From 7 – 9 September 2021, Railtex/Infrarail will gather the whole railway industry together in Birmingham. It will be the first time the exhibitions have taken place since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the initial decision to postpone Infrarail 2020 to 2021, Mack-Brooks Exhibitions, Organisers of the...

As the country nears stage 4 of the roadmap established by the Government, the entire railway industry expresses its support and commitment Following the successful show launch of the innovative meeting platform EuroRail Hub, which brought the whole European railway industry together in March, Mack-Brooks Exhibitions are now looking ahead...

The Great British Railways organisation to be created under the Williams-Shapps plan will run the rail network, manage its infrastructure, procure passenger services and produce timetables. Thus, the whole railway will be under a single national leadership, providing a whole-system view to eliminate perverse incentives and do what is...

For most of us, bank holidays are a time to gather in the pursuit of enjoyment. But all that has been curtailed this year and last by…you know what. When we’ve most needed things to smile at, they’ve been hard to come by. It was business as usual though -...

I have memories of seeing and, on occasions, examining level crossings in a number of European countries. Unsurprisingly, the safety record across the continent varies widely but, between 2014-2018, an average of 1.33 incidents occurred for every 1,000 track kilometres. Ireland and the UK perform best at 0.2, while...

Colin Johnson, Managing Director of D/Gauge has a straightforward view on gauging software: it should be inherently fast, intelligent and fuss-free. The Derby-based company launched its much-anticipated D/Gauge Rift product in an online launch to over 300 attendees, marking a new era in intelligent clearance assessment. So, what is D/Gauge...

After more than a year away from real events, speaking to rows of faces on our computer screens has become all too familiar. Yet this is only possible with the relatively recent proliferation of high-bandwidth internet connectivity, smart phones, cloud computing and videoconferencing apps. Not surprisingly, their use has...

Broken rails in plain line track - once a very serious problem - are now much less common. Improved rail manufacturing, the widespread use of heavier 60kg rail and improved defect detection have reduced the number of broken rails from 444 in 2002/3 to 71 in 2019/20. Although one...

Schneider Electric is a major multi-national company, operating in a wide range of sectors including energy management, industrial automation and control. The company’s extensive product includes an impressive range of Glass Reinforced Polymer (GRP) elevated cable troughing and accessories which are designed and manufactured in the UK. Operating in more...

Data connectivity is vital for all aspects of society and industry, and is becoming increasingly important for railway operations. Signalling, electrification control, fixed and radio communications: all rely on cables running alongside the railway. However, the integrity and value of these cables is only as good as the protection...

Shugborough Tunnel is located between Stafford and Rugeley in Staffordshire, on the edge of Cannock Chase. It takes the West Coast Main Line beneath the National Trust’s Shugborough estate. Built in 1846-47 by the Trent Valley Railway, it is 710m in length and aligned on a 1.5km radius. The...