01.07.19
Your chance to meet Midland Metro Alliance executives at TCR Midlands event
Director of the Midland Metro Alliance, Alejandro Moreno, and head of procurement Paula Gray have been confirmed as attending the TransCityRail (TCR) Midlands conference and dinner in Birmingham on 18 July.
Both will be available for networking opportunities at the prestigious event, hosted in association with Network Rail and Transport for West Midlands. TCR Midlands offers a unique opportunity for business leaders and rail experts to connect and discuss the future of transport in the Midlands with industry leaders.
Tickets to the event at the Vox Conference Centre and the networking dinner are still available to purchase online.
Writing recently for Rail Technology Magazine, Ms Gray highlighted the importance of small to medium enterprises (SMEs):
The Midland Metro Alliance, working on behalf of the West Midlands Combined Authority, is expanding the tram network by approximately 34km across the region to help enable social and economic regeneration.
The existing Midland Metro route is popular with commuters and has high levels of reliability and punctuality. The route carries nearly eight million passengers annually between Birmingham and Wolverhampton.
This is expected to rise further as the route expands and links with other modes of public transport, such as heavy rail, bus and bike hubs
The projects being worked on include routes through Birmingham City Centre to Edgbaston, out to the East side of Birmingham through Digbeth, a route to Wolverhampton’s railway station, from Dudley and Brierley Hill from Wednesbury, and to Birmingham International Airport in Solihull.
Building a tram extension in an urban environment is a complex feat of engineering. Considerable expertise, products and services are needed.
With the Midland Metro Alliance constructing over 34km of tram extensions, there are more than 100 categories of products and services required.
Keen for the region to benefit, not only when the routes are complete but also during the construction phases of all projects, the Midland Metro Alliance has tasked itself with achieving a target of 80% of suppliers sourced within the West Midlands.
The West Midlands is the perfect place to source many of the materials and services needed for our projects.
From steel fabricators, to quarries, to recruitment of staff, there is a fantastic pool of resources in this incredibly diverse and innovative region.
We have been extremely impressed with the quality and professionalism of the local companies we have worked with so far, and we hope to introduce many more local organisations as our projects progress over the coming years.
The Midland Metro Alliance is keen to hear from local businesses who could benefit from this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be involved in a major transport infrastructure programme and the Procurement Team is inviting companies to get in contact.
TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE SEE NEXT EDITION OF RTM.