Research, training & skills news – Page 4
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In depth
Safety: Divided by a common language
A proposed recast of the EU Directive for certification of train drivers to mandate the use of English for communications on international routes has divided opinion across the European rail sector, with little sign of a consensus emerging. Toma Bačić reports.
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Rail Business UK
Rail capacity planning qualifications launched
UK: Network Rail and the Chartered Institution of Railway Operators have launched three capacity planning qualifications for use in the infrastructure manager’s internal training programme. The qualifications delivered by Network Rail’s Capacity Planning Training & Development Team in Milton Keynes and awarded by CIRO are designed ...
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News
Norfolk Southern enhances conductor training programme
USA: Norfolk Southern has launched a partnership with the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail & Transportation Workers to enhance the railroad’s conductor training programme. A train-the-trainer programme for all conductors and foremen will ensure consistency and quality in the training ...
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Metro Report International
London Underground seeks alternatives to full-scale driver training simulators
UK: Transport for London is looking for ‘innovative solutions’ which would reduce its reliance on full scale mock-up cab simulators for training London Underground drivers. TfL says full-scale simulators ‘seem to add value to the training experience’, but are large, immovable, and require staff to travel ...
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Metro Report International
Identifying tramway training needs
UK: The Light Rail Safety & Standards Board is working with sector professionals to identify their current and future training needs and provide access to practical information and forums to share best practice. This follows a workshop in Birmingham that brought together representatives of the Edinburgh, ...
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Organisations
Carbon Literacy for Rail training course launched
UK: The Rail Safety & Standards Board has launched a Carbon Literacy for Rail training course, designed to provide anyone working in rail infrastructure, operations or the supply chain with the knowledge to lower their personal and organisational carbon footprint. The first course is scheduled for ...
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News
Swiss MoU marks launch of Network Rail international research programme
EUROPE: UK infrastructure manager Network Rail has launched an International Research & Development partnership programme to strengthen ties with other railways by sharing knowledge and best practice. Projects would be jointly funded, with responsibility for resources, testing capabilities and best practices shared through both in-person and ...
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News
Automated train positioning trials
GERMANY: Fully automated operation of regional passenger trains has moved a step closer with the launch this month of the AutomatedTrain project by Deutsche Bahn and partners from industry and research. Forming part of the Digital Schiene Deutschland (Digital Rail Germany) initiative, the project aims to ...
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Rail Business UK
Skills academy to provide route to rail careers
UK: Young people in Fife are being offered the opportunity to join a Rail Skills Academy launched as part of the Levenmouth Rail Link project. The nine-week full-time course delivered by QTS Training will equip the 12 participants with entry-level competencies, skills and experience to help them ...
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In depth
Train Control: Say goodbye to lineside hardware with satellites and digital comms
A marriage of satellite communications with fully digital train control could eliminate lineside signals and related equipment, achieving huge savings and making the rail mode more affordable. Preliminary trials are already in progress.
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News
Pitch for a rail career on InnoTrans digital platform
INNOTRANS: People seeking rail careers will be able to pitch themselves to potential employers at the Eurailpress Career Boost digital event on September 26 2023. The digital event follows a successful premiere during InnoTrans 2022 in Berlin. Five candidates in each of five categories will present ...
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Rail Business UK
Centre of Excellence for Railway Through-Life Engineering awarded funding
UK: The UK Research Partnership Investment Fund has awarded £15m to support the creation of a Centre of Excellence for Railway Through-Life Engineering in Goole. The research and innovation centre will be established by the University of Birmingham, working with the University of Huddersfield and supported ...
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In depth
Space Technology: European aerospace bodies see rail opportunities
European aerospace organisations ESA and EUSPA are developing dedicated initiatives aimed at facilitating the use of satellite technology in rail applications, with ERTMS a particular focus. Nick Kingsley reports.
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Rail Business UK
University rail research hub at GCRE awarded funding
UK: A Centre of Excellence for Railway Testing, Validation & Customer Experience is to be established by the universities of Birmingham, Cardiff and Swansea backed with £15m of funding from the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund. The University of Birmingham’s Birmingham Centre for Railway Research & ...
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News
STREAM programme showcases track maintenance innovations
EUROPE: The automation of heavy machinery and development of exoskeleton technology for track workers were showcased when the STREAM R&D project held its concluding event in Tarragona in Spain on June 8. The 33-month collaboration between seven partners from six countries was co-ordinated by IIT-Istituto Italiano ...
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News
PUTrain wins 2023 Railway Challenge by a whisker
Photo: IMechE The PUTrain team celebrate their win in the 2023 Railway Challenge. SKILLS: The PUTrain group of students from Poznań University of Technology has been named winner of the 12th Railway Challenge organised in the UK by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ Railway Division. ...
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Rail Business UK
Recommendations to improve on-train air quality
UK: The Department for Transport’s Science Advisory Council has made a number of recommendations in response to a Rail Safety & Standards Board analysis of air quality onboard trains. The council notes that the methodology makes it difficult to compared on-train air quality with outdoor observations, ...
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Metro Report International
Metro operator signs up for further industry–academia collaboration
CHINA: MTR Corp and the Hong Kong Applied Science & Technology Research Institute have signed a memorandum of understanding under which the operator will provide a further HK$20m to deepen their collaboration in areas including communications, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and data analytics. MTR Corp ...
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News
UIC targets telecoms skills as it launches Rail Academy
INTERNATIONAL: The International Union of Railways has established the UIC Rail Academy in a strategic partnership with Wray Castle, with an initial focus on skills and training in the field of railway telecoms. Launching the academy at UIC’s FRMCS conference in Paris on June 8, Director-General ...
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Rail Business UK
R&D project looks at track buckling risk
UK: Network Rail has awarded six organisations contracts for the development and testing of remote condition monitoring technology to support the early detection of sections of track at risk of buckling in hot weather. The organisations selected under the Track Buckle Risk & Detection Design Contest ...