Rail-transport companies from China and the US remain committed to strengthening cooperation – including on projects in third-country markets – even as a trade rivalry between the two largest economies chugs along.

With the US being a long-time leader in freight rail and urban transit, and China having emerged as a global powerhouse in high-speed rail, the two sides could deepen cooperation in the rail-transport sector, said Everett Wakai, minister counsellor for commercial affairs at the US embassy in Beijing.

He spoke during the US-China Rail Transit Industry Roundtable on Friday at the China International Supply Chain Expo. Representatives from some US companies with ties to the rail sector were there. A key talking point was the potential for supply-chain cooperation.

Guan Jiaxin, vice-president of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, said the state-owned giant cooperates extensively with US companies when it comes to equipment.

“Major projects and markets led by our company are widely using construction machinery from Caterpillar and generators from Cummins,” Guan said during the round-table chat. Caterpillar and Cummins were two of the American firms in attendance.

“We look forward to exploring more cooperation opportunities with the US in overseas projects investment, building and operating, such as joint financing, design and consulting … in markets where US firms have a strong presence, such as Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Europe,” he said.

South Eastern Railway has launched a new careers and skills hub in Ashford, marking a major step in its ambition to build a modern, inclusive, and skilled rail workforce. The new facility, named Connect 38, was officially opened on 11 July by Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy and is located within walking distance of Ashford International railway station.

The hub brings together recruitment, professional development, and digital learning under one roof, offering a dynamic environment for new starters and existing staff to develop their careers. The initiative forms part of South Eastern Railway’s broader commitment to workforce development, social mobility, and long-term sector resilience.

Responding to surging interest in rail careers

Interest in careers at South Eastern Railway has increased sharply in recent years, with over 30,000 job applications submitted in the past 12 months—more than double the number received the previous year. Connect 38 aims to meet this demand by more than doubling the company’s recruitment and training capacity and offering a range of targeted career pathways for school leavers, career-changers, and veterans.

The launch coincided with South Eastern Railway being ranked 24th in the Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers for 2025—up 34 places from the previous year. It is the highest ranking achieved by any transport or rail company on the list.

A strategic investment in people and skills

Connect 38 will support hundreds of apprentices across roles including train driving, engineering, customer service, and digital skills. A dedicated digital media suite will also allow colleagues to create professional video content for learning and internal communication.

Speaking at the opening, Rail Minister Lord Hendy said:

“Under public ownership, South Eastern Railway is making real changes that not only improve the lives of passengers but staff and local communities too.
This is exactly what we want to see operators doing—offering skills and training to ensure their workforce is open to everyone, from school-leavers to career-changers to veterans.
Through this investment, we will see more and more skilled, rewarding careers in the rail industry open up as Connect 38 breaks down barriers to opportunity, drives economic growth and supports the Government’s Plan for Change.”

Supporting an integrated, future-ready railway

The initiative is part of the new integrated railway structure that brings together Southeastern (the publicly owned train operator) and Network Rail Kent Route under a single leadership team. Managing Director Steve White emphasised the strategic importance of the investment:

“The railway does more than connect people and places. It unlocks opportunity, supports housing, enables social mobility and helps communities thrive. What we do matters!
In the last year alone, we have seen a huge increase in interest from people wanting to build a career with us with over 30,000 applicants. We are also committed to developing our own people.
This new facility, located at the heart of our network, demonstrates that our new integrated railway will invest in our people, as well as our infrastructure.
Whether someone is joining us for the first time, retraining, or progressing in their career, this centre will give them the skills and support they need to succeed and to support our customers.”

Focus on inclusion and social value

The facility not only supports technical skills and professional development but also celebrates the contributions of past and present railway colleagues. Rooms at Connect 38 have been named after notable figures who played key roles in the industry’s history, including Barbara Ann Denny, the network’s first female train driver, and Asquith Xavier, who broke racial barriers in British transport.

Neil Robertson, Chief Executive of the National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR), welcomed the investment:

“Southeastern were one of the first operators to embrace apprenticeships and have always taken training very seriously. This is an exciting new opportunity. Knowing them as we do, we expect to see strong social value created alongside the development of new skills.
With a wide range of jobs available across the rail industry, initiatives like this help to strengthen routes into rail and ensure the sector attracts the talent it needs for the future.”

Aligning with government skills agenda

The Connect 38 hub directly supports the government’s ambition to grow skills and create economic opportunity. It provides career guidance, digital learning tools, and comprehensive training for new recruits and existing employees across a wide spectrum of rail-related roles.

South Eastern Railway currently supports over 500 apprentices and holds Gold Accreditation from Investors in People for its work in supporting wellbeing, people development, and apprenticeships.

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Around 200 members, MPs, rail industry partners and third-sector supporters gathered at the Palace of Westminster to celebrate the growing impact of the community rail movement.

Community Rail Network, the umbrella body for the grassroots movement, held a parliamentary reception to showcase the valuable work being delivered by community rail, putting railways and stations at the heart of local communities.

The event was hosted by Helena Dollimore, MP for Hastings, Rye, and the villages, and guests from all over England, Scotland and Wales were also addressed by the Rail Minister Lord Hendy.

The reception shone a spotlight on the efforts of local community organisations and volunteers who work tirelessly to ensure that the railway remains accessible, sustainable, and integral to everyday life. It highlighted the hugely diverse activities of 75 community rail partnerships, which cover more than a third (35%) of Britain’s railways, and 1,300 station friends’ groups made up of more than 8,250 volunteers, who tend to more than half of the stations on the network.

Community rail members enjoyed the vital opportunity to engage in positive conversations with their local MPs, community rail colleagues, rail industry partners and third-sector supporters, emphasising the positive role the movement can play in progressing rail reform.

Bill Freeman, interim chief executive of Community Rail Network, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have held our parliamentary reception at the Palace of Westminster. We’d like to say a huge thank you to Helena Dollimore MP and Lord Hendy for their support in bringing community rail to the Houses of Parliament, allowing us to celebrate the tireless, tenacious work of hundreds of officers and thousands of dedicated volunteers in community rail, and the brilliant and beautiful things that happen when people and communities feel that their railway belongs to them.”

In his speech, Lord Hendy spoke of the importance of rail in driving the government’s ambitions of connectivity and growth, and the transformative impact of the railways over the past 200 years. A long-time supporter of the movement, he outlined the work done by community rail in caring for and promoting local railways and stations and encouraged close working relationships between community rail and the wider rail industry.

Community Rail Network used the event to share a new ‘postcard’ with key asks across integrated and sustainable transport, station buildings and land, accessibility and inclusion, and rail reform and devolution, highlighting the positive role community rail can play in these policy areas.

Mr Freeman said: “Our movement is uniquely placed to support a new era of rail: one that is more passenger-focused, locally responsive, and aligned with the social, environmental, and economic goals of the communities our members serve. Community rail is already rooted in local insight, collaboration, and innovation. It’s already helping to bridge gaps—between modes of transport, between communities and the railway, and between policy and lived experience.

“Rail reform is changing how our railway is owned and operates, devolution is shifting more transport decisions to regional and local leaders, and there is growing demand for more joined-up, integrated travel options that reshape local transport networks to better serve people and communities.

“These are big changes. They raise big questions. And for many of those questions, community rail can and must be part of the answer.”

For more information, go to communityrail.org.uk