Our programme for our Railway Electrification and Infrastructure technical course has now been completed. Thank you for attending. If you missed it, don't worry.
We have two exciting programmes scheduled this year for our Railway Earthing and Bonding technical course, and also for our Railway Signalling course, so please be sure to check those out too.
You can take a look back at our REIS technical course programme from this year in May, below.
14 – 15 May 2024
Live virtual on Microsoft Teams
21 – 23 May 2024
In person at IET Stevenage: Futures Place, UK
Please note it is not possibly to join virtually on these days.
Day one - Tuesday 14 May 2024
Live virtual
Requirements, constraints, benefits and needs of railway infrastructure
| 09:15 | Teams opens Welcome and introductions |
| 09:20 | Chairs welcome AM: Professor Stuart Hillmansen, Professor of Railway Traction Systems, University of Birmingham PM: Joe Cosgrave, Technical Principal - Railways (Traction Power & EMC), Mott Macdonald Ltd |
| 09:25 | Session 1: Keynote Mark Howard, Chief Engineer, High Speed 2 |
| 10:20 | Break |
| 10:35 | Session 2: Electric railway systems in common use Dr Zhongbei Tian, Assistant Professor, University of Birmingham The rail mode of transport, using steel wheel on steel rail technology, is just over 200 years old and electric traction using infrastructure-based power supplies has a history of more than 100 years. Werner von Siemens demonstrated third rail current collection at 150 V DC at the Berlin exhibition of 1879 and Volk’s electric railway in Brighton has been operating with the same technology since 1883. Thus, both the mode and one of its major subsystems may be viewed as mature. However, they are still subject to constraints that derive from the natural characteristics of the mode. This lecture attempts to identify and describe the critical component elements of an electrified railway that need to be understood at a reasonable technical level in order to gain an appreciation of the overall system. They will also highlight some of the success factors associated with railway electrification schemes. |
| 11:30 | Break |
| 11:45 | Session 3: Systems Thinking - Invest time to define the whole system and the project requirements Prof. Jon Elphick, Director, WSP & Visiting Professor, University of Birmingham The session provides an overview of Systems Engineering technical processes, which over the past 20 years have become widespread in the rail industry. However, Prof. Elphick will argue that SE processes are insufficient on their own for project success. Complex projects require rigorous, systematic processes, such as requirements management and verification and validation, but the essence of any system is emergent properties: “the whole is greater than the sum of the parts”. Therefore, it is necessary to act systemically, as well as systematically. Prof. Elphick will introduce a couple of modelling techniques that may be used to help understand the whole system and the environment in which it will operate. He will challenge participants to step back and consider how they can collaborate and compromise in their discipline, to optimise the whole project or system. |
| 12:40 | Lunch |
| 13:40 | Session 4: Modelling and Simulation of Traction Power Systems Dr Dena Servatian, Electrical Engineer - AtkinsRéalis In the past decades, due to the emerging complexity of railway systems and their subsystems, carrying out a further analysis of different characteristics of the network has played a key role in rail market. Electrification system simulation is an essential aspect of the design of an energy efficient, reliable and safe railway system. Modelling increases adaptability and enhancements remarkably through the project life cycle, from design stage to validation, verification (V&V) and commissioning. In order to carry out modelling effectively, it is essential to increase knowledge on characteristics and capabilities of modelling software as well as the information required to build model. |
| 14:35 | Break |
| 14:50 | Session 5: UK Railway Interoperability legislation and standards Mike Tatton, Professional Head of Energy, Rail Safety and Standards Board, RSSB It will primarily focus on aspects pertinent to electrification on the GB mainline railway. |
| 15:45 | Break |
| 16:00 | Session 6: Project engineering major electrification projects Chris Binns, Director, Binns Rail Consulting Ltd |
| 16:55 | Chair close day |
Day two - Wednesday 15 May 2024
Live virtual
Electrification infrastructure design (AC and DC Railways)
| 09:05 | Teams opens |
| 09:10 | Chair welcome Steven Muscat, Technical Director, Head of Engineering, UK Power Networks |
