Pauline Latham OBE MP has welcomed the Rail Minister, Claire Perry MP, to Derby for a full day of activities focusing on all things rail.
The Mid-Derbyshire MP was joined by Derby North MP Amanda Solloway and Rupert Brennan-Brown from Rail Supply Group to welcome the Minister at Derby Station before a number of visits including to Railway Vehicle Engineering Ltd to see re-engineering projects and the maintenance work being done for the National Rail Infrastructure Monitoring Fleet. They were joined by Derby North MP Amanda Solloway for the visit and discussion with senior staff.
The Minister then visited Delta Rail for a discussion of the rail companies operations before a meeting with the Rail Forum East Midlands which represents over 150 rail related businesses across the region.
The rail related agenda continued into the afternoon with lunch at rolling stock operations company Porterbrook to talk about rail leasing before visiting train makers Bombardier.
In the evening Delta Rail hosted both the Minister and Pauline Latham OBE MP at a dinner at the Roundhouse with a number of speakers including Adrian Shooter CBE, the Chairman of Vivarail, Dr Lutz Bertling, President of Bombardier Transportation and host Sir Ranulph Fiennes.
The visit comes after the Minister was invited to visit Derby and comes off the back of the announcement that the Midlands Main Line electrification project is to recommence. A number of East Midlands MP’s had previously called for the project to be given the green light in a debate in the House of Commons which Claire Perry MP replied to.
Speaking after the visit Pauline Latham OBE MP said: “I am very happy the Minister came to Derby, it was a pleasure to host her for the day. The agenda was full and I think the meetings were very worthwhile with a number of rail-related issues being raised that I hope are bought back to Parliament and her Department for further consideration”.