Intelligent Transport Podcast

This innovative project is an essential component of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), which aims to increase capacity, enhance digitalisation, and boost the competitiveness of passenger and freight rail transport in the European Union.

The 34-month major project will test and foster market-ready specifications for signalling technology across Europe’s busiest rail-lines, ensuring these specifications are ready and reflected for future revisions of the Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSIs).

As part of the project, the FP2-MORANE-2 prototypes will be tested in three European laboratories and under real track conditions, including on both conventional and high-speed lines.

Due to the impending obsolescence of the Global System for Mobile Communications – Railway (GSM-R) by 2030, the new FRMCS system will create many opportunities and stands as a priority technology for the future railway system.

The Horizon Europe FP2-MORANE-2 Project, co-funded at €13.5M level by Europe’s Rail (EU-RAIL) and the European Smart Networks and Services (SNS JU) Joint Undertakings, officially started on 1 December 2024. It consists of six Work Packages, designed to validate the latest version of the FRMCS specifications by the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA).

Through comprehensive testing of FRMCS functions and systems, the project represents an essential step toward achieving market-ready specifications, which will be reflected in the new version of the Control Command and Signalling TSI (CCS TSI) in 2027.

FRMCS will support existing applications such as ETCS and voice while enabling new services including ATO GoA1/2/3/4, data and video services, and other essential telecom applications requiring enhanced quality, flexibility and capacity.

This innovation is vital for creating a future competitive and sustainable transport mode. UIC, as FP2-MORANE-2 Project Coordinator, leads a consortium composed of UNIFE (representing the European Rail Supply Industry), Railways (ADIF, BaneDanmark, Bane Nor, Deutsche Bahn, Infrabel, Network Rail, ProRail, RFI, SBB, Trafikverket and Väylävirasto), European rail suppliers (Alstom, CAF, Ericsson, Eviden, Frequentis, Funkwerk, Hitachi Rail GTS, Kontron, Nokia, RideOn Track, Siemens, Teltronic and Viavi Solutions) and two Mobile Network Operators (KPN and Telia).

FP2-MORANE-2 will also establish close cooperation with rail regulatory and standardisation bodies, particularly ERA. Cooperation will extend to other EU-Rail projects and initiatives, ensuring alignment and integration across the sector.

François Davenne, UIC Director General, underlined “The FP2-MORANE-2 project represents a turning point for European railways, demonstrating our collective commitment to innovation and sustainability. By advancing FRMCS, we are not only ensuring seamless communication across the rail network but also supporting the EU’s vision of a greener and more efficient transport system. This project showcases the power of collaboration in shaping the future of rail transport, setting the stage for a new era of digital and sustainable mobility.”.

Enno Wiebe, Director General of UNIFE, highlighted: “The European rail supply industry is devoted to making FRMCS, as part of the overarching ERTMS rollout, a full success. All actors must collectively ensure that the transition to FRMCS is timely and as seamless as possible. FP2-MORANE-2 will contribute to the delivery of the FRMCS specifications for the new CCS TSI. This project will support the development of FRMCS technologies, and aim to get the first deployable FRMCS commercial solutions soon after the completion of testing and evaluation. Ongoing investments in research programs like this one, will allow for passenger and rail freight to reap the benefits, while also laying down a future path for broader innovations in a host of other rail products and foster the envisioned completion of the TEN-T network.”

A staff uniform recycling scheme at the country’s largest train company 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 Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) 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.

GTR’s Head of Environment and Sustainability, Jason Brooker (pictured below), said: “We’re passionate about reducing the environmental impact of what we do, and as part of our long-term commitment to reducing waste we’re thinking about the way we use resources across our business.

“Each of our members of staff that require uniform will be able to return it when it’s no longer needed so that it can be sent for recycling. Not only is this enabling us to think about resources in a more circular way, but also contributes to reductions in our carbon emissions in alignment with our 2050 net zero goals.”

The train company – which operates trains across 11 counties almost the size of Belgium – is one of a very small number of businesses accredited by the corporate climate action organisation Science Based Targets initiative for its climate change goals.

