IRAIL 2013


“Speaking to a lot of the children and young adults here, they’ve really shown that there’s a passion for engineering.


There’s a massive skills gap and if we’re not careful in 20 years’ time there’s going to be no- one left in the rail industry able to fill that gap.


“It was really good for me, as a young person in engineering, to see that there are still people out there who are interested in going into an engineering career.”


Coates was one of the judges at the event, and a STEM ambassador who regularly attends similar days around the industry to encourage more young people to get into science, technology, engineering and maths.


She added: “I thought they were fantastic challenges, some of which have been facing the rail industry for decades now.


“It was very difficult to judge. Both of the presentations were absolutely fantastic.”


The RAIB was also on hand to offer workshops on the shape of train wheels to facilitate turning, and on the safety precautions that


Facing the competition


The students had one of two challenges to complete; one on transporting freight, and the other on tackling the mammoth problem of cable theft.


had to be set up at level crossings. Competitors came up with a wide range of novel solutions, from harsher punishments to fake cables, as well as variations on methods already in force across the network, such as liquids to mark perpetrators and steel casing and troughing to make the cable more difficult to reach.


As well as working with STEM mentors, the pupils were encouraged to interact with the range of exhibitors who could help with specific questions about their challenge, or opportunities in the industry in wider detail. Sinfin Community School’s team was declared the winner, after a convincing and well-thought out presentation on protecting cable, and were presented with their prize by Dearman.


Infectious enthusiasm


It was also a first visit for keynote speaker and challenge judge Dearman, who told RTM: “It’s been really exciting to be here.”


Continued overleaf >


rail technology magazine Apr/May 13 | 37


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