James Squire

Advanced manufacturing was another strong thread running through Ambassador James Squire’s visit to West Yorkshire and the wider region. At FILTROX in Barnoldswick, he saw Swiss investment in action: precision manufacturing in the North of England, serving global filtration markets including life sciences. At Electra Commercial Vehicles in Brighouse, the focus was clean transport, from electric and hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles to specialist applications for airports, fleets and local services. These are practical solutions for Swiss partners working to decarbonise transport and operations. At OE Electrics in Wakefield, he saw a Yorkshire manufacturer with global reach, designing smart power and charging solutions for workplaces, transport systems and public spaces, with existing exports to Switzerland and scope to grow further. Just like health innovation, this was another reminder of the depth of the West Yorkshire–Switzerland opportunity: high-quality manufacturing, clean growth and export-ready companies with solutions that match Swiss priorities. #AdvancedManufacturing #CleanGrowth #TradeAndInvestment

The Return of Rhaetia 🇬🇧🇨🇭 Last weekend, we had the privilege of attending the celebrations marking the return to service of Rhätia, the first locomotive to run on the Landquart-Davos line in 1889, and an enduring symbol of Graubünden's railway heritage. What makes this story so remarkable is that it is about far more than a historic steam locomotive. It is a story of engineering excellence, tourism, heritage, and international partnership, with strong connections between Switzerland and the United Kingdom. When Rhätia first entered service, railways were opening up the Alps to visitors from across Europe. British travellers were among those helping to establish Switzerland as one of the world's premier tourism destinations, travelling on routes such as Landquart-Davos and forging people-to-people links that continue to this day. The locomotive's restoration reflects that same spirit of collaboration. Its historic boiler and copper firebox were restored by specialists at the North Norfolk Railway in the UK, working closely with Swiss partners to meet Swiss railway standards. A locomotive built in one of Europe's great railway nations returned to the birthplace of the railways to be carefully restored before coming home once again. It was an honour to celebrate this achievement alongside the Dutch Ambassador, representatives of Rhätische Bahn, Club 1889, Swiss Railway Services and the Graubünden authorities, with a toast of Gusbourne sparkling wine grown on UK soil! Our thanks to everyone involved in bringing Rhätia back to life.

A journey through history, and a conversation about Europe’s future. To mark the 80th anniversary of Winston Churchill’s historic Zurich speech, Ambassador James Squire began the day aboard the Churchill Red Arrow at Zürich HB, where he joined Reto Liechti, Luca Arnold and Philipp Mäder of SBB for a tour and lunch aboard the train that carried Churchill during his 1946 visit to Switzerland. The journey continued at the Landesmuseum Zürich, where Brigadier Hans-Jakob Reichen, Dr Jamie Shea, Professor François Heisbourg and Mark Urban explored what credible deterrence in Europe looks like today and how it must evolve for future generations. The discussion was moderated by Dr Daniel Möckli of the Center for Security Studies at ETH Zürich. Following the panel and apéro, Ambassador James Squire travelled through Zurich in a historic Churchill Land Rover before concluding the day with special guests at Zunfthaus zur Meisen, where Churchill himself lunched and greeted the crowds after his speech in 1946. Thank you to SBB, our panellists, moderator, guests and partners for helping us bring the journey, the speech and its legacy to life. 🇬🇧🇨🇭

HRH The Duke of Edinburgh joined President of the Swiss Confederation Guy Parmelin, Ambassador James Squire and guests for a dinner at the École hôtelière de Lausanne yesterday, celebrating the close relationship between the UK and Switzerland and our shared commitment to education, skills and opportunities for the next generation.