Railways offer engineering opportunities
After decades of decline and contraction, the UK rail industry is suddenly finding a need for engineers with the right kinds of skills.
Speaking at the opening of the Railtex exhibition at London’s Earls Court, Minister of State for Transport Lord Andrew Adonis said that UK passenger and freight volumes have grown by 50% over the last decade, leading to the government deciding to put, £26 bn to, “Boost rail over the next decade” and that the, “Department of Transport plans to develop the case for a national skills academy for rail engineering”.
This was followed by Simon Kirby, infrastructure investment director for Network Rail saying: “18.5 bn will go into the network in the next few years”, and “The industry will need thousands of people.” Lord Tony Berkeley, chairman of the Rail Freight Group, addressing the problem of how to get more freight through the system spoke of £300m to £400m that needed to be spent on gauge enhancement and his goal of being able to get, “9 foot 6 inch boxes to Southampton on standard wagons” as well as the challenge of providing a “Seven day railway”, if not a 24/7, railway by commissioning, (or perhaps resurrecting) alternative routes.
While much of the impetus for developing major new train technologies has gone abroad, particularly to France, Germany and Japan, we were pleased to report that, judging by what we found at the show, there is still much development going on the UK and train and locomotive design and construction is still alive and well.
