The IRSE is the professional institution for all those engaged in or associated with railway signalling, telecommunications and allied professions. The IRSE has its headquarters in London, UK and is active worldwide. Founded in 1912, the Institution aims to advance, for the public benefit, the science and practice of signalling and telecommunications engineering within the industry and to maintain high standards of knowledge and competence within the profession.

The Institution publishes its own magazine IRSE News which brings members up to date with the latest Institution activities. Regular features include short technical papers, an events diary, membership changes, news about the activities of the IRSE Council and committees, and letters to the editor.

The IRSE is a licensed body of the Engineering Council (UK). IRSE members at the appropriate levels, particularly in the UK, are encouraged to register with the Engineering Council as Chartered Engineers (CEng), Incorporated Engineers (IEng) or Engineering Technicians ( Eng Tech). Go to the Careers section for further details.

The IRSE holds regular technical meetings in London and at major membership centres worldwide. A full report of the meetings is included in the IRSE proceedings, a journal which is published annually.

The IRSE also holds half-day and whole day seminars designed to brief members on topics of current interest within the industry. An international convention is held each year with several days of presentations and technical visits to gain understanding of railway practice in different countries. About every four years, the IRSE holds an international conference lasting three days with papers covering a broad range of developments in the science of signalling and telecommunications for railway applications and delegates from round the world.