Major Midlands Rail Industry Show in Warwickshire
Warwickshire's growing presence in rail technology is in the spotlight this week when the county hosts a major event.
The Quinton Rail Technology Centre (QRTC) at Long Marston, near Stratford, is an increasingly significant rail test and development centre with a cluster of rail tech companies. This week sees the return to QRTC of the leading rail and trackside show Rail Live.
Now organised by RAIL magazine, in partnership with Rail Alliance, Rail Live 2018, taking place on June 20 and 21, is the largest, most comprehensive outdoor event for rail in the UK. It will include trackside and signals demonstrations, static rolling stock displays and an Innovation Show in partnership with the UK Rail Research and Innovation Network.
There will also be a National Rail Convention and a focus on skills with a 'Next Generation' project promoting the industry to undergraduate engineers and apprentices.
The Midlands Engine is exhibiting at this major showcase of Midlands and UK rail capability, looking to meet investors from the UK and overseas who want to learn more about opportunities in the UK rail industry, the most buoyant and fastest growing in Europe.
The Midlands is a core part of the UK’s £7bn rail manufacturing industry which employs over 80,000 people across the country and helps drive the UK advanced manufacturing and engineering sector. Over 600,000 people in the Midlands work in manufacturing, delivering over 21% of the UK’s annual manufacturing output.
Sir John Peace, chair of the Midlands Engine, said: “The Midlands Engine area plays a huge role in UK plc’s rail sector. We are home to a young, well-educated population and to many Original Equipment Manufacturers, universities, test and development centres and engineering colleges.
Rail is also vitally important to Midlands Engine and our ambitious transport programme Midlands Connect. The combined expertise of our Midlands transport technology sectors is of international significance and Midlands Engine provides a platform for organisations to work across sectors to develop new and improved world leading products and services”.
More information about Rail Live can be found at the website https://www.raillive.org.uk/, including details on how to register to attend.