Business News
Sponsored by: Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council
Five bidders shortlisted to build trains for HS2
Working on the big issues for business
By Simon Ward Leader, Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council
As with running a business, it is in the nature of local government that much long term strategic planning and appraisal goes on behind the scenes before ideas are announced and launched. Just 18 months into our new
start-up “business” at Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council there is much progress on the big issues that will impact on businesses of all sizes in the town. We will be working closely with the West Midlands Combined Authority as they announce a £19 million investment in our transport infrastructure. Our relationship with Birmingham City Council continues to develop as it gets used to having a small but vocal neighbour (and partner) in the local government world. And at Full Council on 2 November we discussed how best to progress our contribution to an exciting vision for a new Town Centre. It is important for the
businesses of our Royal Town that your voice is properly heard as these initiatives progress. Over the coming months you will see the Council making progress around projects such as improving the fabric of the town but you will also see us ensuring your voice is heard on key strategic issues facing the business community. We want our Royal Town to be a great place to do business.
If you would like to discuss issues affecting your business please contact me simon.ward@suttoncoldfield
towncouncil.gov.uk
Five train builders have been shortlisted in a £2.75bn race to build the trains which will run on the HS2 high speed rail line between Birmingham and London. The quintet will go through to the final stage of
tendering for the contract to build at least 54 trains ready for use on the first phase of HS2 when it opens in 2026. The shortlisted bidders are Alstom Transport;
Bombardier Transportation UK Ltd; Hitachi Rail Europe; Patentes Talgo S.L.U and Siemens PLC. They will all be invited to tender for the contracts,
which will cover the design, build and maintenance of the trains. Operating at speeds of up to 225mph (360kph), the new fleet will deliver unparalleled levels of reliability, speed and comfort as well as providing much-needed extra capacity between the UK’s major cities and giving a boost to high tech skills and expertise in the UK. The first trains will roll off the production line in the early 2020s.
Chris Rayner, HS2 Ltd managing director – railway
operations, said: “It’s great to see such a strong line up of experienced high-tech manufacturing and design talent. Together with the successful bidder, HS2 will deliver some of the world’s most advanced rolling stock, engineered to provide seamless, accessible, fast and reliable journeys.” “Starting from 2026, our trains will be used by tens
of thousands of people every day, transforming links across the Midlands and the North and providing much- needed extra capacity between Britain’s major cities.” All five bidders will be invited to tender in spring
2018, with contracts awarded in 2019. The successful bidder will also maintain the fleet
from the dedicated rolling stock depot planned for Washwood Heath in Birmingham. The area will also be home to the HS2 Network Control Centre, which will together create hundreds of jobs.
Fraud costing millions
Data obtained by accountant RSM under the freedom of information act has revealed that businesses in the West Midlands reported almost £14m in fraud losses last year. The statistics, obtained from ActionFraud, the
UK’s national fraud and cyber-crime reporting centre, show that businesses across the region submitted 1,851 reports to the police about fraud in 2016-17. Nationally, the highest losses sustained by
businesses resulted from incidents of cheque, plastic card and online bank fraud. This was followed by corporate employee fraud
and mandate fraud. Mandate fraud is where fraudsters obtain details of direct debits, standing orders or account transfer details and amend them to transfer monies to other accounts. The figures were released to coincide with International Fraud
Awareness Week, which ran between 12 to 18 November. Akhlaq Ahmed (pictured), forensic partner at RSM, said: “Frauds
against businesses can range from the very simple to the very sophisticated. “Businesses across the region are collectively losing millions of
pounds through fraud every year, much of which can be prevented by simple controls. “Companies should be much more proactive in ensuring their
defences, both online and offline, are fit for purpose. Those that don’t take action could find themselves very exposed.”
8 CHAMBERLINK December 2017/January 2018
Charity ball is a record breaker
A Chamber-supported charity ball in aid of Ronald McDonald House has raised a record-breaking £140,000. The incredible total surpassed
the previous best for the annual black tie event by around £50,000. Ronald McDonald House
provides free accommodation to 66 families with children under treatment at the nearby Birmingham Children’s Hospital, enabling them to stay together close to the hospital and maintain a degree of normal family life. Doug Wright, chairman of the
board of governors at Ronald McDonald House, said: “We have held this charity ball every year since 2009 and usually raise between £80,000 and £90,000. “But this year, through the power
of networking, linking up with people and being able to engage the support of the business community, we were able to raise an extra £50,000.”
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