Overview
The
Annual Technical Tour of the Railway Division of the Institution of Mechanical
Engineers provides an excellent opportunity for experienced engineers and new graduates
to study the technologies and operations of railways outside the boundaries of
the UK. Past Technical Tours have taken participants to Austria, Belgium,
Canada, Germany, Holland, Malaysia, Singapore and Switzerland. The most recent
tour in 2016 visited railway manufacturers and train operators in Germany and
Belgium. The tour always includes visits to rolling stock manufacturers,
workshops, depots and train operations. Members of the Institution and affiliates always
benefit greatly from visiting railway businesses using different practices and technologies
in different political, economic and environmental contexts. Feedback about the
Tour from participants and hosts is always very positive.
The
main benefit of attending an ATT is professional development and the acquisition
of knowhow that may be of relevance to the UK railway industry:
- Knowledge of new technologies, systems, processes
and management approaches;
- Intensified contacts with colleagues from the UK
and new contacts with international railway engineers and operators;
- Knowledge of railway networks in different
countries;
- Exposure to different cultures.
An
important secondary benefit is the development of new personal links.
IMechE RD Technical Tour 2017,
Saturday 4 November to Saturday 11 November 2017
The
Technical Tour 2017 will start in Porto, northern Portugal, on Saturday, 4
November 2017, around lunch time. In Porto, we shall visit the modern light
metro network, its workshops and the control centre. There will also be an
opportunity to visit the historic tram shed and the museum trams. On Monday, 6
November 2017, we will travel to Lisbon on an Alfa Pendular service, where we
will visit the heavy metro system. In the late evening (21:34) of the same day
we shall depart by Talgo Sleeper Train for Miranda de Ebro in northern Spain.
In Miranda de Ebro, our base for three nights, we shall visit the Talgo train
factory. During the following three days, the group will also visit the CAF
works in Besain, where we will witness the production of trains for
Transpennine and Scotrail; the Basque Y high-speed rail network construction,
the (narrow gauge) metro of Bilbao and the modern tram network of Vitoria
Gasteiz. The final station of the tour will be Bordeaux, where we shall visit the
APS tram system or the new high-speed line to Paris.
Cost of the IMechE Technical Tour
2017
The
cost of the Technical Tour 2017 at the current exchange rate will be £780 for
accommodation in twin rooms and £930 for single rooms. This includes all travel
from Porto to Paris. Options for flights from the UK to Porto and Eurostar from
Paris to London will be costed on request. The IMechE offers grants for young
members wishing to participate in the Tour. Further information on the James
Bates grant is available from the Young Members Committee.
Further Information about the IMechE
RD Technical Tour 2017
The
2017 Tour will be led by Felix Schmid and Bridget Eickhoff.
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Please contact Felix Schmid for further information and provisional reservations, using the e-mail address rail-tech-tour@talktalk.net.
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Ffestiniog Travel will be pleased to quote for travel from the UK to Porto and for return travel from Paris to London.
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