The Railway Industry Association (RIA) is taking its message to the UK’s autumn party conference season. The RIA has already attended the Reform UK party gathering and is slated to present at the Liberal Democrats, Labour, the Green Party and the Conservatives over this month and October. The programme is intended to give the association access to political stakeholders and industry leaders as debate continues over the future structure, investment and procurement of Britain’s railway.
The Reform UK conference in Birmingham concluded at the weekend, with the Liberal Democrats next to hold their conference in Brighton from 19–22 September. RIA will also host two editions of its Big Rail Conversation, bringing together politicians, party representatives and industry leaders. The events will take place in Liverpool on 27 September at the ruling Labour Party conference and in Birmingham on 5 October at the Conservative Party conference – the official opposition party.
Taking the supply chain into the political debate
RIA says it will use the conference season to engage with political stakeholders and industry leaders about the future of the UK rail supply chain. Its programme reflects the importance of maintaining relationships across the political spectrum as the railway moves towards the establishment of Great British Railways (GBR), the nationalisation programme which is currently underway.
The Big Rail Conversation is RIA’s established forum for these discussions. In 2025, the association held events at the Labour and Conservative conferences with the representative Urban Transport Group, examining how rail devolution could contribute to regional economic growth.
The discussions covered subjects including rail freight development and support, Northern Powerhouse Rail, infrastructure capacity, GBR, electrification and the role of devolved authorities. RIA is also working with the Future Governance Forum on a 29 September event, “Setting Great British Railways up for success”. The event provides an opportunity for the supply chain to contribute to the debate surrounding the railway’s future governance.
Engagement beyond the political corridors
RIA’s political engagement forms part of a wider programme of work with railway organisations. In June, RIA held discussions on procurement and commercial arrangements under GBR involving figures from the infrastructure agency Network Rail and DfT Operator – the government’s backstop train operating company. It subsequently held a roundtable “in partnership with Network Rail” on station development and the regeneration of areas around stations.
The relationship also extends into innovation. The Railway Industry Association and Network Rail’s Innovation Acceleration Forum are teaming up at InnoTrans 2026 in Berlin, where the Network Rail team will use the RIA UK Pavilion as a base for discussions with suppliers and innovators.
With the conference season now underway, the association is seeking to ensure that the supply chain has a voice in discussions about GBR, investment, procurement and innovation. The emphasis is not solely on Westminster or the political parties, but also on developing working relationships with the organisations that will have to deliver the railway’s future.