IRSE NEWS

The latest edition of IRSE NEWS is now available – click here to view it (you will need to log-in).  You can also see all the recent editions on the “Recent Issues” page of the IRSE website. This month’s edition contains articles on:

§  Development of a National Train Control Centre

§  Digital Railway discussion

§  Shifting spectrum – the new fibre-optic based axle counter

§  The IRSE Re-brand story

§  2017 IRSE Exam results

§  ASPECT 2017 – a younger member view

§  “CBTC and beyond” – report on the IRSE Seminar in Toronto

New IRSE Chief Executive appointed

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Blane Judd as the IRSE’s new Chief Executive Officer.  Blane will join the IRSE at the beginning of July 2018, taking over when Francis How retires at the beginning of August.

Blane is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of a number of institutions, including the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). He was awarded a Fellowship of The City and Guilds of London Institute in 2008 for services to the international development of engineering competency, and he and is a member of the Institute of Directors.

Click here for more information.

IRSE Annual General Meeting

27 April, London 

The IRSE’s Annual General Meeting will take place on Friday 27^th April 2018 at the IET, Savoy Place, London, following which our incoming President, Dr Markus Montigel, will deliver his Presidential Address. Refreshments will be available from 17.30, and the AGM commences at 18.00.  All are welcome. The AGM includes a Special Resolution for an amendment of the Institution’s Articles of Association. To view the papers relating to this, as well as the AGM Notice, click here.

The Annual Report for 2017, which will be presented at the AGM, will be available shortly on the IRSE website – click here to view/download it (you will need to log in).  IRSE members (except those who are e-members) will receive a copy in the post during April.

April events

In addition to the events listed elsewhere in this bulletin, there are many other IRSE events happening in April, including:

§  4 April, Singapore: London’s Four Lines Modernisation Programme

§  4 April, Swindon (UK): Level Crossings

§  9 April, Paris: The Internet of Things – a suppliers’ view

§  10 April, Birmingham (UK): M&NW Section AGM and presentation on smart motorway control

§  12 April, Johannesburg/Durban/Cape Town: Re-profiling the Skills Set of a Signalling Professional in Light of Emerging Disruptive Technologies – Is There a Compelling Case?

§  25 April, Belfast: Seminar on Training, Competence and CPD

Switching to or from IRSE e-membership

The next IRSE subscription year begins on 1^st July 2018 and we will be sending you your renewal details at the beginning of June so that you can renew your IRSE membership by 1^st July.

Before then, you have the opportunity to change your membership type to or from “e-membership” for the new subscription year. To do so you must register the change by 30 April 2018.

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 to or from e-membership, go to the IRSE website (www.irse.org), log in and go to the Home page, then navigate to the “Manage your record” page.  Select “YES” or “NO” for the “E-membership selected” option near the top of the page, and then click the SAVE button near the bottom of the page.

Changes to IRSE Bye-laws: Subscription renewal

IRSE Council has approved an amendment to the Institution’s Bye-laws, which means that if someone has not paid their subscription within four months of the due date, their membership can be terminated. Previously someone could remain a member (although not receiving any mailings or bulletins) for more than one year after the subscription payment was due. The amended part of the Bye-laws is clause 4.3, and the full Bye-laws can be viewed on the “About” page of the IRSE website.

Revised CPD Policy

The new (issue 3) IRSE Continuous Professional Development Policy has been approved by the IRSE’s governing Council and is now published on our website- see IRSE – Membership – Professional Development.  Although there are no fundamental changes, it has been updated to reflect current good practice.

General Data Protection Regulations

On 25 May the EU General Data Protection Regulation (2016/679) comes into force, adding further protection to individuals in respect of their personal data held by organisations and companies.  This affects the IRSE, since we hold personal data relating to members, IRSE licence holders and others.

We are working on arrangements for compliance with the Regulation, and we will be providing members and licence holders with further information in early May.  Our website Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy have already been amended – check here to view them.

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

Birmingham Centre for Rail Research & Education International Seminar on Railway Education and Training 2018

16-18 April, Birmingham, UK

The inaugural Birmingham Centre for Rail Research and Education (BCRRE) International Seminar for Railway Education and Training 2018 (ISRET 2018) will take place at the University of Birmingham in April.

