Institution news
Q: Could you briefly explain your role, involvement, and experience related to the focus of this event?
Rebeka Sellick (RS): I'm a career railway mechanical engineer who has been increasingly excited about bringing innovation to railways over the past decade. I am now focused on deploying AI to create useful insight for railway engineers. I am also the current Chair of IMechE's Railway Division.
Q: What, in your experience, has been the biggest roadblock for the industry over the past 2-3 years?
RS: The industry structure was broken by Covid, and we have been pending government restructuring ever since. The lack of implementation of a long-term strategy makes for an inefficient railway - and a difficult environment in which to deploy real beneficial engineering innovation at scale. AI has the potential to transform our approach to railway asset management.
Q: What key topics are you excited to discuss at this year's event?
RS: I'm keen to hear and share perspectives on the emerging detail of the 'Great British Railway' and the implications for us as engineers across the railway system.
Q: What do you consider to be the key areas of innovation in this industry, both in the UK and internationally?
RS: 200 years on from first deployment, railway technology is established as one of the most fundamentally climate-friendly and energetically-efficient transport modes. Consistent with IMechE's Transport Hierarchy, innovation is needed to enable modal shift from road and air - so railways are used more for freight, mass transit and long distance passenger transport. And of course, we need innovation to keep making railways better, ever-improving the engineering across the railway system to further reduce the carbon footprint and optimise the life of our long-lived assets.
Q: Who else are you most interested in hearing from on the programme?
RS: The clue is in the title - this seminar is about the Young Engineers and Apprentices - so I'm really looking forward to hearing from them.
Q: Why is it important for engineers to join this event?
RS: The Young Engineers and Apprentices Railway Seminar (YEARS) event is important for us all to learn more about the railway system and it's engineers - so we can work more effectively in our day jobs, and be inspired for years to come.
Q: If you could ask the audience a question, what would it be?
RS: How can the IMechE help you stay excited about your job now and your career in future?
Young Engineers and Apprentices Railway Seminar 2025 will be taking place on 4-5 December in York. To register for this event, please visit www.imeche.org/years.