STRATFORD BUSINESSES TAKE CENTRE STAGE

Shakespeare. There. We’ve got him out of the way.

Not surprisingly, tourism is one of the most important drivers of Stratford’s prosperity. Figures from the town council reveal that tourism generates around £631 million annually for local businesses, and supports more than 11,000 jobs.

Shakespeare’s England is the destination management organisation responsible for driving tourism through to 2025.

Helen Peters, its Chief Executive, said: “Stratford has an unending popularity as the birthplace of William

Shakespeare and gives us a global platform to publicise our other attractions which range from cars to castles, butterflies to boating.

“Stratford-uponAvon continues to be an international draw for visitors to the UK, meaning that a wide range of businesses flock here to meet the demand, especially hotels and attractions which can support the annual tourist influx.

“Tourism continues to be a significant contributor to the economy in Stratford both through these international and domestic tourist visits.”

UK’s largest rail test site to host decarbonisation event

Technologies designed to help decarbonise the railway will be on show later this month at Quinton Rail Technology Centre (QRTC) at Long Marston, near Stratford-upon-Avon.

The event, being held by Rail Alliance and The Birmingham Centre for Rail Research and Education (BCRRE), will take place on September 17, bringing together companies and experts to discuss the reduction of carbon emissions.

Quinton is the only privately owned and independent rail testing and trialling site in the UK.

Used extensively for reliability and mileage accumulation testing, its operational staff have extensive experience in rail and other sectors including defence, automotive and manufacturing. It is also home to the UK’s only specifically built light rail test facility and is partner to UK Tram/Innovate UK.

Another business located at Quinton is Vivarail, with its battery train and fast charge system as well as the HydroFLEX project (a collaboration between Porterbrook and BCRRE), to develop the first hydrogenpowered train in the UK.

Quinton is establishing itself as a hub for green and clean air technologies.