Staff working across the GTR network can use one of 30 recycling points at their nearest major station:

• Ashford
• Barnham
• Bedford
• Blackfriars
• Brighton
• Cricklewood
• Eastbourne
• Enfield Chase
• Finsbury Park
• Gatwick Airport
• Gillingham
• Hitchin
• Hornsey
• Horsham
• Kentish Town
• Kings Lynn
• Letchworth
• London Bridge
• London Victoria
• Luton
• Norwood Junction
• Peckham Rye
• Peterborough
• Purley
• Redhill
• Selhurst
• St Albans
• Sutton
• Three Bridges
• Welwyn Garden City
• Worthing

More than 5,200 people visited 16 in-person events which took place in communities along the entire route and provided more details about the new scheme.

The railway, which is split into three phases and will take around a decade to complete, will drive economic growth in the region and the UK as a whole. This is East West Railway Company’s third consultation, which lasted for 10 weeks and provided the public with the opportunity to view the latest designs and give feedback on the proposals.

The consultation, which closed on Friday, January 24, has seen record levels of engagement with attendance more than doubled from the previous round of engagement in 2023 and also exceeding the consultation in 2019:

• 5,206 people attended in-person community events
• To date, more than 5,500 responses have been received
• 44,296 website consultation page views have been made
• More than 6,000 interactive map views have been registered
• The virtual consultation room has recorded 5,800 views by 2,200 users

David Hughes, CEO at EWR Co, said, “East West Rail is a once in a generation opportunity to connect people and businesses across the region and I would like to thank everyone who took the time to come and talk to us and share their views. We are now working to review and analyse the feedback that has been received to help inform the continued development of the design over the coming months.”

To date, East West Rail has held three rounds of engagement on its plans, using the feedback to develop more detailed designs. The company is now working on its final proposals which will be presented to the public before a planning application for the new infrastructure, a Development Consent Order (DCO), is submitted to the government.

East West Rail is being proposed to enhance the region’s thriving life science cluster, unlock access to jobs and space for businesses to grow, regenerate town centres, improve connectivity across the region and the rest of the UK, and support new affordable housing. The Government committed to delivering the new railway line in full in its 2024 Autumn budget.

Following a summary report on the consultation, which will be available on the East West Rail website in the coming weeks, finalised proposals will be presented at a statutory consultation due to be held in late 2025/ early 2026.

Let’s start with two simple questions:

1. Can diesel trucks and buses travel everywhere in the EU? Answer: YES, they can!

2. Can passenger/freight trains go everywhere in the EU? Answer: NO, they cannot!

Let’s look at a long-lasting problem for European Railways, one which has been awaiting a solution since Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Finland and the Baltic Republics joined the EU: the track gauges. This issue came abruptly to the stage with the war in Ukraine: people fleeing from Russia’s bombs, help being sent there, and Ukraine’s exports must change trains at the border to overrun the break of gauges. Politicians travelling to Kyiv had to catch the train and change at the border too.

The EU is now a ‘four gauges land’, worse than Australia which has three. It has 1435mm (‘standard’) in most Member States, 1520mm (‘Russian gauge’) in Estonia, Lietuva, Latvia and Finland (1524), 1600mm in Ireland, 1668mm (‘Iberian gauge’) in Spain and Portugal. The candidates Ukraine and Moldova have 1520mm.

In fact, only Spain (but not Portugal!) has built some, but not all, high-speed lines with standard gauge (SG), and some lines dual gauge with a tri-rails track, which doubles the track’s cost and limits the speed.

Ireland has no interest in the SG, because the narrow loading gauge complicates the interchange of vehicles with other Member States.

Once upon a time: cars interchange with Finland (1524mm gauge)

Freight rail traffic with Finland once involved carrying the wagons by ferry with SG tracks from Sweden or Germany to Turku, then changing the axles in a shed with time consuming procedures and hard handwork. This practice came to an end around 2012 with the cancellation of PSO for freight traffic after EU Regulation 1370/2007 came into force.

