On 13 January, the Railway Industry Association (RIA) held its Parliamentary reception at the Palace of Westminster. The event was hosted by Derby North MP Catherine Atkinson who was recently a member of the House of Commons Transport Committee. It was a great opportunity for around 250 delegates present to network and hear what politicians had to say about the rail industry’s future.
The host
Catherine Atkinson considered that 2025 had been a landmark year for rail as the sector celebrated the 200th year of the modern railway. Part of this was the ‘Greatest Gathering’ at Derby’s Litchurch Lane works, which she considered to be the “Glastonbury of rail.” Rail also enjoyed significant Government support with the long-awaited Railways Bill being put before Parliament in November.
Catherine was pleased with the way that Government is engaging with the industry on rail reform and recognised the rail supply chain’s importance in making Great British Railways (GBR) a success. She was also looking forward to GBR’s headquarters being established in her home city of Derby.
In respect of the supply chain she said she was looking forward to the publication of the Transport Select Committee’s report on Rail Investment Pipelines which will emphasise the importance of a consistent pipeline for skills retention and business stability.
She felt there were great opportunities for passengers to benefit from new technology, such as East Midlands Railways’ GPS-enabled travel app. She also looked forward to upcoming government long term rail infrastructure and rolling stock strategy and felt that 2026 would be a good year for rail.
After stressing the value of events like this to bring together industry experts and politicians to consider the future of rail – both passenger and freight – Catherine thanked those attending for their hard work and dedication to the sector. She also thanked RIA for organising the event and its Rail Fellowship programme awards.
RIA’s view
RIA’s CEO, Darren Caplan, thanked Catherine for her commitment to rail for which passenger numbers were rising, though he said he was disappointed that the last rail usage figures were currently only available to June 2025 and thought good news may be being withheld.
Although RIA recognises that there has been progress on rail reform with the Government’s Railways Bill to establish GBR, Darren highlighted specific concerns. These were the risk of negative intervention in funding cycles and the need to encourage private investment.
Prior to the 2024 General Election, RIA set out its five main ‘asks’ of Government. After 18-months in power, RIA assessed the Government’s progress against these asks:
Long-term Rail Strategy: RIA welcomes the Railways Bill’s legal requirement for a strategy but requests a clear date and roadmap.
Industry Reform: RIA supports the bill’s progress and GBR’s establishment but calls for consultation on the GBR licence.
Acceleration of New Train Orders and Low Carbon Upgrades: RIA urges the government to publish a long-term rolling stock and infrastructure strategy before Parliament’s summer recess.
Support for the Rail Supply Chain: RIA is concerned about a potential hiatus in rail work in 2026, citing a survey of 125 rail business leaders. The survey found that 85% anticipate a slowdown, with over 60% expecting market contraction and staff reductions. Darren stressed the urgency of government action to provide clarity and certainty for suppliers.
Leveraging Private Investment: RIA advocates innovative models and policies to attract third-party investment, supplementing central government funding, and piloting station investment zones.
RIA has identified several areas where more progress is required especially the need for urgent Government action to provide clarity and certainty for suppliers.
The opposition
Conservative Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden considered that the rail sector was at a pivotal moment and faced complex challenges. These include new travel patterns post-COVID, high public subsidies, and persistent problems with rolling stock.
He was anticipating a Government statement on Northern Powerhouse Rail and hoped it would be sufficiently ambitious. This was published the next day as described elsewhere in this issue.
He was critical of the government’s preference for state control in the GBR Bill. As a result, the opposition has tabled numerous amendments, seeking greater detail and reassurance on key aspects such as GBR’s licence conditions, the rolling stock strategy, and performance standards.
Richard said he felt strongly that growing freight and passenger numbers with new routes is the most effective way to reduce taxpayer subsidy and improve the railway. He called for sustained electrification and criticised the bill’s lack of a core commitment to passenger growth.
Despite these differences, he pledged to engage constructively with the Government and the sector, aiming to ensure that the railways not only survive but thrive in the years ahead. In his closing remarks he expressed his intention to listen to as many people present as possible so that he could feed their insights into policy discussions.
The Rail Minister
In his introductory remarks, Lord Peter Hendy acknowledged industry concerns about government policy, funding certainty, and the future of the sector. Having read submissions made to the Bill Committee, he said he wished to assure everyone that it is not the Government’s intention to disrupt the well-established five-year control period settlement as he understood the value and stability of this arrangement.
