Welcome to the January 2025 issue of our e-newsletter where you can read about industry events and publications as well as activities that the Rail Cluster project is leading or supporting.

New members
A warm welcome to new members of the Rail Cluster this month:

• AG Brown Fabrications
• A and L Mechanical Ltd
• Glacier Energy

• 708 registered individuals
• 501 registered companies
• 307 registered SMEs

Public procurement is changing. On 24 February 2025, the rules that shape how public bodies buy goods and services will change. 

The Procurement Act 2023 will introduce measures to improve and streamline the way procurement is done and benefit prospective suppliers of all sizes, particularly small businesses, start-ups and social enterprises.

If your business supplies goods, works or services to organisations in the public or utility sectors – or hopes to do so in the future – you need to know about the changes. 

To support readiness for the new regime, there are webinars available online for suppliers and other interested parties which focus on the key changes for suppliers and featuring a live demonstration of the central digital platform. You can view a recording of the session below. 

The Women in Rail Awards 2025 nomination deadline has been extended to 14 February 2025. This will be the final closing date.

Rail personnel are being encouraged to put forward their nominations for the 13 categories recognising and showcasing the significant contribution of individuals and companies, large and small, to improving gender balance, equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the UK railway industry.

Geotechnical contractor Geobear has been granted a UK patent for its innovative railway track strengthening method. The patent, awarded in November 2024, aims to tackle longstanding challenges in railway transition zones and enhances track stability without disrupting services. The method creates a gradual change in track bed support by using geopolymer injections beneath existing tracks

Railway infrastructure faces a significant challenge at track transitions, where the shift from flexible formations like ballast to rigid foundations like concrete occurs. These abrupt changes can cause differential settlement, leading to track faults, damage to sleepers, rails, and, in extreme cases, derailment.

Conventionally, contractors excavate the track section approaching the stiff foundation to build a transitional wedge of high-compaction material beneath the ballast. However, this method is both labour-intensive and disruptive, necessitating deep excavation and complete track disassembly, often resulting in service interruptions lasting up to four days.

The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) is enhancing one of its toolkits to help the rail industry reduce the risk from trains passing a signal at danger (SPADs).

Originally launched in 2019, RSSB’s Red Aspect Approaches to Signals (RAATS) toolkit uses signal status and train movement data from Network Rail to gain insights into how often and where trains are approaching red signals on the network.

A SPAD occurs when a train passes a stop signal without authorisation. SPADs are one of the main precursors to train accidents and efforts in the late 1990s to mitigate the risk from them led to the introduction of the Train Protection and Warning System (TPWS). Where fitted, this applies a train’s emergency brake if a red signal is passed, and in some locations may also intervene if a red signal is approached at too high a speed. While TPWS has significantly reduced the safety risk arising from SPADs, such events can still cause delay and cost and can still result in serious incidents such as train collisions and derailments.

RSSB’s new RAATS toolkit will have improved functionality, linking its outputs with industry performance data and increasing its geographical coverage, so that up to 70% of the network can be analysed.

A staff uniform recycling scheme at Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has helped save enough energy to drive from Peterborough to Cape Town in a petrol-powered car, preventing 2.4 tonnes of greenhouse emissions from entering the atmosphere.

Some 620 sacks of clothing has been recycled in the past year through an advanced process called material reclamation – giving textiles a second chance instead of going to landfill.

Thameslink, Southern, Great Northern and Gatwick Express branded garments, gear and shoes have all been turned into products such as mattress filling and sound buffering for cars, saving enough energy to charge 194,032 smartphones, or drive 6,112 miles in a petrol-powered car, in turn preventing the emission of 2,400kg of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

The Rail Scotland Conference is bringing together key stakeholders from Scotland, including Transport Scotland, ScotRail, Network Rail and Scottish Rail Holdings to discuss delivery of some of the most important forthcoming projects and offer the latest insight into their future plans.
The theme for this year is “Providing the best possible rail service for the people in Scotland”, focusing on the following three areas:

• Reducing the net cost of the railway.
• Delivery of performance improvement proposals.
• The high level plans for rolling stock replacement and link to plans for future electrification.

RIN Glasgow 2025 – Brings Rail Infrastructure Networking opportunities to the Scottish supply chain. RIN provides the perfect platform to develop rail relationship, make new connections, promote your products and services, share contract opportunities and achieve business growth.

This free event, with paid exhibitor options include Meet the Buyer, free breakfast, tea and coffee for all.

Rolling Stock Networking – RSN 2025 – is more than just a trade show and it’s back for 2025 with the sole purpose of building relationships and winning business.

RSN 2025 is a full-scale, international rail show focused specifically on passenger and freight rolling stock, technical enhancements, depot equipment, ancillary services and the rail supply chain.

The show offers low-cost, high-quality, rail market access to companies of all sizes – giving you the opportunity to secure new business and develop and strengthen relationships.

RSN 2025 actively promotes its exhibitors, right up to the show date. Joining the community of RSN exhibitors is far more than just booking an exhibition space, it is an annual marketing and profiling journey.

There is no admission fee and parking is free to all visitors and exhibitors.