…and with the Baltic Republics (1520mm gauge)

Since the Soviet Union (and so the Baltics) used the automatic coupler (AC) type SA3, the axles were changed at the border too, but two ‘transition cars’ with the different couplers were also added to the broad gauge cars entering the SG network, and vice versa in the opposite direction. Like Finland, the practice ended around 2010 in favour of containers. Until the war, only passenger carriages changed the bogies on the trains between the East and West. The Baltics (with high EU co-financing) are now building the standard gauge 870km high-speed line, Rail Baltica, to connect the three republics to the main network of the EU. This is very expensive (around €6 billion, E&Y estimated in 2017) and slow to achieve, instead of converting the gauge, which costs roughly 200,000 €/km.

An uncertain future for 10 corridors in broad gauge land?

The new TEN-T regulation proposed by the EU Commission in December 2021 (COM/2021/812 final) will allow only standard gauge rail lines if they are objects of EU-contribution. But not all Member States seem to be enthusiastic of that proposal. To note, Finland, planning two high-speed lines from Helsinki to Turku and to Oulu. They could take this opportunity to join the ‘1435mm club’ by building the line between Espoo and Salo along the highway with two SG tracks, adding a SG track from Salo to Turku (56km) with a long high-speed passing loop midway and converting one of four tracks from Espoo to Helsinki (18km). This arrangement should allow 30ft headways per direction. And to Oulu: adding a SG track from Oulu to Lapua with high-speed crossovers and long passing loops, like Sweden’s Botniabanan, and then so on to Tampere, eventually bypassing Seinäjoki and Tampere if very fast trains to the North are needed.

However, the Finnish government does not seem to share this vision. The document produced reveals some doubts (currently only available in Finnish: ‘Eurooppalaisen raideleveyden käyttöönoton mahdollisuudet ja vaikutukset Suomessa’. With usual translator tools only the text, not tables and graphics, are converted. Some key findings include:

1. On page 17, Switzerland seems to have more 1000mm gauge lines than SG 1435mm
2. On page 18, the document wrongly states that all high-speed lines in Spain have been built with the standard gauge (in fact: A Coruňa-Santiago-Vigo and Plasencia-Merida-Badajoz are Iberian gauge, and the recently opened Pajares cut-off is dual gauge, but the line from Leon is only broad gauge…)
3. There is no mention about the coupler, since Finland makes extended use of the SA3 device, but most EU Member States use the odd screw coupler
4. There is no mention of the possibility to sell the unused broad axles and if the existing bogies are to be changed/modified or allow SG axles after a risk assessment
5. There is no clear timing indication for the conversion of the whole network. But on page 54 (chapter 9), it should be done in only three years (highly ambitious and probably not technically possible to achieve) at a cost of roughly €5.5 billion
6. Having been drafted after Russia started the war against Ukraine, the military concerns should have more space than only a brief mention.

Of course, this is a political, not a technical decision, but it seems that for import/export the Finnish government prefers the trucks and loading/unloading of conventional ships more than trains on ferries. And building dual gauge lines means a four-rail track, given the little difference. Such a track costs roughly three times a SG track.

On the other hand, a few years ago (2018) the Finnish government prepared a study for a broad gauge line to reach the Atlantic Ocean (“artic-ocean-railway”) with two options: Rovaniemi to Kirkenes or Kolari to Tromsø, both in the middle of nowhere. With costs exceeding €3 billion for the first and €7 billion for the second option, this was more than astonishing. So far, it seems that Finland has at least two little problems with the railways: 89mm and the EU Commission.

A solution? Convert the gauges all over the network!

If Finland wants to convert all the lines, let’s take a look at the numbers, which aren’t clear in the official document. Track renewal machines can do 350m/h, 1km every three hours, replacing turnouts and sleepers (rails are identical). We have roughly 10,000km of track length to convert. Naturally, this cannot be achieved in one night, but with a 20 year carefully planned action, the target is reasonable.

Assuming the cost at 200,000 €/km plus two turnouts/km (each €100,000) we have a rounded cost of 400.000 €/km. Summa summarum: roughly €4 billion. Compare this with the €6 billion for Rail Baltica’s only 870km (E&Y estimated in 2017, but this should be updated as soon as possible).

