Welcome to The Rail Alliance

The Rail Alliance has embraced the nature of modern business with the development of a new website, which will provide links to other support organisations, on-line advice and tools, information on member companies and organisations and a comprehensive database of products, services and expertise. In addition we will be bringing relevant daily news bulletins and the industry opportunities. Please check back soon for more information as the full membership database goes live very soon.

The Rail Alliance also recognises that developing the current and future skills and knowledge base is going to be vitally important for the industry and they have set out a wide ranging programme of networking opportunities, seminars and also a variety of educational and development events.

For example, we are working with Worcester University Business School developing a groundbreaking railway orientated MBA program, which is due to welcome its first cohort in January 2009.

The Alliance is also engaged with a number of other education providers regarding what we believe to be a unique training and education package. This will all be focused on keeping companies in touch with market opportunities at home and abroad, aware of new legislation/compliance requirements and maximising training/development opportunities; all with a real commitment to making sure the sector retains its people and attracts the next generation of engineers and rail professionals.

At a time when the major customers in the railway industry, such as Network Rail, are looking to reduce their supplier base in terms of interfaces rather than capabilities, it is absolutely vital that companies look to new and innovative ways of ensuring that the goods and services they are offering are not neglected. This is core Rail Alliance territory and we are putting a great deal of emphasis on creating dynamic, collaborative networks which will enable the many to continue to trade with the few. To be effective in this new procurement era, companies will have to concentrate on ensuring their compliance with a wide range of accreditation  requirements, learn from the best practice of others and other industries and above all to concentrate on adding value to both their products and others whilst driving costs and waste down.