Coronavirus / COVID-19

Please bookmark this page which will be updated regularly with the latest information

The IRSE is committed to keeping members and staff as safe as possible at all times.

We recommend that international members follow the advice provided by their local governments.

In the UK, we are following recommendations and guidance as set out by the UK Government.

Our London office is closed with all staff working remotely

The London office remains closed until further notice with all staff working remotely.

With no staff in our London office, responding to all enquiries will take longer than usual. We appreciate your patience at this time.
Please contact the office staff by email in the first instance where possible.
Please see our contacts webpage for appropriate email addresses.
Members are unable to visit the offices at Birdcage Walk until further notice.
Members are unable to access the IET library at Savoy Place until further notice.
Staff are picking up post on an infrequent basis, subject to regulations. Please do not post subscription cheques, application forms, etc where possible.

Postal delays

We use Royal Mail to send out post such as IRSE News and certificates. There may be delays in sending post to all countries. Please read Royal Mail's International Incident Bulletin for further information about sending mail from UK to your country. Thank you for your patience.

Events

In light of government guidelines in the UK, no face-to-face events are taking place. We will keep members informed of such events on this site and through our monthly ebulletins.

We encourage all international sections to comply with the advice from their respective governments and act accordingly.

Event organisers should contact the head office team so that the events page can be kept up to date with the latest information.

Putting on an event for your local section?

Read our guide to Organising and hosting an online section meeting.

Online content

A wealth of content is available on this website including licensing documentation, a range conference papers, Presidential Lectures, seminars and workshops. Some content requires membership login.

Many of videos of recent local and international presentations are regularly being added to our dedicated Vimeo page and our Younger Members created a range of study resources this year for the IRSE exam which are held on the IRSE Vimeo Showcase Study page.

Creating content remotely

During the current COVID-19 / Coronavirus public health crisis, organisations are turning increasingly to video as a technology to allow ideas to be shared safely. Sharing experience to support our colleagues is central to the Institution’s culture.

Video is an important part of the IRSE’s communications toolkit and we understand that keynote speakers unable to present their papers or presentations may wish to use readily available technology to share this content with our membership via the Institution’s website.

Many of you may also want to create interesting content around your own area of expertise to share with the wider member community and we are happy to facilitate this where possible.

Content to engage and inform members is particularly welcome at this time when many of us find ourselves working remotely, or isolated in line with advice from our respective governments.

This brief guide is designed to help you create content using your own equipment. Raw footage and presentations can be shared with the Institution using services like WeTransfer and sent to our production team.

Working from Home

Whilst many of our licence holders and members continue to work trackside and in equipment rooms, others are now working remotely. Some interesting reading and ideas around successful home working from engineering colleagues working in the Built Environment sector are available here.

Government Advice

All members should follow the advice provided by their local government. In the UK, extensive resources are available online on the UK government website here which should be considered the definitive guidance for members in this country.

Social Distancing

Social distancing is an essential component of slowing the spread of the Coronavirus. Advice from the UK government recommends a distance of at least 2 metres (6.56 feet) should be maintained between you and other people who are not from your household.

Wash your hands immediately when returning home from outside.

About the IRSE

The IRSE is the professional institution for all those engaged in or associated with railway signalling and telecommunications, train control, traffic management and allied professions.

Collaboration

The IRSE seeks to collaborate with other organisations where we share common objectives and areas of interest.

Governance

Dr Daniel Woodland, Head of Command, Control and Signalling at Ricardo Rail UK became the 96th President of the Institution on 23 April 2020.

Personnel

Our Chief Executive is Blane Judd and details of our London office staff can be found here.

Strategy

Our vision is... and our mission is to engage with and grow a global network to develop and assure high standards of ethics, knowledge, competence and safety in all aspects of train control

Details of how to contact our licensing, membership, registration, professional development, finance and communications teams.