More high-skilled jobs could be created in Goole if Siemens’ new £200m train factory puts East Yorkshire at the forefront of the digital railway revolution.
Juergen Maier, chief executive at Siemens UK, said construction of the planned facility in the town could pave the way for future jobs in software and rail technology in the town.
Speaking after he addressed an audience of delegates at The Business Day – the culmination of the 2019 Humber Business Week – at Bridlington Spa on Friday, Mr Maier said interest from other companies in supporting Siemens in Goole was already high.
He said: “Goole and East Yorkshire needs to be a future railway village.
“There will almost certainly be opportunities for people to get involved in the digital railway sector.
“That could be centred on sensor technology, or how railways will be put into the Internet of Things. There will be lots of software jobs too.
“We have already had a lot of interest from businesses looking to support us, as we did in Hull with the blade factory.
“However, it is important to manage expectations. The factory is hoped to be open in 2023, so we are keen to understand as much as possible what the capabilities are in the region.”
Since the mid-1990s, the number of passengers using Britain’s railways has doubled.
In the next 15 years, the number of rail journeys completed by commuters is expected to increase by a billion.
Creating a digital railway network is therefore seen as essential to meet the increased demand and capacity.
Mr Maier also spoke of the importance of improving the region’s transport infrastructure.
“The whole concept of building a fourth industrial revolution on the back of a Victorian infrastructure is not very credible.
“We need to create a digital railway of the future, and I believe that value can be brought here into the Humber.”
During his speech at The Business Day in Bridlington, Mr Maier also challenged business leaders across the Humber to lead the charge for a new industrial revolution, at a time of immense political uncertainty.
He said: “While we are in the period of uncertainty, the only people who can step us and make sure we do not lose sight of the industrial strategy is the business community.
“If we, as a nation, had had a strategy for the last 30 years to invest in railways of the future, it would have given British Steel more confidence to invest and stay ahead of the game and continue to innovate.”
Mr Maier also said having Finbarr Dowling leading the Siemens project in Goole was a massive boost.
Mr Dowling was previously the project director at Siemens’ blade factory in Hull, and has now transferred across to the £200m rail facility.
