IRSE Bulletin – March 2021

As you may be aware a governance working party headed by junior vice president Andy Knight has been conducting a review of the Institution’s Memorandum and Articles of Association to adopt best practice as promoted by the Charity Commissioners, bolster our international representation at Council and reflect the adoption of technology to hold meetings that were once only face to face …prior to being voted on for adoption at the AGM

All AIRSE,MIRSE and FIRSE members will have received an invitation to take part in a survey inviting your views on our governance.   Your views are important to us, so please complete the online survey if you haven’t already done so (link here).
Feedback from this survey will be considered as part of the review, and the proposed changes to our governance will be circulated to the membership prior to being ratified at the AGM.

Don’t forget that voting for Council elections closes on 8 March.  If you haven’t received your e-voting form please contact: electionservices@civica.co.uk

IRSE News March 2021

March’s IRSE News is now available online.

As well as the latest news from the Institution and local sections, this issue features articles on driver fatigue and the impact of the “Internet of Things” on intelligent railways.

It also features Ian Mitchell & Nora Balfe’s presidential paper on TMS and further automation in control centres.

If you missed the video presentation, it can be viewed on the IRSE’s Vimeo channel here.read online

IRSE AGM 2021 & Presidential Address by Ian Bridges

Thursday 22 April 2021

Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers will be held on Thursday 22 April 2021 at 17:30.

Due to COVID 19 restrictions this will, by order of the Council, be held as a virtual event and attendance can be booked online. Registration details will be sent out shortly.

C3 Rail Event

The IRSE is to be a sponsor in kind for the C3 Rail conference on Command, Control and Communications for Asia Pacific rail operators and authorities.

The online event starts at 11:30am SGT/UTC+8h on 23 March and  is dedicated to the safe and efficient movement and operation of trains on the railway, with half a day of key content which can be watched live or on-demand later.

It will feature four interactive live panel sessions with rail signalling, communications and systems leaders including member of the IRSE International Technical Committee, Robert Cooke, FIRSE who will be sharing his expertise and taking questions from the audience.  

Attendance is free for IRSE members. register here

Preparation for subscription renewals

We will shortly be getting in touch with all members to invite you to renew your IRSE subscription. Please check that all your contact details are correct online https://www.irse.org/Contact-Details (requires login) or by contacting the team directly.

Accurate email, postal address and telephone contact details are essential for us to deliver the best service possible to you and all our members.

Now is also the time to tell us about any changes to your circumstances or subscription preferences.  If you wish to change to / from an e-member (receiving IRSE News via e-bulletins only) then please change this online or contact us.  If you have retired recently then please contact us to discuss whether you are eligible for a concessionary subscription rate.

Our membership team are available via email at membership@irse.org or by ringing +44 (0)20 7808 1187.  Please note that we are still working remotely so you are strongly recommended not to post anything to the London office.

Progress in Minor Railway Signalling

18 November 2021, Kidderminster Railway Museum, UK

The Minor Railway Section will be holding the eighth of its bi-annual seminars on the 18 November 2021. The section is again delighted to be holding the event at the Kidderminster Railway Museum, Coronavirus emergency permitting.

Members and non- members are welcome to submit papers. Those who wish to submit papers are invited to contact ian@aspectsolutions.org.uk to discuss what they wish to present. more info

Developing Engineers Competition

The Midlands and North Western section (M&NWS) is launching a competition for developing engineers and is inviting entrants to register to participate.  For full details see the March issue of IRSE News.

Aimed at Younger Members and members working towards professional registration the competition has two stages.  Initially entrants will need to submit a synopsis of their proposed paper and presentation. 

Three finalists will be selected to submit a paper, make a presentation, and participate in a discussion on their presentation at the section’s meeting in November.

Applications will open 1 April via the IRSE website with a link published in next month’s e-bulletin

Members of the Head Office team at the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers are taking on a ‘virtual’ walking challenge to raise funds for the Neurology Department at Charing Cross Hospital. This is in support of Hilary, a long-standing member of our team, who many of you may know. Hilary suffered a serious stroke in November last year. 
 
Hilary is making good progress in her recovery thanks to the world class treatment and outstanding care she received at Charing Cross before moving to a specialist neurological unit.  Her journey has inspired her colleagues to raise funds for this highly specialised National / Regional Unit which brings cutting edge research to the bedside.  All funds raised will be used across the Neurology Department.

We hope to raise £1,000 by walking 1,000 miles as a group, using the World Walking website and app.  

We have chosen to walk along the ‘Wonders of the UK’ route and will be taking the opportunity to check out UK railway stations and landmarks and check in with IRSE local branches as we pass by.  We will be following Covid 19 guidelines and each of us will count our daily steps and add them to the cumulative total.

We will be using MS Team to say hello to section representatives as we virtually pass their area. Look out for your invite to give the team a virtual wave as we make our progress. We would also like to collect messages of support for Hilary as we pace the length and breadth of the UK.

If you would like to support our efforts by sponsoring our walk and leaving a message you can do so through JustGiving. make a donation

The Technician’s Terminal – The Journey – York Section

4 March 2021, online; 17:30 – 19:00 UTC

Further details will be available on the IRSE website soon.  To access the lecture on the day, please use the button below. more infojoin lecture

The Younger Members’ Conference 2021

13 March, online; 09:30 – 17:00 UTC

The Younger Members’ conference will be held online, on 13 March 2021. This will provide the opportunity for Younger Members from around the world to participate. There will be no theme, to allow Younger Members to showcase the diverse work that they do in the field of railway signal engineering. more info / register

Signal sighting using Unreal Engine

17 March, online; 17:15 – 19:00 UTC

James Furlong and Ian Fury of True North Rail Ltd will talk about a new signal sighting tool based on a software video game tool. 

True North Rail Ltd have developed a new signal sighting tool. They have used better ways of deploying Geographical Information Systems (GIS), project federated models (PFM), survey and design CAD data for railway signalling applications. James and Ian identified the liberation of PFM data and conversion into a truly digital platform was best achieved using a modern computer gaming engine platform, called Unreal Engine. more info / register

Negative Short Circuit Devices – London & SE Section

25 March, online; 18:00 – 20:00 UTC

NSCDs are equipment which are generally installed at TPHs (Track Paralleling Huts) and substations across the Southern Region, they are a switching device which is able to be controlled remotely by an operator which places a short circuit on an electrical section, increasing safety and in turn possession time availability. The amount of safety incidents Network Rail has on the DC network which are relating to isolation support staff placing straps in the wrong possession, not testing the conductor rail prior to applying straps is scary.

Neil Clegg has worked for Network Rail for the last 15 years, leading the safe delivery of NSCDs across Kent and Sussex Routes. more info / register

ERTMS strategy of BAV/FOT and consequences for railway operators and industry – Swiss Section​

26 March, online; 14:00 – 16:30 UTC+1

To sign up for the online paper session for the Swiss Section, please send an email to info@irse.ch and register your name by clicking here. Please note the session will be available in German language only.

Module C/D Study Day – Hold the date – Younger Members

27 March, online; 09:00 – 13:00 UTC

The younger members section will be running a Module C/D study day on this date. It will be 1/2 day long, and we intend to run some in the morning and some in the afternoon, to allow younger members from around the world to attend. More details will be announced soon. event page