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Steve explained his role and involvement with regards to the seminar, critical engineering challenges, what he is looking forward to at the event and why it is important for industry professionals to attend.
Q: Briefly explain your role and involvement in the rail industry and electrification projects?
Steve Cox (SC): As Engineering and Technical Director at Alstom and working for an OEM and contractor, I am involved in providing innovative electrification solutions and processes to the rail industry.
Q: What is the number one challenge for rail electrification in today’s current market?
SC: For the UK to change public perception - electrification can be delivered cost effectively, and to change government policy away from the current policy of bi-mode trains.
Q: What is the most exciting development in this field at the moment, either within your organisation or within the industry in general?
SC: Development of new electrification equipment and processes that introduces completion into the market, challenges the typical current method of delivery and creates a challenge to drive costs down.
Q: Where do you see the future of rail electrification heading over the next 5 to10 years?
SC: I think that in the next 5 to 10 years electrification will take off again. The issues of electrical clearance constrains will be overcome, contracts will be for design, build and maintain and specified on a performance specification. I also think we will start to see some contactless electrification being introduced.
Q: What key things can attendees expect learn from your presentation?
SC: What cost effective electrification looks like, that there is a cost benefit of having a one-stop shop design, build and maintain for electrification and also how this de-risks delivery.
Q: What presentations or topics are you looking forward to hearing and discussing in more detail at the seminar?
SC: I am interested in hearing the views with respect to electrification of infrastructure owners and rail operators. How do they see the future and what do they see their future requirements to be?
Q: Why do you feel it is important for industry professionals to join this seminar?
SC: It is important that professionals in the rail industry understand the facts around cost effective electrification such that the correct information is used when specifying schemes and developing business cases.
Rail Electrification: Rebuilding Confidence takes place on 5 June 2019 at One Birdcage Walk, London. Join this seminar to:
- Receive exclusive updates on the status of projects going ahead and future electrification plans from Great Western Railway and Network Rail
- Hear insights from key opinion leaders on the changing landscape of rail electrification and the move towards a policy reset, including Arriva and Transport Scotland
- Learn about the latest innovations during the RIA-led “Unlocking Innovation” sessions relating to reducing costs and improving delivery
- Take part in an interactive discussion with other industry experts to express your views on the future of electrification policy
- Ask key questions specific to your project needs during the Q&A sessions following each presentation
To book your place, please visit www.imeche.org/railelectrification.