Manufacturing and Engineering Magazine Volume 420 - September 2015 | Page 70
railtex.qxp_feature 2 05/08/2015 15:38 Page 68
RAIL RAILTEX
RAILTEX 2015
IS A SUCCESS
The latest technology, equipment and innovations were
exhibited at the most effective Railtex for years
4
Railtex is the all encompassing
showcase for technological innovation across all sectors of the rail
supply market. Against a backdrop
of continuing investment in rail
and significant ongoing projects,
Railtex provides a timely opportunity for
companies serving the rail market to highlight their capabilities and showcase their
products and services.
Nearly 7,500 rail industry professionals
visited the recent Railtex 2015 exhibition at
the NEC in Birmingham from 12 to 14 May. A
total of 468 leading suppliers took part in
the successful show, presenting their latest
technology, equipment and innovations during an event regarded as the most effective
Railtex for years.
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Participants included many of the best
known firms supplying the UK rail market.
There was a high-profile presence by
Bombardier Transportation, which is currently delivering new trains for London
Underground and Thameslink, Southern &
Great Northern, and will soon be supplying
rolling stock for the capital’s Crossrail project. The Hitachi Rail Europe stand featured a
model of the intercity trains the firm is to
build at its new County Durham factory for
the Department for Transport’s IEP programme, plus its vehicle concepts for future
UK high-speed lines. Also present was
Siemens, which will deliver the first new
Thameslink trains later this year and is also
supplying new trainsets to Eurostar. They
were joined by a vast range of highly spe-
MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING MAGAZINE
cialised companies covering every sector of a
very diversified supply chain.
While British-based companies predominated, there was an increased presence by
foreign companies seeking opportunities in a
UK rail market that is enjoying unprecedented levels of investment. Most notable were
exhibitors from China, principally train
builders China CNR Corporation and CSR
Sifang, soon to be merged to form the world’s
largest rolling stock manufacturer. The latter
company chose Railtex for the official signing
of cooperation agreements with three leading
UK universities to establish a centre for railway research and development.
Railtex 2015 was not only about business
transactions, though: an extensive and wideranging programme of speeches and presen-