The September edition of IRSE NEWS is full of news about what is going on in the IRSE, with papers and articles on

• Improving safety at level crossings in Japan – JR East developments
• Chinese Train Control System Principles
• Research on “closer running”
• The new IRSE-Signet Exam Award
• The inaugural ceremony of the IRSE’s Thailand Section
• Younger member activities

We welcome letters for publication in IRSE NEWS, whether you are initiating a new discussion topic or are responding to a published article. Write to the editor by email at irsenews@irse.org.

Save the dates between 25th and 29th September 2017 for the 2017 IRSE International Technical Convention, IRSECON17, to be held in the Dallas / Fort Worth area of Texas, USA.  Planning is well under way for an exciting programme of technical papers and site visits for the delegates and of course a special programme for the guests, along with the traditional Convention events.  Look out for more news in the coming months as the schedule is firmed up.

The Malaysian Section of the IRSE is holding its annual seminar on 27th October in Kuala Lumpur, to which all are welcome. It will include presentations, a site visit and an evening dinner.  More details will be available soon – click here for details.

ASPECT, the IRSE’s International Technical Conference will be taking place on 28-29 November 2017. For the first time, ASPECT will be held outside the UK, in the dazzling city state of Singapore, a world-leading centre of urban transport technology, and at the heart of one of the world’s most dynamic regions, Asia.  Key conference themes are:

• Metro technologies
• Professional development
• Condition monitoring
• High speed rail

If you like to present a paper at the Conference on a topic relevant to the themes above, or the wider themes that characterise all ASPECT Conferences, look out for the Call for Papers, coming soon.

Bursaries will be available for younger members, and sponsorship and exhibition opportunities will be available for companies.  Contact the Conference organisers via aspect@irse.org, and watch for announcements on the IRSE website at www.irse.org/aspect.

The second paper in our 2016-17 Presidential Programme series will be presented on Wednesday 9th November 2016 in London. The author is Jan Swier, Strategic Advisor, ProRail (Netherlands), and the subject is “Asset Management”.  The venue is the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, 1 Birdcage Walk, London.  There will be more information in the next e-bulletin, but you might wish to note the date in your diary now.

The new membership and licensing database, is planned to “go live” during the week commencing 26 September. During the preceding two weeks you will not be able to make changes to your membership details on the website.  We will be publishing a special e-bulletin with more information about the changes on 14th September.

Members will be aware that the IRSE operates a Mentoring Scheme to support people in career and professional development (click here for details).  We have a number of IRSE members who are mentors, but we really need more – particularly from countries other than the UK.  If you might be willing to offer your services to help others in this way, please contact Matt Slade via mentoring@irse.org.

The UK’s Engineering Council, of which the IRSE is a licensed member, publishes a range of guidance material to support engineers and technicians in meeting their professional obligations.  The most recent of these is on the subject of Security.  Other topics covered are Sustainability, Risk, Ethical Principles and Whistle-blowing.  The complete set of Guidance Notes can be found on the Engineering Council website (click here).

Near the back of this month’s edition of IRSE NEWS is an advertisement to fill the vacant post of Senior Licensing Administrator in the IRSE office in London.  This is a great opportunity for right candidate to support the management of the Institution’s Licensing Scheme, which is run by the IRSE on behalf of the rail industry in the UK and a number of countries worldwide.

The key responsibilities of this new post include assisting with the management of the framework for the issuing of Licenses, organising and attending committee meetings, assisting with the management of field based assessors, and arranging audits of companies involved with the scheme.

If you wish to know more, or to apply for the vacancy, contact Debbie Bailey, the IRSE’s Personnel Manager at debbie.bailey@irse.org.

If you are, you may be able to help us!  Many of our members are applying for Engineering Council registration via the IRSE (CEng, IEng, EngTech).  This is really good news, but we need to widen our pool of assessors/interviewers to deal with the growing number of applications.  This is a very practical way that you could help with the professional development of others.

The Registration interviews for which we need more interviewers are conducted in the IRSE offices in London, so ideally you should live within a reasonable travelling distance.  All assessors/interviewers will be given training and we are planning to schedule a training session in September (additional sessions may be provided if needed). 

Registration with the Engineering Council substantially enhances an individual’s professional status and if you feel you could spare some time to volunteer for this important process, please contact the Membership & Registration Manager, Christine White (christine.white@irse.org).

IRSE members are welcome to attend the UK North Eastern Railway Engineers’ Forum annual seminar taking place in York on 20 September (17.30 – 20.00).  The Forum is Free of Charge. There is no need to book but pre-registration by email to ianmooreirse@hotmail.co.uk is advisable.  For more details, click here.

With the kind permission of the Bluebell Railway PLC we have arranged a Technical Visit to the Bluebell Railway on 5th November, starting from East Grinstead station. We will view the new signalling installation at Kingscote Signal Box, featuring a Westinghouse ‘L’ type frame. We will then travel to Horsted Keynes by train to inspect the signalling works there, and finally continue on to Sheffield Park by train to complete the visit. There will be a registration fee of £35.00 for this visit. Click here for more details and the booking form.

The Scottish Section’s Annual Dinner will take place on 10th November 2016 in Glasgow, and will be preceded by a Technical Meeting featuring a presentation and paper on ‘Planning Scotland’s railway – Routes to the Future’ by Network Rail’s Strategy and Planning Team.

The Dinner, which this year is generously sponsored by AECOM, is now firmly established as the largest annual rail event in Scotland, whilst retaining an informal and friendly atmosphere. For more information and to book tickets, click here.

The Annual Younger Members’ Seminar is being held in Glasgow on 9th-10th November. The Seminar on the 9th will feature presentations from across the country on the topic of “Enhancing Railway Capacity across the UK”. There will be Technical Visit on 10th to the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport depot facilities. As usual the event is open to members and non-members alike and is free to attend. For more information, click here.

The IRSE is an event partner for this Conference being organised by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in London on 15-16 November 2016.  The programme is still being developed, but you can already book online – click here.  Key topics are expected to include:

• Investigating organisational issues and culture
• Selecting what to investigate for effective improvements in safety
• Investigating safety management systems
• Causal Analysis: what technique is best?
• Post-accident communications with multiple and parties
• The use of drones in investigations
• Automated and software controlled systems
• Understanding derailments