MPs recognised for rail contacts

MPs have been given awards by the Railway Industry Association for investing their time in visiting manufacturers and suppliers to gain hands-on experience.

The honours were handed out at a Rail Fellowship Programme Class of 2020-21 at the House of Commons, when the MPs were reunited with companies with which they have developed relationships.

The MPs, from all political parties, included Giles Watling (Dura Composites in Clacton), Chris Loder (Balfour Beatty, GHD and Ricardo Rail), Derek Twigg (Alstom), Kieran Mullan (Unipart Rail in Crewe), Sarah Olney (Alstom in Willesden), Mark Fletcher (SRS Rail Systems in Bolsover), Navendu Mishra (Sella Controls in Stockport), Simon Jupp (dormakaba in Tiverton), Lee Anderson (Van Elle in Ashfield), Christian Wakeford (Garic in Bury), and Sam Tarry (BCIMO in Dudley).

Since the programme was set up in 2018, more than 30 MPs have visited some of RIA’s 300-plus UK members.