Members of the Railway Industry Association (RIA) have voted to extend the Association’s remit to include those in the Republic of Ireland.

A decision to extend the remit was approved during a special resolution at the RIA’s Annual General Meeting on 4 November, and amends the Association’s Articles of Association to now include the Republic of Ireland within its definition of the railway industry.

The RIA has voted to extend its remit to include the Republic of Ireland

© Railway Industry Association

The move aims to enable stronger support for rail suppliers, as well as closer industry collaboration across both the UK and Ireland. It also builds on the RIA’s established presence in Northern Ireland, and comes during a time of major planned investment across Ireland’s rail network, which is supported by supported by public sector investment and long-term rail development plans, with organisations such as Translink, Irish Rail, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the National Transport Authority all progressing major programmes to enhance rail connectivity across the island.

Major investments will be made in rail on an all-island basis through the Shared Island initiative, including for the Belfast-Dublin Enterprise route. This progress has led the RIA to adopt an all-island approach, expanding its existing country-wide presence.

From this point on, the RIA will take a phased and collaborative approach to extending its activities, working alongside governments, clients, industry bodies and other stakeholders to support rail investment, strengthen supply chain capability and share best practice.

Noel Travers, RIA Chair, said:

This is an important step forward for the Railway Industry Association (RIA) and its members, opening up new opportunities to support the rail supply sector across the UK and Ireland.

With major investment planned in Ireland’s railways in the years ahead, there is a real opportunity to bring industry, government and clients closer together, helping to deliver better railways, support jobs and skills, and drive economic growth.

RIA already has strong foundations in Northern Ireland, and this decision will allow us to build on those relationships while developing new partnerships in the Republic of Ireland.

We will take a measured and collaborative approach, working alongside existing organisations and stakeholders to ensure we add value, strengthen the voice of rail suppliers and help the industry make the most of the opportunities ahead.

As part of the new extension, the RIA will increase its Business Engagement Manager resource to cover the whole island of Ireland, commencing in January 2027 ahead of RIA’s All-Island Rail Summit, which is scheduled for 10 February 2027 in Dublin. This new role will aim to strengthen relationships with rail suppliers, government, clients and other key stakeholders across Ireland, and will seek to complement RIA’s existing team whilst reinforcing a wider commitment to championing rail supply industry across the UK and Ireland.

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