The Institution of Railway Signal Engineers
Encyclopedia
The Institution of Railway Signal Engineers, known more usually as the IRSE, is an international organisation, active throughout the world. It is the professional body
for all those engaged or interested in railway signalling
and telecommunication
s (S&T) and allied disciplines.
Internationally, there are sections in:
In the U.K.:
There is also a Minor Railways section specialising in railways that are not part of the national network, including industrial
, tourist and heritage railway
s.
.
and London Underground
. Network Rail and London Underground require their contractors and consultants to ensure that all S&T engineers engaged in safety-critical and safety-related work possess IRSE licences.
Professional body
A professional association is usually a nonprofit organization seeking to further a particular profession, the interests of individuals engaged in that profession, and the public interest.The roles of these professional associations have been variously defined: "A group of people in a...
for all those engaged or interested in railway signalling
Railway signalling
Railway signalling is a system used to control railway traffic safely, essentially to prevent trains from colliding. Being guided by fixed rails, trains are uniquely susceptible to collision; furthermore, trains cannot stop quickly, and frequently operate at speeds that do not enable them to stop...
and telecommunication
Telecommunication
Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...
s (S&T) and allied disciplines.
Local sections
The IRSE has a number of local sections in a number of countries.Internationally, there are sections in:
- Australasia
- Hong Kong
- India
- The Netherlands
- North America
- Singapore
- Southern Africa
- Switzerland
In the U.K.:
- Midland and North Western
- Plymouth
- Scottish
- Western
- York
There is also a Minor Railways section specialising in railways that are not part of the national network, including industrial
Industrial railway
An industrial railway is a type of railway that is not available for public transportation and is used exclusively to serve a particular industrial, logistics or military site...
, tourist and heritage railway
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
s.
Headquarters
The headquarters of the IRSE is located in Westminster, London, in the offices of the Institution of Mechanical EngineersInstitution of Mechanical Engineers
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is the British engineering society based in central London, representing mechanical engineering. It is licensed by the Engineering Council UK to assess candidates for inclusion on ECUK's Register of professional Engineers...
.
IRSE Licensing Scheme
The IRSE Licensing Scheme was introduced in 1994, and provides a means of competence certification for personnel undertaking work in the railway signalling and telecommunications industry. There are over 50 licence “categories” that cover the design, installation, testing, maintenance and engineering management of both railway signalling and telecommunications. Possession of a licence (or evidence that you are working towards obtaining a licence) is essential for people who want to carry out S&T engineering work for Network RailNetwork Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
and London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
. Network Rail and London Underground require their contractors and consultants to ensure that all S&T engineers engaged in safety-critical and safety-related work possess IRSE licences.
Publications
- IRSE News - A near monthly publication featuring technical articles and papers, as well as articles of general interest to the signalling community.