In 20 steps means around 200 million/year. For the vehicles, it should be enough to change the axles/bogies, cheaply if carefully planned and sell the old axles/bogies to other broad gauge countries or wait for the natural substitution of the worn out. A 50% EU contribution could be a good incentive.

Meanwhile, the polluting (diesel) trucks and buses can go everywhere without changing the driver: the trains not only change the driver at the borders, but the locomotive too, if it’s not a multi-system and variable gauge type, as electrification systems often differ from state to state, not counting the track gauge.

If the EU wants to reach the Single European Railway Area (at today’s pace this is light years away), a strong coherent decision is needed, and the related acts (and money) released.

Otherwise, it will remain a pious wish, one that has nothing to do with the real world.

c: Beltramba

Ivan Beltramba is a Civil and Rail Transport Engineer, working for a Regional Government in the north of Italy, in charge of National Rail Infrastructure. He holds a degree from the University of Bologna and a master from Milan’s Politecnico. A South Tyrol native, he speaks Italian, German and English. He also worked for the municipal administration of Bologna and since 2017 teaches about Tramtrain technology at the Universities of Bologna, Firenze, and Lugano as a visiting professor. During his studies he worked as a consultant for Siemens and travelled through Europe thanks to the Inter-rail ticket and the night trains.

The installation, which can be found on display at two sites, Manchester Victoria and Hull Paragon stations, features portraits of fifteen members of staff from different backgrounds, who represent an ever-growing, diverse and inclusive workforce.

The individuals are being celebrated as part of TPE’s second annual Week of Inclusion, and each have their own unique stories, from living with endometriosis to being autistic, having ADHD, or being part of the LGBTQ+ community.

The exhibition, which runs until Sunday 2 February, also serves as an open invitation to anyone considering a career in the rail industry, regardless of their background, to apply.

The photographs feature workers such as Shannon Cassidy, a trainee driver from Liverpool, who has seen first-hand how the company is committed to fostering equality in roles that have traditionally been male-dominated. Shannon has detailed how TPE’s dedication to becoming an Endometriosis Friendly Employer has been a significant step forward in acknowledging and accommodating the needs of women like her.

Ben McGowan, a conductor instructor based at Liverpool, who is autistic and has ADHD is also featured. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Ben has shared how inclusion is not merely a concept but a deeply meaningful part of his everyday life, and at TPE, he has discovered a workplace where he truly feels a sense of belonging.

Nicola Buckley, People Director for TPE, said: “We’re incredibly proud to be making progress in making our business more inclusive, and we will continue to strive to make sure everyone that works here feels sense of belonging and that every individual, of every background and culture, feels heard and celebrated.

“The launch of this new installation is not only a celebration of our diverse workforce, but a call out to anyone who is considering a role in the rail industry to apply, whatever background they may have.

“It took the majority of the past 200 years to create change, but there’s still more work to be done, at both TPE and within the industry to inspire more women and more people from diverse backgrounds to join the rail sector.”

Since TPE’s first Week of Inclusion in January last year, the rail provider has made significant progress, applicants from ethnic groups has risen to 30%%, LGBTQ+ colleagues now comprise of 10%, exceeding the census figure of 3.2%.

Since April of last year, 26% of hires and 33% of international promotions have been women, highlighting that progress is beginning to accelerate.

Five employee networking groups have also been introduced in the last 18 months, groups include the LGBTQ+ Networking Group, the Neurodiversity Network, Women at TPE, Military Veterans, and Young Rail Professionals at TPE, providing dedicated spaces for colleagues to connect, share experiences, and drive positive change within the organisation.

To experience the exhibition, visit Hull Paragon Station, at the end of platform 6, or Manchester Victoria Station, near Victoria Tap, before Sunday 2 February. Anyone interested in finding out more should visit TPE’s diversity and inclusion page where video content highlighting the unique stories is available. Those interested in joining TPE should visit the vacancies page, or try TPE’s new virtual work experience scheme.

A video about TPE’s Week of Inclusion can be found here.

Railway 200 is a year-long nationwide campaign to celebrate 200 years of the modern railway and inspires a new generation of young pioneering talent to choose a career in rail.

