Not one but two Secretaries of State attended the recent strategy launch by the Rail Supply Group (RSG).
Fast Track to the Future – a strategy for productivity and growth in the UK rail supply chain – is the title of the RSG’s new 82-page document which sets out a plan to implement its Productivity Pledge, committing the rail supply sector to deliver:
- A strategic approach to procurement and planning;
- A clear plan to drive world-class UK technologies;
- A coherent skills plan to attract the best talent and increase productivity;
- A comprehensive package of support for SMEs;
- A fresh and co-ordinated approach to increase exports and inward investment.
Launched at the beginning of 2015, the RSG brings together the Departments for Transport and Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the UK rail industry in a collaboration to strengthen the capability and competitiveness of the UK rail supply chain to win business at home and overseas. It aims to give leadership, direction and support so that the rail industry can grow both employment and market share as well as make a significant contribution to the entire UK economy.
Fast Track for Growth was the title of the initial launch document, which acted as a precursor to the strategy document that has now been published. Several work streams were set up, and the output from those has contributed to the industry’s new strategy.
Consistent message
As is always the case in the rail industry, faces change. So it was Sajid Javid rather than Vince Cable who, as Secretary of State for BIS, stood up at the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre (AMTC) in Coventry to launch the strategy alongside the DfT’s Patrick McLoughlin.
Productivity featured strongly in Javid’s seven-minute speech. Starting by praising the UK rail industry for those aspects in which it leads the world, the Secretary of State continued: ‘Productivity is one of the few areas in which the UK is struggling. This country is home to some of the world’s most dynamic businesses, staffed by hard working, incredibly talented individuals. Yet our productivity, the rate of output per hour of work, is well below potential.’
He then went on to describe how what takes five days to produce in Britain takes only four in Germany, and that working with the same level of productivity as the USA would boost the UK’s GDP by 31 per cent. ‘So naturally I’m delighted to see the strategy productivity pledge,’ he continued. ‘The commitment to boosting the industry’s productivity levels is particularly important in rail supply because of the impact that this will have on productivity in so many other sectors.’
Patrick McLoughlin was typically upbeat about the new strategy. ‘For the first time, the rail supply chain has an agreed plan for how it will grow in numbers, productivity and expertise. A plan for how, by 2025, the industry will more than double exports, attract new talent, develop new technology, harness the energy, drive and innovation of the sector’s SMEs, and become a global leader in high speed rail.’
Industry growth
Speaking on behalf of the RSG and the industry, Alstom’s Terence Watson said: ‘The opportunities in the rail industry right now and into the foreseeable future are vast, with HS2 on the way as well as other much needed investments in upgrades, signalling and electrification.
‘But just to build these projects and then pack up at the end would miss the point. As an industry we must use them to kick-start a new wave of UK manufacturing and exporting prowess, maximising the benefit to UK PLC. That’s why we are pledging to work together to double the industry’s export volumes, drive economic growth and create thousands of new jobs and apprenticeships across the country.’
The RSG’s newly published strategy will support the sector to take advantage of positive trends in the global rail market, with global growth expected to be 2.7 per cent a year, reaching £128 billion by 2019. This comes as government has committed to spend over £38 billion to maintain and improve the UK rail network by 2019 in the biggest modernisation programme for over a century.
Is Andrew Gwilt an authority on Railways in UK? Who is as comments on most Issues on this forum.
Andrew Gwilt is an authority on railways in UK as he is a fanatic about Bombardier and wants to see their products in all shapes and sizes across the world as Bombardier is the greatest company this side of the Pacific and deserves to be too.
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Great to see Alstom lining up to get stuck in to all that lovely taxpayer’s cash:
For those of you with short memories:
http://stophs2.org/news/15047-hollow-promises-british-jobs-corruption-suspects-alstom