Proposal for Rail Sector Deal
Are the Government and the rail industry ready to do a sector deal?
That was the question asked by Rail Delivery Group Chief Executive Paul Plummer at RAIL’s National Rail Convention on June 20.
As part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy, the RDG and the Rail Supply Group has worked in partnership on a Rail Sector Deal proposal that would enable businesses to collaborate with other industry sectors to boost the sale of products and services in both the UK market and overseas.
RAIL understands that a decision from government on the proposal is due very soon. Sector deals have already been awarded to industrial sectors including life sciences, automotive, construction and artificial intelligence.
Philip Hoare, Atkins chief executive and co-industry lead for the Rail Sector Deal, responded: “From my perspective, the whole industry is up for it and there’s been some great input from everybody around that. I say ‘why not?’ and I believe that it’s something that will happen. The Department for Transport are quite hard taskmasters at times, but we’re working together on an implementation plan right now, so we’re not just waiting for a deal to be done.”
Niall Mackenzie, Director, Infrastructure & Materials, Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, said: “Most definitely the time is right and the important thing is that we keep talking, because there will be disagreement from different parts of the industry. But as long as we keep discussing it as the deal evolves, then I think we’ll have a much stronger economy as a result.”
Campbell Kier, Deputy Director Energy and Infrastructure, Department for International Trade, added: “It sounds to me like the industry is ready and what the challenge is - as with the other sector deals I’m working on - is in the implementation. But it’s the first time we’ve had a conversation with the whole of industry and the whole of government, which I think has a lot of added value.”