The estimated completion date of Crossrail, the new railway running under London from West to East, has now been put back to “as soon as practically possible in 2021”. Crossrail is the construction project that, when it opens, will run as the Elizabeth line - a service...

The November issue of Rail Engineer (issue 179) covered the Network Rail long-term deployment plan for ETCS (European Train Control System). ETCS, however, is only part of the overall digital railway programme, with the other parts including: traffic management (TM) to manage the flow of trains across the network, automatic train...

Guest writers: Darren King, WSP group director of rail planning and operations, and William Barter, an independent rail operations and planning consultant. In ‘Rail’, there...

With an unprecedented number of new vehicles ordered since 2010 - over 8,000 - and with more orders to come, getting them safely, reliably and efficiently into service is a priority. Challenges with testing, acceptance, software, stabling, depot facilities and long fixed formation trains were recurrent themes...

IRSE president George Clark. (prettythings.co.uk) Every two years, the signalling industry showcases its achievements, innovations and challenges under the umbrella of the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers (IRSE) ASPECT conference, which this year was held in October at...

Rhomberg Sersa’s exercise in lateral – and longitudinal – thinking. For the last twenty years at least – and maybe more – the railway industry has been receptive to ideas from other industries. Railway engineering is undoubtedly specialist, but far less specialist than many traditionalists may think....

As the UK heads towards a general election, the Railway Industry Association (RIA) has launched its RAIL 2050 Manifesto, setting out the industry’s key asks. The Manifesto, which looks at how the UK can develop a long-term, sustainable rail industry over the next 30 years, calls for...

Back in January 2018 (issue 159), Rail Engineer reported on a plan to increase the capacity of rail operations in Cornwall by upgrading and modernising the existing signalling. At that time, the plans were almost finalised but work had yet to start. A...

Over the last few years, Rail Engineer has written a number of articles about the Dawlish sea wall. There have been many pictures showing this vulnerable piece of infrastructure with lengths of wall being breached by storms and high seas and with rail tracks suspended in mid-air, no longer protected by...

It is easy to sympathise with teachers who take groups of schoolchildren on educational visits, as they work hard to keep their charges together. Consider, then, the task of Felix Schmid and Bridget Eickhoff as they led a group of 40 railway engineers (and their luggage) from...