| 09:15 | Session 7a: Operation of Adjacent AC DC railways and Session 7B: AC / DC Interfaces dual voltage Roger White, Director, Railway Electrification Consultancy Where DC and AC railways pass in close proximity at interchange stations or where there is operation in parallel, there is the possibility of disturbances due to physical and electrical interfaces including: physical clearances, galvanic coupling, electric fields, radiated fields and electromagnetic coupling. This session examines the interfaces and controlling the interferences between the DC and AC traction systems. At this interface there is a conflict for the design criteria for the return current paths, and the mitigation required for earthing and bonding of metallic structures in the presence of DC traction return current and touch potentials due to AC traction return current. The design of the AC/DC interface it is therefore necessary to control key characteristics of the traction return current paths, stray DC current, rail potentials and induced voltage. The close physical proximity, of the railways and the low impedance of rails and LV earths means that traction return current and fault currents also may not remain in their intended path. |
| 10:10 | Break |
| 10:25 | Session 8: Integrated protection and control Dr David Hewings, Head of Engineering & Asset Management, Electrification & Plant, Network Rail Modern traction power systems are now utilising the digital substation architectures of IEC 61850 to bring a common approach to protection and control systems. This session looks at this technology and its application in traction system design, including the developments in rationalised traction systems (RATS). |
| 11:20 | Break |
| 11:35 | Session 9: Stray current corrosion and civil infrastructure protection Dr David Buxton, Corrosion Consultant, Intertek CAPCIS The production of stray currents by DC transit systems can lead to the corrosion of nearby buried metallic structures, such as rail supporting structures, pipelines and cable sheaths. This presentation describes why stray current is produced by a DC transit system, measures that can be taken to control stray current and the possible impact it can have on the transit and surrounding infrastructure. |
| 12:30 | Lunch |
| 13:30 | Session 10: Railway electrical systems compatibility - protecting everyone from each other David Bradley, Independent – was Director, Northwood Rail Consultancy The session will consider the situation of multi-disciplinary electrical systems on railways and how they may be identified, characterised and analysed to enable satisfactory operation. It will draw on past problems, and their resolutions, and indicate the effective methods of dealing with future situations. |
| 14:25 | Break |
| 14:40 | Session 11: DC System Design Richard Catlow, Vice President, Traction Power Systems, EXP Services Inc. This session examines testing of complete electrification systems at the time of a project's final entry into service. Customarily delivered by full scale short circuit testing, these tests are literally "make or break" for the system, right at the end of the project. |
| 15:35 | Break |
| 15:50 | Session 12: Electrification system testing Richard Catlow, Vice President, Traction Power Systems, EXP Services Inc. This session examines the major factors that affect the design of DC electrification across light, Metro, heavy and freight rail. The session examines the major challenges they pose to designers and the options typically used to overcome them. The session closes by looking at some recent developments in the field that are set to make DC ever more relevant in the future. |
| 16:45 | Chair close day |
Day three - Tuesday 21 May 2024
In person, Stevenage
Systems Engineering and Earthing
| 08:50 | Registration |
| 09:05 | Housekeeping |
| 09:10 | Chair welcome AM: Joe Cosgrave, Technical Principal - Railways (Traction Power & EMC), Mott Macdonald Ltd PM: Les McCormack, Technical Director, Railway Engineering, AtkinsRéalis |
| 09:15 | Session 13: Review of electrical clearances and legal requirements for electrification Richard Stainton, Engineering Expert – Electrification, Network Rail |
| 10:10 | Break |
| 10:15 | Session 14: Overhead line equipment design and pantograph interface Garry Keenor, Professional Head for Electrification, AtkinsRéalis This talk describes the basic principles of an overhead line system, with particular reference to the critical energy transfer interface between the contact system and the pantograph. |
| 11:10 | Break |
| 11:25 | Session 15: DC contact systems (3rd and 4th Conductor Rail) Sarah Dale, Technical Principal - Traction Power, Mott MacDonald Ltd An Introduction to 3rd and 4th Rail DC Contact systems, covering main components, design considerations including gapping, typical issues that arise, safety and the ORR position on ground mounted conductor rail systems. |
| 12:20 | Lunch |
