News story

Emerging Europe in the spotlight: rail for growth, 4-5 october

During meetings with Network Rail, the Office of Rail Regulation, the Railway Industry Association, the Rail Safety and Standards Board, and…

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

During meetings with Network Rail, the Office of Rail Regulation, the Railway Industry Association, the Rail Safety and Standards Board, and other relevant stakeholders in the UK, participants will look at opportunities in the railway sector and discuss the challenges that Polish and Romanian authorities face in making it viable and attractive for investors. Discussions will address issues of innovative financing, efficient use of EU funds, delivery of infrastructure upgrades, and strategic planning.

The British Ambassador to Warsaw Robin Barnett will lead the trade mission which include the Polish Transport Undersecretary of State, Andrzej Massel, and the Romanian Minister for Transport Ovidiu Silaghi.

Ambassador Robin Barnett said:

“I look forward to the busy 2-day agenda and plan to stress to everybody that Emerging Europe, a combined market of over 100 million people, is open for business. In Poland and Romania alone, there is a pot of 10 billion Euro worth of EU funds that are waiting to be spent on infrastructure projects, railway included. So there is a huge business opportunity right next door”.

The Railway Industry Association are partners in this joint trade mission.

**Note for editors

**1. “Emerging Europe” is the brand name under which the British Embassies in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) are jointly marketing the business opportunities offered by the CEE bloc. Emerging Europe aims to communicate key sector opportunities to a variety of stakeholders in the UK, including individual businesses and the mass media.

  1. For further information please contact Raluca Bragarea, British Embassy Bucharest, Tel: +40 (21) 201 7308, email: Raluca.Bragarea@fco.gov.uk

  2. The Government’s economic policy objective is to achieve ‘strong, sustainable and balanced growth that is more evenly shared across the country and between industries.’ It set four ambitions in the ‘Plan for Growth’ (PDF 1.7MB), published at Budget 2011:

  • To create the most competitive tax system in the G20

  • To make the UK the best place in Europe to start, finance and grow a business

  • To encourage investment and exports as a route to a more balanced economy

  • To create a more educated workforce that is the most flexible in Europe.

Work is underway across Government to achieve these ambitions, including progress on more than 250 measures as part of the Growth Review. Developing an Industrial Strategy gives new impetus to this work by providing businesses, investors and the public with more clarity about the long-term direction in which the Government wants the economy to travel.

  1. UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is the Government Department that helps UK-based companies succeed in the global economy. We also help overseas companies bring their high quality investment to the UK’s economy - acknowledged as Europe’s best place from which to succeed in global business. UKTI offers expertise and contacts through its extensive network of specialists in the UK, and in British embassies and other diplomatic offices around the world. We provide companies with the tools they require to be competitive on the world stage. For more information on UKTI, visit www.ukti.gov.uk or visit the online newsroom at www.ukti.gov.uk/media.

Notes to Editors

Contact Information

Name BIS Press Office Job Title

Division Department for Business, Innovation & Skills Phone

Fax

Mobile

Email bispress.releases@bis.gsi.gov.uk

Published 4 October 2012