Railway organizations are facing intense challenges from rapid digitalization. But the right results can deliver essential improvements — including more efficient operations, greater train control safety, and better customer service and passenger experience. In addition, AI capabilities hold out the promise of proactive maintenance, as well as faster responses to events for rolling stock and crew. The foundation for gaining these improvements lies in a robust, extended, flexible and high-performance telecom system, which provides vital connectivity from an operation and control centre to trackside to the train. This communication network is built out of three major technologies — FRMCS, IP/MPLS and DWDM — which are capable of transporting future applications.

However, railway organizations must also consider the life cycles of their specific applications, which are typically longer than those in IT — and may raise key constraints. For instance, a transition to new technologies cannot leave behind applications such as signalling or emergency voice. And of course, GSM-R must run until 2032, at least, in most countries. This situation means many rail organizations now face a dilemma. Their current telecom network is becoming obsolete because it’s based on SDH (or even MPLS-TP). So, they need to rapidly develop a strategy that addresses the urgency of technology obsolescence, while combining a long-term vision for creating a telecom network that’s a reliable foundation for railway digitalization.

In this webinar, you will:

• Learn how railways can evolve their telecoms to maintain safe operations today while preparing for the future
• Discover the impact of technology evolution on operations and workforce, with insights from a railway operator, an international consultant and a technology leader
• Gain expert views concerning strategies for overcoming technology challenges

SPEAKERS

Anne-Marie Ntibazonkiza, Network Infrastructure Team Coordinator, Infrabel

 

 

 

Zineb El Aissaoui, Telecom Lead for Engineering and Design in Railways, Egis Rail

 

 

 

Benoît Leridon, Transportation Segment Leader, Network Infrastructure, Nokia

LinkedIn profile (click here)

Benoît Leridon is the Transportation Segment Leader for Network Infrastructure at Nokia where he is responsible for global business development targeting transportation verticals. Benoît has 25 years of telecom pre-sales background covering enterprise and carrier markets for data, and voice solutions, and joined Alcatel-Lucent in 2010 after holding different pre-sales management positions in companies such as Wellfleet, Bay Networks and Nortel.

FAQs

Is the webinar free?
Yes – there is no charge to watch the webinar, either live or on-demand.

When will the webinar take place?
The webinar will be taking place on 19 March 2025 at 10:00am (UK TIME)

Can I watch the webinar later?
The webinar will be available to watch on-demand shortly after the live broadcast takes place.

What are the benefits of attending live?
During the live webinar, you will be able to pose questions to the speakers, which will then be answered during the live Q&A session at the end of the webinar.

How long will the webinar be?
The live webinar will last for up to one hour.

Who will be moderating?
Elizabeth Jordan, Editor, Global Railway Review.

What do I need to watch this webinar?
All you need is a computer with an internet connection. It is advised to use headphones where possible for your own comfort. 

Firth has more than two decades of leadership experience spanning the rail, road, and aviation sectors. Her appointment brings unparalleled expertise and a proven track record of driving change and innovation.

Rachel’s deep industry knowledge positions her as a pivotal figure in shaping Lumo’s future as a leader in sustainable and customer-centric rail travel.

Firth’s mandate at Lumo is to redefine customer experience by leveraging cutting-edge technology, actionable insights, and a relentless focus on inclusivity and sustainability. This appointment marks a significant milestone in Lumo’s journey to deliver seamless, high-quality services while cementing its reputation as a bold innovator in the transportation sector since launching less than four years ago.

Commenting on her new role, Rachel said: “I’m thrilled to join the Lumo team at such an exciting time. Lumo has built a strong reputation for innovation and putting customers at the heart of everything it does. I’m particularly passionate about driving diversity and inclusivity within the rail industry and inspiring more women to consider a career in rail.

“It’s vital that we create opportunities for all and showcase the value that a diverse workforce brings to the sector. I’m looking forward to this new challenge and working with the team to build on Lumo’s success and developing new ways to deliver exceptional experiences for our customers.”

Firth’s distinguished career includes senior roles at leading transport operators such as LNER and FirstBus, where her vision and leadership were instrumental in delivering transformative results. Her expertise aligns perfectly with Lumo’s ambitious growth plans and its mission to provide a compelling alternative to domestic air travel through its low-carbon, great value cross-border services connecting Edinburgh with the North East of England and London.

