UKTram attends RailEI Technical Board meeting

UKTram attended the latest RailEI Technical Board meeting on 8th July, joining fellow corporate members to discuss engineering developments, professional standards and the future of skills across the rail industry.

Hosted by Pandrol at its Worksop facility, the meeting combined strategic updates from RailEI with presentations covering technical education, engineering standards and current industry priorities. Delegates also took part in a behind-the-scenes tour of Pandrol's manufacturing facilities, providing an insight into the company's production processes, quality assurance procedures and the rigorous testing behind the rail fastening systems used across the network.

A recurring theme throughout the meeting was the importance of investing in future engineering talent. RailEI highlighted continued growth in its technical education programme, with demand for specialist training remaining strong and several new courses already planned for 2027. Discussions also explored how the industry can better engage younger engineers, modernise mentoring approaches, and create clearer pathways into rail careers.

Safety and operational performance also featured prominently, with updates from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) covering several recent incidents and the ongoing importance of learning from investigations to support continuous improvement across the industry.

RailEI also shared progress on a number of organisational initiatives, including its forthcoming corporate rebrand, revisions to its professional Code of Conduct and continued work towards achieving ISO 9001 accreditation.

Representing UKTram as a corporate member, Lead Engineer Phill Terry welcomed the opportunity to hear how knowledge sharing and professional development continue to shape the wider rail sector.

Reflecting on the meeting, Phill said:

"Training and knowledge sharing are important for developing the skills our industry needs and it was encouraging to see the continued expansion of technical courses alongside discussions about how we better engage and support the next generation of engineers."

The meeting also highlighted opportunities for further collaboration, including the development of new technical courses, with light rail identified as a potential future area for specialist training.