On 2 November, Pauline Latham OBE MP hosted the Rail Forum’s annual Parliamentary Reception at the House of Commons. Attended by over 150 representatives from member companies together with Rail Forum invited guests from across the East Midlands; the event was hailed a ‘huge success’ by those present.
Members heard from both the Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin MP and his Shadow counterpart Lilian Greenwood MP; both represent East Midlands constituencies and both reaffirmed the importance of continued investment in our railways. Rail Minister Claire Perry also chatted to delegates and commented on her recent visit to Derby.
One purpose of the reception was to formally ‘launch’ the new Rail Forum brand and all speakers including David Ralph, Chief Executive of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, agreed that this wider focus was essential especially in light of the current Devolution agenda and the opportunities this provides to really support the vision of making the Midlands an Engine for Growth.