Martijn Gilbert, Managing Director of Lumo, said: “Rachel’s appointment is a fantastic addition to our team. Her extensive experience and passion for customer experience make her the perfect fit for Lumo. We are committed to leading the way in sustainable and customer-centric rail travel, and Rachel’s expertise will undoubtedly help us achieve this vision.”

This record-breaking performance was driven by strong demand, particularly during the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, highlighting Eurostar’s growing popularity as a sustainable and efficient travel option. 

“Eurostar continued its strong growth in 2024, breaking its own previous passenger records. I would like to thank our customers and recognise the efforts of our teams for this excellent result in the company’s 30^th year. Looking ahead, this is further proof of the huge demand for international rail and the great potential of sustainable travel. Eurostar is targeting growth to 30 million passengers and investing in up to 50 new trains as a direct result, with the aim of delivering a unique and exceptional service long into the future”  said Gwendoline Cazenave, CEO of Eurostar. 

An e320 on the platform at London St Pancras International with new logo.

“Once again, this year, Eurostar has demonstrated its ability to attract new customers, driven by an ever-present desire to travel by train, particularly internationally. With its many customer services, Eurostar proves that it is constantly thinking about how to meet their needs and offer ever more innovative and comfortable services and commercial offers” said Alain Krakovitch, Chairman of the Eurostar Group, Managing Director of TGV-INTERCITÉS of SNCF Voyageurs. 

Routes that have seen the most growth on the Eurostar network are: 

• London – Paris (+280k passengers) 

• London – Brussels (+250k passengers) 

• Paris – Brussels (+160k passengers) 
• Paris – The Netherlands (+140k passengers)  

In 2024, Eurostar continued to improve the customer experience, enhancing travel convenience with a series of new benefits and services. 

New Initiatives and Services: 

• Aftersales Policy: Eurostar introduced a new, flexible aftersales policy allowing customers to easily exchange tickets without a fee and refund tickets up to 7 days before departure. For Eurostar Premier customers, exchanges and refunds are available up to two days post-departure. 
• Olympics and Paralympics Success: Eurostar welcomed 1.9 million customers during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, a 5% uplift compared to summer 2023, and successfully transported 7 teams and 2,000 athletes on more than 900 trains. 
• Club Eurostar Growth: Eurostar’s loyalty program, Club Eurostar, now has 3.96 million members, up 39% from the previous year, with 300 million points redeemed in 2024. 
• Culinary Innovation: Eurostar introduced new onboard catering experiences with renowned chefs Jérémy Chan, Jessica Préalpato, and Honey Spencer, offering Eurostar Premier passengers a high-end culinary experience with sustainable, locally sourced ingredients.
• “Snap” for Spontaneous Travellers: Eurostar relaunched its Snap service, offering up to 50% off high-speed rail journeys for spontaneous travellers, confirming train details just 48 hours before departure.

Sustainability Commitments:

• Eurostar remains committed to sustainable travel with a pledge to use 100% renewable energy by 2030. All menus will feature fresh, seasonal ingredients sourced from countries Eurostar travels through, further reducing its environmental footprint.

Strategic Partnerships & Future Growth:

• SkyTeam Partnership: Eurostar entered into a memorandum of understanding with SkyTeam to offer integrated intermodal journeys combining air and rail travel. This partnership marks Eurostar as the first non-airline member of SkyTeam, enhancing the convenience and sustainability of travel options for customers.
• Investment in New Trains: Following €2 billion in revenue in 2023, Eurostar is set to invest in up to 50 new trains, expanding its fleet by 30% and ensuring continued growth and improvement in passenger comfort and service. The first of these new trains are expected to be in service by 2030.

 As part of its 30-year legacy, Eurostar is positioning itself for a bold, sustainable future in travel. 

Following recent discussion in Parliament earlier this month regarding the Kent stations that have remained closed since lockdown, Eurostar have released this statement:
“Our Kent stations will remain closed throughout 2025 and will be reviewed in 2026. We understand that this may be frustrating, and we want to stress that we are closely monitoring the situation and, should there be any changes, we will provide an update.”

