Q: Please briefly explain your role, involvement, and experience within the railway industry and this event?
George Davies, RSSB (GD): I lead the Rail Safety & Standards Board Sustainability Directorate, a team of 10 dedicated to helping the industry realise an even more sustainable railway.
Like my colleagues who work across Standards, System Safety & Health and Research, the RSSB Sustainable Development Team provide technical leadership across environmental and social sustainability topics.
Richard Thorp, HS1 Ltd (RT): I have been in the rail industry for nearly 30 years working from at all levels from maintaining and fixing signalling systems to my current role as Director of Engineering & Technology for HS1, leading engineering and asset management activities for the asset owner of the UK’s only High Speed. I own the HS1 sustainability strategy and have learnt a huge amount since our sustainability journey started about 4 years ago, both on reducing the impact of our activities, and adapting to a changing climate.
Mona Sihota, Network Rail (MS): I am the Network Technical Head (formerly known as Professional Head) for Drainage and Lineside at Network Rail. As the one leading on national strategy and policy in this area, I must look at both short- and long-term risks to the railway from the perspective of my asset groups. With over 34 years of experience, I have had the privilege of working across many different asset groups in various roles.
Chibuzor Edordu, RSSB (CE): I am currently a Principal Energy Engineer at the Rail Safety and Standards Board and a core part of my role involves facilitating the production of railway standards and research outputs in relation to electrification. This work links with this event by supporting the realisation of cost effective and sustainable rail services for both passengers and freight.
David Allchin, Navitas Engineering (DA): I am currently a Principal Design Engineer for Navitas Engineering and have been involved in railway traction power systems for the last 18 years. Most of the projects I work on relate to either new electrification or renewals of existing electrification systems.
Q: What, in your experience, has been the biggest roadblock for realising sustainable railways?
GD: Reform uncertainty is unhelpful, so too the major issue of unresolved industrial disputes. But railway people are increasingly motivated and recognise the need to do more.
Ultimately, we have an inherently green transport mode and are a huge contributor to social value, so we need to magnify this and get better at promoting the benefits of rail to society.
RT: The biggest issue has been releasing the right capacity to think about the problem from all angles. Resource=cost but we have found that educating ourselves and thinking strategically has really paid off. We have focussed on delivering initiatives that have positive business cases which helps to get stakeholders on side and build positive momentum. Making the time available to get the right advice, think how to use it and plan effectively has been vital.
MS: The lack of systems thinking or holistic railway consideration is the biggest challenge in realising a sustainable railway. Often budgets restrict the solutions to be focused on one asset group without the wider consideration of interfaces or system boundary impacts. The impact of climate change and extreme weather is testing our asset groups. To be resilient, we need to be able to bounce back quicker or to minimise the impacts and I believe that the right solutions come from consideration of the railway holistically.
CE: One big roadblock was the lack of a whole industry approach to the realisation of a sustainable railway. With the launch of ‘The Sustainable Rail Blueprint' in November 2023, we now have a framework that presents the whole industry’s view on what needs to achieved and how we can collectively bring that to bear.
DA: The costs of electrification and stop-start of electrification projects.
Q: What key topics are you excited to discuss at this year's event?
GD: The existence of the Sustainable Rail Blueprint and how it can shape change, giving rail industry colleagues clarity on what needs to be done, how it can be addressed and who can take action.
RT: Adaptation is a big topic and one that is continually front of mind. We are worryingly starting to see the impact of a changing climate on our assets and learning how others are approaching this, and planning financially will be really interesting. A good way of testing if we are doing enough!
MS: The session I am excited to discuss is on climate change tools and on risk assessments models.
CE: I am excited to discuss how ‘smarter systems’, both on infrastructure and onboard trains, might support the adaptation of the railway for a sustainable future.
DA: Using smart traction systems to remove engineering conservatism and to enable optimised decision making in times of disruption.
Q: What would you say are the technologies or applications to watch for the future?
GD: In lieu of further extensive electrification of the rail network, I look forward to battery hybrid rolling stock coming into widespread use for passenger services. The tech is proven, it just needs to be scaled up and rolled out – it’ll be crucial for rail to play its part in improving local air quality.
RT: There are technologies in the energy sector which are very interesting. Energy consumption is obviously high on an electric railway, and understanding what is available and cost effective to modernise our energy distribution system is always of interest.
MS: The use of artificial intelligence and machine learning is already making a profound difference. More will be developed in this area, and I look forward to seeing how it will integrate into the railway. I also believe that we will see the use of 3D printing in our railway construction and maintenance functions.
CE: The wider application of IEC61850 data architectures to substations which would deliver data communications improvements in electrification systems.
DA: Wider applications of IEC61850 data architectures substation to substation and substation to rolling stock.
Q: Who else are you most interested in hearing from on the programme?
RT: I am particularly looking forward to the afternoon sessions on reducing & smoothing rail system electricity demand peaks and the new technologies that are being considered. The role of innovation and new ideas is crucial if we are to play our part in reducing consumption.
MS: Hearing and learning from other sections and disciplines on their approaches to improving the sustainability of the railway.
CE: I am keen to hear from, George Davies, Head of Sustainability at RSSB and from others on the programme about different approach taken to support sustainability across the rail industry.
DA: I’m looking forward to hearing from Andrew Barr on a 2nd life for traction batteries.
Q: Why is it important for engineers to join this event?
GD: There is a lot of ‘noise’ about sustainability; this seminar will provide clarity on the issues and some great examples of solutions.
RT: All engineers need to take some time out to listen to others’ ideas and points of view. As I said, making the time to learn and think differently about problems is important if we are to make a difference.
MS: To make the improvements necessary to tackle climate change challenges, we need to broaden our understanding and adapt our approach. Seminars and conferences provide a great opportunity for CPD and for networking.
CE: To me this event is important for engineers because it not only provides an impetus for action by explaining the ‘why’ in relation to the importance of a sustainable future, but it also a provides a space for sharing ideas of ‘how’ we might get there together.
DA: It’s always eye opening to see what’s happening outside of your own bubble and encouraging to hear when others are making significant progress in affecting change.
Join this seminar to:
- Grasp the business drivers that make sustainability top of the agenda for the railway system
- Gain an understanding of great practice across the industry and be inspired by relevant case studies to emulate
- Appreciate the system interfaces and opportunities
- Benefit from insights from different disciplines of railway engineering
- Get up to speed with the RSSB Sustainable Rail Blueprint and what is this means in real deliverable practice
- Understand that being climate positive is essential for sustainable railway companies - and why, how, when
- Influence policymakers to prioritise railway businesses for sound sustainable transport reasons
To book your place, please visit the event website.