ISRET 2018 runs from 16th to 18th April 2018 and comprises 2 days of lecture-based activity at the university (with a Gala Dinner on the first night), followed by a series of options for the third day which includes a visit to Alstom’s training facility in Widnes as well as a range of focused training seminars arranged by the BCRRE at the nearby National College for High Speed Rail (NCHSR).  Delegates will be able to select individual components of the seminar to attend.

For more information on ISRET 2018 including more detail on the seminar, the call for papers, accommodation information and prices, click here.

IRSE Younger Members: IRSE Exam Preparation Workshop: Modules 2,3,5

21 – 22 April 2018, Derby (UK)

With the kind support of Signet Solutions, the IRSE Younger Members are pleased to invite you to an IRSE Exam Preparation Workshop on 21-22 April in Derby.  The event will focus on Modules 2, 3 and 5, but may also be useful to contribute to your Study Plan if you are attempting Modules 1 or 7 as it can help expand your underpinning knowledge. This event is offered free of charge.

There will be work-streams focused on each exam module, as well as more general demonstration sessions. For those focusing on an exam module, you may be invited to prepare notes on a specific exam question or topic to bring to the event – this will help you get the most out of the sessions.

Places at the event are limited, so please complete the registration form and send it by e-mail as soon as possible to younger.members@irse.org.  Please indicate your preference for the module(s) you wish to prepare for on the registration form.

Annual Members Lunch

13 June, London

The 20th IRSE Annual Members’ Lunch will take place at the Union Jack Club, Sandell Street, Waterloo, London, SE1 8UJ (near Waterloo station) on Wednesday, 13^th June 2018.

A three course luncheon with wine and coffee will be served at 13.00 hours and tickets for the event can now be purchased.  Please note that the Luncheon is for IRSE members only.

This event is for all members, regardless of age or employment status. It’s a great way of networking and meeting up with both current and former colleagues in an informal social setting.  Our President, Markus Montigel, will be speaking. For more information, and to book, please click here.

IET Railway Signalling and Control Systems Course (partnered by IRSE)

18 – 21 June 2018, London

The IET Railway Signalling and Control Systems (RSCS) is a four day training course delivered by expert lecturers (many of them IRSE members) who have worked on railway systems around the world. This course is delivered every two years, and this year for the first time the IRSE is the official course partner. It features a technical programme which has been developed by a technical committee. 

The programme aims to provide attendees with the most up-to-date contemporary training on signalling and control systems, and is suitable for people who want to understand the basics of signalling, as well as for those wanting to learn about current developments. It contains material relevant to both national rail networks and metros.

This course is highly recommended. For more information and to book your place, click here.

Minor Railway Section AGM and Technical Visit

23 June, Didcot (UK)

The IRSE Minor Railways Section is holding its AGM and a Technical Visit to Didcot Railway Centre on the occasion of its Signalling Gala Weekend.  This is being held to commemorate Swindon panel’s 50th year, which was in operation until 2015 but has now been restored and modified to work with computer simulators of the original Western Region E10k relay interlockings. 

For more information and to book your place, click here.

Traffic Management Systems: Seminar

26 June, London

This Seminar will explore the challenges and opportunities associated with implementing advanced traffic management systems. Designing these systems to maximise capacity and performance, and to respond effectively to changing operating conditions (without adversely affecting safety), requires Rolling Stock and Signal engineers to work together – which is why this event is being organised jointly by the IRSE and the IMechE.  Join us for a thought-provoking and informative day.

For more information, click here.  There are early bird rates and discounts for IRSE members.

Save the date: inaugural joint event with IEEE UK & Ireland

“Ethics in Engineering”: 5 July, London

Increasing automation means that complex systems are making decisions with an ethical dimension. Nowhere is this more true than in the field of transport. Autonomy in road vehicles is causing engineers, lawyers, insurers and others to re-think previously accepted norms. On railways, principles about the safe movement of trains that were once regarded as inviolable are being challenged, bringing benefits but also causing us to consider “how safe is safe enough?”.

We are now constantly encountering fresh issues that demand urgent, ethically sound answers. Respect for the environment and natural resources are topics for engineers to incorporate into their work, whether it is in the context of a major project such as Crossrail or HS2, or in finding practicable alternatives to the use of plastics in packaging.

This Seminar, the first undertaken jointly by the IRSE and the IEEE Systems Council Chapter in the UK & Ireland, seeks to explore the underpinning principles associated with these challenges, raise awareness and foster collaboration between stakeholders. This event will take place in the late afternoon/early evening of 5^th July. Save the date now, and more information will be available soon – click here.  You will need to register for this event.