IRSE NEWS – June edition

The latest edition of IRSE NEWS has been published and can be accessed on line – click here to view or download it (you will need to log in).  This edition includes the following articles and papers:

§         The retrospective application of EN50128 to software-based systems

§         Introducing SafeCap, a safety-focused tool for optimising route capacity

§         Report on the International Technical Committee Seminar, Tokyo

§         Ian Harman, our Convention Coordinator, writes about his experience of Beijing

§         Report on the Annual General Meeting and Dinner

Beijing Convention 2016

Have you booked your place on the 2016 Convention in Beijing yet (10^th – 14^th October)? The programme and booking forms can be downloaded from the IRSE website – click here to do so.  The event includes a partner’s programme. 

There is also a dedicated Convention webpage on the website to keep you up to date with plans for the event – and you can read more about the Convention and what Beijing is like as a place to visit in this month’s IRSE NEWS.

Strategy revised

Our Strategy 2015-2020 and the associated Implementation Plan have been revised to include the theme of “diversity” – reflecting our ambition to encourage greater diversity (gender, religious, ethnic, disability etc) in our membership and in the wider industry.  Both documents are available on the IRSE website. Click here to view them.

2016 examination

A final reminder that if you want to take one or more modules of the IRSE Exam this year, you need to submit a Sponsorship Declaration Form without delay, and when you receive acknowledge from the IRSE that it has been received, you must then apply online no later than 30 June.  Click here for more details.

Various study groups for the Exam have been established – we are aware of groups in Bangalore, Hong Kong, London and Scotland. Click here for details.

Presidential Programme online

The 2016-17 Presidential Programme of Technical Papers is now in the Calendar on the IRSE website (under the “Events” tab).  Here is a summary of the meetings:

29 September: Chinese Signalling (being presented in Hong Kong)

9 November: Asset Management (being presented in London)

6 December: East Rail CBTC Migration (being presented in London)

10 January 2017: Low cost signalling (being presented in London)

8 February 2017: Automatic Data Validation (being presented in London)

14 March 2017: ERTMS Level 3 (being presented in London)

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

Members’ lunch : London – 15 June

It’s not quite too late to book your place at the annual Members’ Lunch in London, taking place on Wednesday 15^th June at the Union Jack Club near Waterloo Station.  All members are welcome, and the cost is £46 (which includes wine).  Why not join us this year to meet colleagues informally and to hear the latest news from the IRSE? 

Click here for more details and to book your place.

Midland & North Western Section steam luncheon – 15 June

For this year’s IRSE Steam Luncheon the UK’s Midland and North Western Section will be visiting the East Lancashire Railway, Bury on Saturday 2nd July.

Click here for more details and to book your place.

IET Railway Signalling and Control Systems: professional development course

20 – 23 June 2016 (Derby, UK)

RSCS 2016 offers a unique opportunity for railway graduates and engineers to gain a detailed understanding of the principle aspects of railway signalling, control systems, sub-systems and their associated interfaces from more than 20 industry experts across four comprehensive and enjoyable days.  A popular and well-established course (it first ran in 1990), RSCS runs in alternative years.  In 2016 it also offers delegates the chance to take part in an off-site technical visit, network with members of the rail community at the course reception/dinner and expand your knowledge beyond the course using the course book, which features all the technical papers written by the speakers.

As you might expect, a significant number of the speakers are IRSE members, including Andrew Simmons, Graeme Christmas, Stephen Clarke, Ian Mitchell, Simon Eastmond, Peter Sheppard, Andy Bourne and Francis How. The chairman of the organising committee is George Clark.

For further information or details on how to book, please visit www.theiet.org/rscs

UK Rail Week

27 June – 3 July

The inaugural Rail Week is a pan-industry programme to inspire a new generation of young people into rail careers. Students, parents and teachers will all get first-hand experience of what young people do to deliver millions of passenger journeys every day.

As part of the programme, Rail Week STEM Ambassadors will be bringing Rail into the classroom helping young people to see who the people are who deliver rail, learning more about rail through an exciting range of classroom activities.

You could volunteer as a Rail Week STEM Ambassador.  Ambassadors come from all parts of the rail industry – engineers to operators, transport planners to financial analysts, traffic managers and train controllers and from a range of companies in every region of the UK.

For more information, go to www.railweek.com, follow Rail Week on Twitter @railweek, or email hello@railweek.com for more information about how you can get involved.

UK Next Generation Rail Conference

30 June – 1 July

Encourage your graduates, apprentices and young professionals to take part in the UK's annual Next Generation Rail conference, taking place at the National Training Academy for Rail (NTAR) at Northampton on 30 June and 1 July.

Over 180 of the best and brightest of Britain's future railway leaders meet at this annual learning opportunity for industry graduates, apprentices and University researchers.

This year’s conference theme is around innovation, creativity and research. It will be structured as a mini 'Innovation Academy' and will include: technical site visits; interactive workshops; group activities; inspirational talks …and lots of networking. This year the event is part of the UK Rail Week (see above).

The ongoing mission of Next Generation Rail is to address the challenges the rail industry is facing in attracting and retaining young talent, enhancing young professionals’ soft skills; and promoting innovation.

The IRSE will be present at the event, as we were last year, promoting the value to young engineers of joining a professional engineering institution.

Check the programme to see the speaker line-up, and to register to attend.