David Shirres BSc CEng MIMechE DEM

On 20 February, the Government published its Draft Rail Reform Bill. This proposes the creation a new Integrated Rail Body (IRB) that brings together decisions on infrastructure and train operations. The IRB would become Great British Railways (GBR) as...

“The Government has clearly set out its firm focus on rebalancing the economy and creating jobs, skills and talent to raise the level of productivity across the UK. HS2 is essential to delivering these wider ambitions.” “This Government is clear...

Last July saw the publication of both Network Rail’s Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy (TDNS) and the Scottish Government’s Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan. Both reports concluded that rail decarbonisation requires electrification of a large part of the unelectrified network,...

In 2013, few in Edinburgh would have wanted an extension to the tram network. At the time, the trams were a toxic subject in the city. The tram project was causing massive disruption in the city, was three years...

Use of mainline rail passenger services and cars is now respectively 18 and 85 per cent that of last year. With the Covid crisis accelerating trends of flexible and home working and encouraging travellers into the isolation of their...

Early railway track carried trains running at 50km/h (30mph) with three-tonne axle loads. Over almost 200 years, ballasted track has been developed to the point where it can carry heavy freight trains, with axle loads of 25 tonnes or...

Unlike most passenger train operators, rail freight must operate at a profit since it gets no government support. As it works to tight financial margins, it is difficult to justify large capital investment without a guaranteed market. In such an...

When China imposed a lockdown on the 11 million residents of Wuhan in January, few imagined that a London lockdown would follow two months later. However, unlike Wuhan, this did not close down public transport. Keeping trains running required the...

The Rail Engineer feature “Getting electrification done: the net-zero imperative” with its electrification map attracted a great deal of interest. An updated version of this feature has also been published in Modern Railways magazine. The magazine’s editor, David Shirres, also...

Last year’s Leeds Digital Festival saw 25,000 attendees across 240 events with 750 speakers in 96 venues. The event was to be even bigger this year. With the COVID-19 lockdown this was not to be. However, the event was...