IRSE NEWS

This month’s edition of IRSE NEWS brings you all the news about what is going on in the IRSE, with papers and articles on:

§  ERTMS Level 3: the Game Changer

§  Five Operating Centres for the Austrian rail network

§  Signalling in Japan (Thorrowgood Scholarship paper)

§  Saving Seconds

IRSE Annual General Meeting and Dinner

21^st April, London

The IRSE’s Annual General Meeting will take place on Friday 21^st April 2017 at the IET, Savoy Place, London, following which our incoming President, Peter Symons, will deliver his Presidential Address, titled “Future Signalling and You”. He will be speaking about topics that include railway accidents, the role of signalling and communications in their prevention, and the significance of life-long learning for engineers.

Refreshments will be available from 17.30, and the AGM commences at 18.00.  All are welcome.

The Annual Dinner will take place in The Savoy, London (adjacent to the IET), at 19.00, immediately after the AGM.  Our Guest of Honour is David Waboso, Managing Director of the UK’s Digital Railway Programme.  WSP|Parsons Brinckerhoff is sponsoring the Dinner.

Stephenson Conference

25 – 27 April, London

The Stephenson Conference brings together rail researchers and rail industry people from 15+ countries around the world to present and discuss ~70 papers on a wide range of research, coupled with real-life case studies of the application of that research. 

The event also has several keynote speakers, including Mark Carne (CEO, Network Rail), Carlo Borghini (Executive Director, Shift2Rail Programme), and Professor John Miles Arup/Royal Academy of Engineering Research Professor in Transitional Energy Strategies, University of Cambridge (UK).

The 2^nd Stephenson Conference will take place in London on 25 – 27 April 2017.  Click here for more information and booking details.

Convention 2017: USA

25 – 29 September, Dallas/Fort Worth

The 2017 Convention will take place in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of the USA from 25^th to 29^th September.  Details of the Convention (including the programme), the Booking Form, and the Hotel Booking Form are all now available via the link below.  We are offering Early Bird rates for people booking by 30^th June. 

We have produced a “template business case” which you might wish to make use of if you need to persuade your employer to support you attending the Convention, also available via the link below.

For the first time we are also opening the Convention to non-members (at a higher rate). If you know of work colleagues who might be interested in attending, please show them the information about the event.

We are also offering bursaries for younger members – you can find the Application Form via the link below.  Applications for bursaries must be received no later than 30 April 2017.

For all the information and forms for the Convention, click here.

Annual Report 2016

The IRSE’s Annual Report for 2016 is now published. Members who receive a hard copy of IRSE NEWS in the post should also have received a copy of the Report. For those who use e-membership, you can download and read the Report from the IRSE website — you can find it on the About page. It is well worth reading, to understand better the role, strategy and activities of the Institution — whether you are a long-standing member or relatively new. It contains an introduction by Charles Page, reflecting on his year as our President.

Switching your membership type

The next subscription year begins on 1 July 2017 and renewal invoices will be prepared during May ready for issue at the beginning of June.  If you wish to change your membership type to or from “e-membership” for the new subscription year, you must register the change by 30 April 2017.  

E-membership means that you receive all communications from the IRSE (including IRSE NEWS) electronically, not by post, at a lower annual membership subscription rate.

To switch, go to the IRSE website, log in and go to the Home page, then navigate to “Manage your record”. Select “YES” or “NO” for the “EMember from 1st July 2017?” option near the top of the page, and then click the SAVE button near the bottom of the page.

The following items will be of interest principally to members in Europe (including UK):

Minor Railways Section AGM and Technical Visit

12^th – 14^th May, Porthmadog, UK

With the kind permission of the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways, and with the support of PRB Consulting, the IRSE Minor Railways section is arranging a Technical Visit and holding its Annual General Meeting in Porthmadog on 12^th – 14^th May. For more information. Click here.

Members’ Lunch

The 19th Annual Members’ Luncheon will take place at the Gascoigne Room at the Union Jack Club, Sandell Street, Waterloo, London, SE1 8UJ (near Waterloo station) on Wednesday, 14th June 2017. It is hoped that as many members as possible, from younger to older, will attend. It’s a great way of networking and meeting up with both current and former colleagues in an informal social setting.  All who have been to previous Luncheons have enjoyed themselves greatly.

Please register now to attend, using the application form available on the IRSE website (http://bit.ly/2jRYHlz).  Applications must be received not later than 31^st May 2017.