National Rail Show returns to Warwickshire with opportunities for local SME supply chain
William Shakespeare will make way for trains as Long Marston plays host to several thousand guests and exhibitors when the rail industry descends on the district to attend the major rail technology show Rail Live as it returns for 2022.
The show attracts over 5,000 delegates and this year 200 exhibitors are registered, up from 170 last year. The event takes place every year at the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre, the Warwickshire home of Porterbrook, and a major UK rail test and development site.
The show is promoted by Bauer Media, publisher of Rail Magazine, and includes live rail demonstrations, displays of the latest rolling stock, showcases of new rail innovation and a full schedule of panels and presentations from key industry and government speakers.
New for 2022 includes direct rail services into the site for delegates from Birmingham and Worcester, and a focus on attracting SMEs, particularly those that are new to, but interested in, getting into rail.
Invest in Coventry & Warwickshire will be exhibiting at the show, to profile the regional rail and transport technology supply chain. The team will also be providing information to businesses looking to find out more about setting up in Warwickshire and the wider Midlands, and signposting to relevant business support for export, skills, rail networks and programmes and access to finance.
The 2022 event marks the first year the show has taken place since rail technology company Porterbrook took over the long lease to the site, renaming the former QRTC site with the new name Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre. Porterbrookplan to retain and develop the site for rail uses, Rail Live being a very good example of this. The event has grown over the years to become for rail what the Farnborough Airshow is for aerospace.
If you are an SME and are either in the rail industry, or would like to get into the rail supply chain, support is available for Coventry & Warwickshire businesses from the Digi-Rail Programme. The project provides support to eligible SMEs looking to enter or grow their business in the rail industry, with a focus on the Digital Railway. Support given on DIGI-RAIL is a minimum of two days and will be at no cost to the company. For more details, please visit https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/partners/sme-support/business-support-programmes/digi-rail/index.aspx
To find out more about attending or exhibiting at Rail Live 2022, visit the Rail Live 2022 website on at https://www.raillive.org.uk/