A ‘groundbreaking’ partnership has been signed between peak representative bodies for rail in Australasia and the United Kingdom.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed last week between the Australasian Railway Association and the UK Railway Industry Association, with a reception on Thursday night hosted by the British Consul-General in Australia, as part of a UK rail trade delegation visit.
The partnership will see the two associations work more closely together, with the goal of benefiting both organisations’ memberships, and helping boost each country’s export potential for rail.
Australian deputy prime minister and infrastructure minister Michael McCormack said Australia and the UK have long been partners in many economic and community aspects.
“This agreement is yet another partnership which will build upon our strong trade relationship, help encourage even more jobs and opportunities in the rail sector, and be mutually beneficial for our economies,” McCormack said.
UK minister for state and trade and export promotion Baroness Fairhead said the agreement would further strengthen the countries’ trading relationship.
“The UK is a world leader in rail and has a particular focus on developing exciting new technologies,” Fairhead said. “Projects including those such as Crossrail and HS2 mean that the UK is well placed to share insights, expertise and knowledge to help build rail industry capability around the world.”
“This partnership is of immense value to our industry,” ARA chief executive officer Danny Broad added. “The opportunity to leverage the skills and expertise of UK rail companies will add breadth and depth to our industry, and give Australian businesses valuable insights and partnerships.”