be proud of the people and the work we’ll hear about this evening. I’d also like to thank the sponsors of tonight’s event, and all of the judges, who have given their time to make what I’m sure must have been some really tough decisions about who the winners are. Without them, this evening would not have happened.
I’d also like to welcome the launch of the UK Rail Industry Training Trust. I very much hope
24 | rail technology magazine Feb/Mar 14
it succeeds in its ambitions and continues to build the understanding of young people as to what a career in the industry could mean for them.
UKRIA as a great symbol for industry collaboration
In many respects, it’s clear this industry’s in rude good health. Undented by the impact of recent extreme weather on our performance, there is confi dence across the political spectrum not just that investment in rail is essential to support a thriving low-carbon economy but also that the industry can now be trusted to deliver this investment effi ciently and effectively. I’d like to think that Network Rail played a little bit of a part in that, but the truth is this is an industry that relies completely on collaboration, on teamwork, and on the integration of an extended supply chain – and that’s why us all coming together this evening is really symbolic of how the industry needs to operate and does operate.
In the recent few weeks, Network Rail has concluded its agreement with the ORR on the next fi ve-year plan, which consists of a £38bn settlement to deliver projects across the UK.
It includes, of course, improving safety – for our passengers, for the public, especially on level crossings, and for the workforce. We’ll see further signifi cant increases in capacity to meet the demand for our successful railway and provide more seats for those people clamouring to use our services. This settlement will deliver the biggest electrifi cation programme for several decades.
It will transform the traction power systems we use in the UK, and will change signalling technology for the fi rst time in a century. We also have a settlement that includes signifi cant investment in sustainable assets, and a catch- up on the backlog – particularly in civils, structures and earthworks – where in previous decades there’s been under-investment. Now we have the go-ahead to catch up on some of that backlog.
Weather and climate resilience
I mentioned the weather. It also includes money for improving the resilience of our assets – resilience to weather, and resilience to changing climate. That money may not be enough – and looking at the events of last few weeks, we are responding to calls
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