Railway Division sets up new India centre in Lucknow

The Railway Division is one of the most active of the Institution's industry-specific divisions and special interest groups. It organises events both at Birdcage Walk in London and at seven regional centres in the UK.

The Institution is pleased to announce a further expansion of these activities through the setting up of a new Railway Division centre in India, to be based at Lucknow - the largest city of the state of Uttar Pradesh in Northern India.

Lucknow has been selected as the focus of the new centre because it is the location of Indian Railways’ Research, Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO).

The extent and variety of railway engineering activity carried out within its surrounding geographical area is unique, and this is undertaken by a greater number and concentration of railway engineers compared with anywhere else in India.

The chairman for the new Centre is Pradeep (‘P.K.’) Agrawal FIMechE, recently retired Additional Member (Mechanical Engineering) of the Indian Railways Board.

He visited London and also the Railway Division's centres in Swindon and Manchester in September 2016, for a programme of training and induction. Pradeep will now start to develop a committee for the new Centre.

The first event for the Lucknow Centre in 2017 will be the presentation by the Railway Division Chairman from London, Richard East (Chief Engineer of Atkins) entitled ‘Sustaining the Future’ during week commencing 12 February 2017.

This will be followed by a programme of other lectures and seminars, open to both members and non-members of the Institution.

It is hoped that the new centre can be a catalyst for collaboration in Research & Development and other activities between railway engineers in India and UK, and also using the Institution’s digital platform to improve communication.

Find out more about the Railway Division.