He stressed the indispensable role of the supply industry without which the railway cannot operate and expressed his personal appreciation for its contribution. He noted that much of the GBR Bill is intended to provide greater long-term commitment and clarity of which the forthcoming long-term rail infrastructure and rolling strategy is an example.
Lord Hendy strongly argued that it is Government’s responsibility to specify what the railway should deliver, be it economic growth, jobs, or housing, with GBR advising Government on what can realistically be done to achieve these aims. He contrasted this with the past practice of enhancement schemes often originating from short-term political considerations rather than a coherent, long-term vision.
His hope for GBR was that it would mirror his experience at Transport for London (TfL). This was of an organisation that aligned daily operations, annual budgeting, and long-term business planning, with a strategic vision which provided the supply chain with a clear sense of direction and investment priorities.
He recognised that rolling stock procurement is a significant challenge with past decisions resulting in a random assortment of trains of varying ages across the British railway network. He advocated a more coordinated approach which would ideally have purchase power and rolling stock as a package. He considered that this would give the supply industry predictability and address the key question of how the railway will be powered over the next 20–30 years.
Lord Hendy was cautiously optimistic about the way that GBR was progressing and highlighted the growing integration of train operating organisations and Network Rail routes as an example. This integration, he argues, is what matters most to customers. He saw a future when route managers would be fully accountable for daily operations to make them focus on problem solving rather than being incentivised to shift blame by compensation regimes.
For GBR, he said the immediate priority for 2026 is to define what it will look like in 2027 and that this needs experienced leadership to steer the sector through the transition to GBR. To this end, on the day before this reception, Government announced the appointment of Richard George as Chair of Network Rail and Sir Andrew Haines as Chair of the Department for Transport Operator (DFTO).
Lord Hendy felt that Network Rail and DFTO had strong boards which had the ability to simultaneously shape GBR’s future while improving railway performance, increasing revenue, and reducing costs to restore public confidence in the railway. He stressed the importance of daily operational excellence and recalled that, when at TfL, he and his management team were solely accountable for service delivery.
He said he wished to see this ethos throughout the railway sector to ensure performance excellence which, he believes, is essential for securing public support and the necessary funding to sustain and improve the railway.
Rail Fellowship programme
As well as the speeches, the reception also saw the presentation of awards for the Rail Fellowship programme. RIA launched this programme in 2018 to give politicians an understanding of the rail industry’s positive impact on the UK’s economy and society. Since then, 63 MPs have been given awards.
The Fellowship pairs politicians with RIA members who host a visit for an MP at their facilities, generally within their constituencies. The aim is to give MPs an insight of the skills involved, how these companies contribute to the local economy, and the problems they face, especially the uncertain pipeline of work.
The politicians who received awards were:
- Chris Murray, MP for Edinburgh East and Musselburgh who visited Hitachi’s Craigentinny depot to learn about servicing LNER’s Azuma fleet of trains.
- Joani Reid, MP for East Kilbride and Strathaven who visited QTS Group’s main headquarters and main depot in Strathaven to gain an insight into the company’s activities and its community engagement and to meet the next generation of rail professionals.
- Natalie Fleet, MP for Bolsover, who visited SRS Rail Systems where she discussed supply chain challenges and drove a vehicle on the company’s test track.
- Shadow Rail Minister, Jerome Mayhew MP for Broadland and Fakenham, who visited the Siemens Mobility depot at Three Bridges to learn about the maintenance of the Thameslink trains and the company’s apprenticeship programmes.
- Baggy Shankar, MP for Derby South, who attended the opening of Universal Signalling’s new office in Derby to learn about signalling technology and the company’s ambitions.
- Johanna Baxter, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South, who toured the Scottish Leather Group’s main site in Bridge of Weir to learn how leather is produced for rail use.
In addition to all the above, there was plenty of time for delegates to network and mingle with politicians, and the reception was certainly a worthwhile and informative event. Its setting by the Terrace overlooking the Thames, which is reached via various halls in the Houses of Parliament, also provided a memorable experience.
RIA is to be commended for organised this event and for its promotion of the rail industry and its supply chain.
Image credit: David Shirres