Rail City demonstrates its investment prospects at global transport fair

BIRMINGHAM’S burgeoning reputation as the ‘rail city’ of the future will be reinforced when the city showcases its unrivalled assets at one of the world’s biggest transport trade fairs.   
 
Representatives from inward investment agency Marketing Birmingham, and the University of Birmingham, are travelling to Innotrans in Berlin to tell potential investors in the rail sector of the city’s growing reputation as a centre of excellence for rail expertise.  
 
They will also hold face-to-face meetings with major rail companies at a breakfast event hosted by The British Ambassador to Germany and supported by the Department for International Trade.  
 
David Fisken, head of business attraction at Marketing Birmingham, said the city’s position as an investment hotspot for the rail industry had never been stronger.  
 
“The UK Government is investing over £38bn to continue the mainline railway’s success story and there is an overall commitment of £88bn in the rail infrastructure pipeline,” he said.  
 
“Nowhere is that more apparent than here in Birmingham where HS2 is already acting as a catalyst and helping attract major investors such as Jacobs Engineering.  

“Additionally, the city will be home to the National College for High Speed Rail, which will open in 2017 and will provide Britain’s workforce with the specialist training, skills and qualifications to build HS2 and other future rail infrastructure projects.”

Other infrastructure projects the extension of the Midland Metro, together with an expert supply chain are being flagged up to investors.

Clive Roberts, Professor of Railway Systems and Director of the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE) at University of Birmingham, said the city was also taking a lead academically.

“The university has a long history of railway education and research but the recent renaissance in railway construction, both in the UK and internationally, and advancements in railway technology, have enabled us to grow BCRRE activities significantly,” he said.  
 
“Nowadays BCRRE is a group of 135 researchers and nearly 200 masters and undergraduate students who work in a broad range of railway systems engineering activities.
 
“We currently undertake research around the world, with particular focus in the UK and Europe, South East Asia and China to optimise the design of new railways, and develop technology and processes to reduce the life cycle cost of existing systems.”  
 
The body is working with the National College for High Speed Rail to help develop course curriculum, and will also work with the SMRT Institute in Singapore.  

“These new activities will lay the foundation to educate the next generation of railway engineers around the world,” added Prof Roberts.
     
Sir Terry Morgan, chair of the corporate board for National College for High Speed Rail which has an additional campus in Doncaster, is also due to attend the breakfast event.

He said the college was progressing well, with construction well underway on both sites in Birmingham and Doncaster.
 
“The college will have a major and hugely positive impact on the ability of the rail industry to develop a multi-skilled specialist British workforce, capable of building HS2 and future infrastructure projects,” he said.
 
“It will be a catalyst for growth in both Birmingham and Doncaster that will bring new investment into each city and provide highly skilled jobs for local people.”
 
The city’s presence at Innotrans follows Birmingham City Council leader John Clancy’s recent tour to China where he met investors and developers keen to take advantage of the arrival of HS2.