Premier Rail

Infrarail

Infrarail
Written by Roma Publications

ExCeL prepares to welcome Infrarail 2016

Infrarail

More than 200 companies will be exhibiting at Infrarail 2016, the eleventh in a long-established and successful series of shows bringing together companies supplying the systems, equipment and skills needed for all elements of railway infrastructure technology.

The exhibition takes place at ExCeL London from 12 to 14 April, and will be formally opened by Claire Perry MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Transport.

Focusing exclusively on the railway’s fixed assets, Infrarail is the sister exhibition to the UK’s leading rail industry trade show, Railtex, which covers the entire market and is also organised by Mack Brooks Exhibitions – most recently at the NEC in Birmingham last May.

The huge range of products and services to be showcased by many of the sector’s leading companies will cover track construction and maintenance, signalling, communications and electrification as well as installations such as stations and rolling stock maintenance depots. Also exhibiting will be firms specialising in consultancy, recruitment and training, occupational health and security. And more than 75 exhibitors will be taking part in the event for the first time, many bringing new ideas to the market.

Among features in the exhibition hall will be The Track, sections of track provided by leading rail producer Tata Steel for the display of rail-related equipment and products, and the Recruitment Wall, where companies taking part in the event will be publicising their skills needs to alert those attending to possible future career opportunities. In addition, the Networking Zone will provide a venue for informal meetings and conversations, and will be the setting for the Networking Reception towards the end of the first day of the show, at which all exhibitors and visitors will be welcome.

Infrarail

Strong industry support

This year’s Infrarail is receiving strong industry support from an impressive list of show partners, including Network Rail, London Underground, the Rail Supply Group, the Railway Industry Association and the Rail Alliance. Also supporting the event are Crossrail, the Transport for London body creating the new east-west railway across the capital, and HS2 Ltd, the government company developing the planned high-speed rail network between London, the West Midlands and the North of England. The two last-mentioned will both have a stand at the show, providing opportunities for companies serving the rail infrastructure market to possibly learn how they can become involved in these once in a generation projects that are poised to reshape the national network.

These show partners will also be contributing to an extensive programme of activities taking place throughout the three days of Infrarail. A highlight will be a keynote speech each day, with Claire Perry delivering an address on the opening Tuesday. Keynote presentations will also be given by Network Rail Chairman Sir Peter Hendy CBE and David Waboso CBE, Capital Programmes Director for London Underground. In addition, visitors will be welcome to attend technical seminars, industry briefings and updates on major UK rail projects and there will be open discussion forum sessions led by industry experts at a feature entitled The Platform. All will be free to attend without prior booking. Go to www.infrarail.com to view the full programme and plan your visit.

This year’s Infrarail also includes initiatives intended to help suppliers. In a partnership with the Rail Supply Group, the Rail Alliance suppliers’ networking organisation will be presenting its Rail Mentoring Scheme aimed at assisting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to join the industry’s supply chain. In addition, a new Business Matching Service allows key buyers and decision makers to attend pre-booked meetings at exhibitors’ stands.

 

Docklands venue

This will be the first time Infrarail has taken place at the state-of-the-art ExCeL London venue in the capital’s Docklands. Sharing its hall will be the Civil Infrastructure & Technology Exhibition – CITE 2016 (www.cite-uk.com). Open to Infrarail visitors without re-registration, this will showcase many of the civils products and services needed for rail projects, as well as for highways, utilities, communications and energy networks. It will include the CITE Conference, plus keynote speeches and seminars, many of featuring topics of interest to visitors from the rail sector. These sessions will also open to all. Together the two shows will form the UK’s biggest infrastructure event this year, bringing together some 240 exhibitors.

More than 6,600 senior managers, technicians and industry specialists visited the two combined events at Earls Court, London, when they were last held in May 2014, taking advantage of a valuable chance to learn more about technological innovations and trends, and enjoying a unique networking opportunity.

Entry to Infrarail 2016 is free for visitors who pre-register via www.infrarail.com. Online visitor registration closes at midnight on 11 April. For those who prefer to register on arrival at ExCeL London, a GBP20 entry fee will be payable.

The latest details on all that will be happening at Infrarail and CITE 2016 can be found at the two show websites, together with lists of exhibitors. For additional information contact the organising team at infrarail@mackbrooks.co.uk.

 

 

Infrarail 2016

Venue:                 ExCeL London (Halls N1/N2 via West Entrance)

Dates: 12 – 14 April 2016

Opening times:

Tuesday 12 April 10:00 – 17:00

Wednesday 13 April 10:00 – 17:00

Thursday 14 April 10:00 – 16:00

Entry: Free for visitors who pre-register via the show website; £20 for on-site registration

Show website: www.infrarail.com

Contact: infrarail@mackbrooks.co.uk

 

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Roma Publications