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“These Awards demonstrate that we have a great story to tell to those graduates considering the rail industry for their career.”
by government to re-study whether even the plans we have in the control period plan are suffi cient to ensure the resilience we need to deliver a sustainable service in the light of the potential change in weather patterns driven by climate change.
By the time CP5 ends, construction will have begun on HS2. The fi rst phase will be completed in 2026 – although David Higgins has been asked to pull it forward – and the second in 2032. Here in London, Crossrail and Thameslink will transform the way people cross the city, and discussion is already well- advanced on Crossrail 2.
We’re talking about two to three decades of sustained, huge investment – unparalleled in the last century of the industry’s history. By 2040 our railway will look very different, physically and technically. The services we offer to the travelling public will also be transformed. To make all that happen, we need a constant fl ow of skilled, highly-motivated people coming into our industry here in the UK. This promise of the future helps us to attract new blood into the industry, which will be so essential to our future success.
Encouraging industry
young people into the
In other words, if the investment we expect over that timeframe is all to be delivered, we absolutely need to expand the skills base, and to encourage more young people to join the excitement of this industry. I’m pleased to say that the evidence is here this evening that the industry really recognises this and is investing in solving that problem.
Just at our own company, in Network Rail, we’ve trained about 1,000 people on our Advanced Apprenticeship Scheme, and brought a further 500 graduates onto the scheme in the last fi ve years.
How can those of us in the industry attract those young people who’ll make up the industry tomorrow? The Awards tonight provide a fantastic showcase for what’s best in the industry, and should serve as inspiration to any graduate considering their future career, or railways as a prospective option.
High-calibre graduates these days are in great demand, and are also pretty demanding themselves. What are they looking for when they make those choices? And how does the railway measure up in that context? Well, graduates want to know, will there be opportunities for development, for progression? Will the work they do be varied and interesting? Will it matter? One thing we do know about the railways is that they really do matter to society and to the UK.
They want to believe in the culture and the values of the industry they choose, and that it will allow them to fl ourish and allow them to make the best use of their skills. And that they will be helped to develop new skills.
‘A great story to tell’
So looked at in that context, these Awards tonight demonstrate that in many respects, we have a great story to tell to those graduates considering the rail industry for their career. What could matter more than the safety of passengers and those working on the railway? What could be more rewarding than working to deliver projects as varied as the ones we see [shortlisted] this evening? When it comes to the culture of our industry, what about our commitment to collaborative working, sustainability, the environment, CSR? And for those young graduates, male or female, the incredible example set by the six contenders for the two young rail professionals of the year. These examples are inspiring, and if they wanted to know whether the rail industry could provide a long-term option for them, they only need to look at Graham, Alan and Vincent, the contenders for the Lifetime Achievement Award tonight. I pay tribute to all of you, and all you’ve achieved.
We know the real challenges lie ahead, and we must show we’re equipped to meet them. For example, as demand continues to rise as a result of the successful service we offer, we know we’re pushing the limits of current technical approaches in many areas. Although there’s a tremendous amount of innovation going on in this industry, this will require us to accelerate our ability to exploit
that rich seam of innovation. Radical change
It will be essential to embed radical change in the way we operate, manage and upgrade the railway to meet these demands effi ciently in the future. We need to build on accelerating innovation,
developing new technology to
make the railway safer, more punctual and reliable, to improve the passenger experience, to increase capacity to meet that demand, to reduce cost. To keep the fares within affordable levels, and to reduce the burden on the taxpayer through subsidy. And to improve the long-term sustainability of the industry.
But of course the opportunities are not just Continued overleaf >
rail technology magazine Feb/Mar 14 | 25
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