Huw Merriman, the Minister of State for Rail & HS2, has been supporting UK businesses at 2023’s TRAKO Railway Expo, which is taking place in Gdańsk, Poland. As part of a wide programme of support, the Minister had an in-depth meeting at the Railway Industry Association (RIA) lounge in the UK’s GREAT Pavilion with Andrzej Adamczyk, the Polish Minister of Infrastructure & Construction, before introducing him to exhibitors around the Pavilion.
Three of the UK rail companies in the Pavilion met with Minister Adamczyk, who was keen to discuss the contribution private enterprise could make to Poland’s expanding railway.
Minister Huw Merriman said: “We met three different companies who gave brilliant presentations about what they’re doing, not just in the UK, but around the world (and in) Poland. [Minister Adamczyk] was really impressed with what we’ve got to offer – the focus on high-end quality, safety standards and innovation. That’s what they want to hear, and that’s what we were able to show them.”
The Ministers met with representatives from Muirhead, a supplier of high-performance, low-carbon leather to the passenger transport sector, flooring specialist Treadmaster, which demonstrated its fireproof flooring, and the McCulloch Group, which outlined some of the innovative methods it employs to repair the operational railway.
Huw Merriman thanked both RIA and the UK’s GREAT Pavilion teams for their work to impress the Polish government, adding that they had showcased the “best the UK has to offer”.
He continued: “I’ve had a great tour of the UK Pavilion myself, I’ve met every single stand, and what they’re all there to do is sell and export abroad. So if I’ve got the Secretary of State for Infrastructure & Construction with me, one of the most senior members of the Polish government, then I of course want him to see what we’ve got to offer.”
Minister Merriman spent most of his time in the UK’s GREAT Pavilion, but also had a chance to tour the fair and meet other exhibitors at the Expo. He added that, while he had been impressed by what he’d learned about the projects taking place in Europe – and the opportunity they represented for the UK – he was aware of the competition it faced.
He explained: “That’s why it’s really important – the Great Britain & Northern Ireland stand, the marketing of it, and everybody being together as one team. I want to be part of that, and have been proud to play my part.”
Commenting on the fact that many TRAKO exhibitors were multinationals that also operate in the UK, he said: “If you look at our four main train operators, they’re foreign-owned, but they’re all UK workforce and they’re actually providing the supply chain skills and the indirect jobs as well.
“So the UK has always been open in terms of international trade, and we are based internationally as well. The fact is we have a great reputation here as the founder of the railway. We’ve always been the innovators when it comes to rail. We offer high quality and innovation, and we look towards the future; that’s something that I think is really marketable for the UK rail industry and I’m here to play my part.”
Finally, Mr Merriman spoke about the need to attract more outside investment in UK rail, commenting: “We want to continue to see inward flows as well as outward flows… We’re keen to see more investment from outside. That’s another part of our reason for being here – to attract more of those alliances. What I really want to see is exports out of the UK so that we provide more jobs, do more for UK PLC, and also (create) more reasons why the UK tax base should always support the UK rail network.”
