In recent times £4 billion has been invested in rolling stock and infrastructure on the East Coast Main Line (ECML). Infrastructure works have included power supply upgrades, the remodelling of Kings Cross station, and the dive-under at Werrington. Though these are impressive infrastructure projects, their benefits cannot be fully...

In its 150-year history, it is unlikely that the 90-acre railway workshops at Derby Litchurch Lane have ever welcomed 40,000 people over a three-day period. This was the Greatest Gathering, not of people, but of over 140 rail vehicles and other railway attractions. This made it by far the...

Electrification – it’s the subject on every rail professional’s mind and a key priority for the rail industry as it drives towards a greener, more sustainable future. But the pressure of tight possession windows, maintaining safety at height, the skills shortage, and the demand for continuous accuracy are significant...

Rail Engineer has devoted many column inches to ETCS but mostly about its cost and deployment issues. ETCS is much more than a signalling system as it requires information about train formation, loads, and other characteristics. Inevitably, for a new system, some of these requirements might conflict with current...

These days we are often encouraged to think disruptively. The phrase is used to suggest that if we change the way we do things we will get better products and processes, often at lower cost. Is moving to European Train Control System (ETCS) one such example? Moving from a lineside...

As part of the 200-year anniversary of the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway on 27 September 1825, in Issue 213 (Mar-Apr 2025) we discussed the early developments in signalling during the 1800s.  We now take a look at developments in signalling since 1900. Train detection The Track Circuit (TC)...

It is now 40 years since the first Radio Electronic Token Block (RETB) system was introduced. As is so often the case, it had its origins in an urgent problem caused by a major storm in the north of Scotland that destroyed significant elements of the overhead pole route...

This year marked 40 years since the commissioning of the first conventional signalling Solid State Interlocking (SSI) at Leamington Spa on 8 September 1985. To mark the occasion John Slinn and Dr Alan Cribbens organised a celebratory lunch in Leamington, which was attended by approximately 37 S&T engineers. This...

The terms ‘global warming’ and ‘climate change’ are often used interchangeably, but they are not identical. Global warming refers specifically to the long-term rise in average temperatures, while climate change captures the broader shifts in weather patterns, rainfall, and storm events. Both have profound implications for the stability of...

On 10 September 2025, the Railway Industry Association (RIA) gathered members and stakeholders in Leeds for its latest Environment and Sustainability Member Interest Group (MIG). The event brought together government representatives, industry leaders, and sustainability experts to discuss pressing challenges and opportunities for the rail sector. From procurement reforms...

Rail engineers face the growing challenge of managing the impact of a warmer, wetter climate on infrastructure. Flood events are becoming more frequent, causing significant damage, delay, and disruption. Surface water can damage track as well as signalling, power, and comms infrastructure. It can wash away foundations and remove...

Sekisui Chemical has been manufacturing Fibre Reinforced Foamed Urethane (FFU) synthetic rail sleepers and bearers since 1980. The material is made from a pultrusion process, where continuous glass fibres are soaked and mixed with polyurethane, heated, moulded and cut to length. The product is a high-quality composite material with...