| 13:30 | Session 16: AC 25kV 50Hz electrification supply design Roger White, Director, Railway Electrification Consultancy The technical strength of all railway electrification schemes lies in the fact that the source of energy is removed from the train. By taking power from the public AC 50Hz electricity supply, there is almost unlimited power available which has been efficiently produced. However, the cost of the railway electrification infrastructure needed to transmit power to the train becomes its economic weakness. The cost of providing the electric traction system, as well the civil works and protective measures for telecommunication and signalling systems can only be justified where the operational requirements include heavy traction loads, or where there is a high density of traffic. In areas where the traffic density does not necessitate full electrification schemes 25kV hybrid trains with battery or diesel can be introduced to remove the requirement for electrifying short sections of lines. The operational and maintenance cost of the diesel-power units will reduce the long term cost-benefits of implementation of the electrification scheme. |
| 14:25 | Break |
| 14:40 | Session 17: Workshop 1 - Electrical basics Professor Stuart Hillmansen, Professor of Railway Traction Systems, University of Birmingham The session will review the important physics and electrical engineering which underpins the principles of power transmission in Electrical Railway Traction Systems. |
| 16:40 | Chair close day |
Day four - Wednesday 22 May 2024
In person, Stevenage
Electrification system testing and other technologies
| 08:50 | Registration |
| 09:05 | Chair welcome Steven Muscat, Technical Director, Head of Engineering, UK Power Networks |
| 09:15 | Session 18: Earthing design and integration – principles Dominic Kelsey, Head of Testing & Commissioning, HS2 |
| 10:10 | Break |
| 10:15 | Session 19: Earthing at TNO feeder stations Neil Pilling, Principal Engineer, Earthing Risk Management Earth Potential Rise from high voltage electrical infrastructure has the capacity to cause hazards to persons working on proximate railway systems. EPR at TNO (transmission network operator) sites is generally higher than at DNO (distribution network operator) sites and therefore can have a greater propensity to impact on the railway. Over recent decades more railway feeders have been established from the transmission network, usually at 400kV. At such sites a direct connection is normally established between the transmission substation and the railway via a feeder station to allow traction current to return to source. However, this exacerbates any EPR impact by conducting EPR directly to the railway. Various methodologies have been employed to reduce the EPR impact and this session explains how these were chosen, their effectiveness and the problems that needed to be overcome. |
| 11:10 | Break |
| 11:25 | Session 20: EMC Les McCormack, Technical Director, Railway Engineering, AtkinsRéalis |
| 12:20 | Lunch |
| 13:30 | Session 21: Static frequency converters Ross Macfarlane, Principal Account Leader - Rail, Mott MacDonald An introduction to static frequency converter (SFC) technology, outlining how the technology has evolved, where it is used, its relative advantages and disadvantages compared to conventional AC traction power supplies, and the issues that need to be considered when using the technology. |
| 14:25 | Break |
| 14:40 | Session 22: Workshop 2 - Drilling down to details REIS Committee Led Les McCormack, HS2 EDP Systems Integration & Power Lead Interface & Delivery Coordinator, AtkinsRéalis Teams refine their chosen electrification approach, delving deeper into technical specifics and optimising infrastructure plans. They prepare to face expert scrutiny and emerge with a robust strategy. |
| 16:40 | Chair close day |
Day five - Thursday 23 May 2024
In person with optional technical visit
Electrification Infrastructure - DC Railways and Systems Engineering
| 08:40 | Group workshop 3 - bringing together workshops 1 and 2 (groups presenting) Teams confidently present their detailed electrification proposals to a panel of experts, defend their solution and receive feedback. Through this collaborative review, they gain valuable insights to refine their designs and ensure optimal safety and performance. |
| 11:45 | Lunch |
| 12:10 | Travel |
| 13:30 | Technical visit: Palestra House |
| 15:30 | End of day |
Technical visit (sold out)
The REIS technical visit to Palestra House will take place in London on the afternoon of the 23 May 2024. At the visit there will be a short power point presentation on the power supply arrangements for the Underground. This will cover the intake points from National Grid / DNO, requirements at the point of common coupling, DC traction supplies, station lighting arrangements, central emergency power supplies, and the SCADA system for power control. This will then be followed by a tour of the London Underground Control Centre, and the Main Power Control Centre.
The morning session on this day will be held at IET Stevenage: Futures Place, and we will travel as a group to London. A train ticket for return travel from Stevenage to London will be provided.