Rail Engineer – July 2019

line with modern risk-based practices to
allow what may be very large savings in
electrification costs, particularly the ability
to take an optimum view of clearance
needs. He highlighted, as an example,
the significant saving in costs through the
intersection bridge at Cardiff, which a
well-thought process of risk management
and developed design had enabled.
The final paper was delivered by Helen
Simpson and Stephen Gossling from
Porterbrook and Ricardo. As there will
always be a need to deal with stretches of
railway that may not necessarily deliver a
robust case to justify full electrification, the
construction of hybrid trains was discussed
and shown to be a very viable option in
those circumstances. In particular was the
ability to re-engineer and re-equip older
electric-only rolling stock, showing what
could be achieved with class 319 EMUs
displaced from the South.

Back to basics
The main presentations over, the
conference gave way to a ‘Brains Trust’
session, where speakers were invited to
give short modules on electrification-
related subjects. Several useful outputs
were delivered with plenty of food for
thought!

Finally, the seminar was closed by the

keynote speaker Mary Hewitt, strategy

and policy director of Arriva. Mary took the

audience back to basics, to remind them

what railways are for and the role played

by electrification and other power systems.

Mary delivered a most enlivening item in

what had been a very educational day for all

concerned.

Overall the audience was convinced that

electrification was the only real traction

solution for high-speed, high-density and

freight rail and that, while other traction

options were relevant, they could not provide

the core performance the modern railway

needs. The government’s targets for the

reduction of pollution and CO^2 are on the

horizon, and yet rail performance needs to be

maintained and to be able to deliver its best.

The industry wants to deliver

electrification and is determined to

show politicians and the nation that

electrification can provide the desired

traction solution at an appropriate cost

and at an optimum pace. The seminar

noted that the most effective results

came where there had been a rolling

programme of delivery, without the

significant peaks and troughs of the

past.

Thanks to colleagues in the Institution of

Mechanical Engineers and the Railway

Industry Association for their work in

organising this conference and getting the

message across that railway electrification

can succeed - the will and capability is

certainly there.

Structural Precast

for Railways

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