Fellowship is awarded in recognition of the significant contribution engineers have made to the profession and is an endorsement of leadership, knowledge, skills and experience. The list includes Georgia Thompson, who, at the age of 30, is the youngest woman ever to have achieved Fellowship.

A chartered civil engineer and design manager currently working as part of Costain’s role as major project partner on the Heathrow Airport terminal asset renewal programme, Georgia has had previous engineering roles on HS2, Network Rail and Transport for London.

Since 2023 Costain has successfully supported and coached 13 engineers through the ICE Fellowship application process as part of their career development. This is in addition to many other professional qualifications Costain supports across all levels and disciplines, with more than 450 chartered engineers across the organisation. In addition to Georgia, Costain professionals Simon Chaffer, Richard Helme, John Holding and Clive Glasspool also achieved ICE Fellowship last year.

Georgia Thompson, civil engineer at Costain, commented “It’s an honour to have achieved the highest level of ICE membership. At Costain, our purpose is to improve people’s lives and I’m incredibly proud to be recognised among a peer group of world class engineers that have made such a difference to society.”

Katherine Etheridge, ICE regional director, London, South East, and East of England, said “It’s a privilege to be part of our members’ professional journeys. The ICE’s purpose is to ensure people and planet have the infrastructure they need to thrive, and we can’t do that without our members expertise. Seeing them achieve Fellowship status is always exciting.”

Andrew Threlfall, group chief engineer at Costain, said, “Congratulations to Georgia, Simon, Richard, John and Clive for achieving Fellowship status. At Costain, we place great importance on personal and professional growth and developing all our people to be the best they can be. Our engineering-led approach is vital to ensure we continue to deliver predictable, best-in-class sustainable infrastructure solutions for our customers.”

According to the business group, the cumulative impact of changes to trade and border policies following the UK’s departure from the EU is adding significant cost and inefficiency to the sector.  The new Trade Strategy needs the government to take a consistent approach, to give the logistics sector the reassurances and clear, timely communication that will allow the nation to trade smoothly. In its submission to DBT, Logistics UK also stresses that a closer, easier trading relationship with the EU is key to reset the UK’s economic prospects and achieve future success for business and the economy. In the opinion of the group’s members, the new Trade Strategy needs a clear and practical focus on removing the barriers to exports and reengaging UK businesses who have removed themselves from the export market in recent years because of cost or complexity.

Logistics UK Policy Manager – Trade, Customs and Borders Josh Fenton says, “The past decade has brought enormous challenges for many businesses, particularly in the logistics sector, and the current lack of stability has damaged business confidence which, ultimately, has affected domestic and international investment and trading relationships with our EU neighbours. Many businesses that previously were trading internationally are now solely focusing on the domestic market, reducing opportunity for the UK to benefit from strong, profitable business opportunities. The Trade Strategy can reset the UK’s trading position, creating the environment to smooth trade and drive growth across the economy.”

Logistics UK is also repeating its call for the government to appoint a dedicated Minister for Logistics and Supply Chain with cross departmental responsibility.  Fenton continues, “Logistics is a foundational economic sector, underpinning practically every industry or service in the country and contributing £185 billion to the economy each year. Nothing in the economy moves without the work of our sector. A dedicated minister would streamline interaction with government, enabling our members to increase the already significant economic contribution they make and drive growth across the UK economy.”

Logistics UK’s submission also outlines practical steps its members are pressing for the Trade Strategy to cover to smooth trade including the efficient delivery of the 2025 UK Border Strategy; evolution and expansion of our trading relationship with Europe, including a comprehensive Veterinary Agreement; efficient implementation of the Windsor Framework and Free Trade Facilitation Agreements and Free Trade Agreements to grow UK-world trade with logistics and connectivity at the core of negotiations.

Fenton concludes, “The new Trade Strategy must allow the government to rebuild the confidence and credibility throughout the logistics sector that it can deliver the solutions our industry needs to thrive and drive growth throughout the UK. Our members stand ready to work with government to make a reset relationship with the EU an effective reality, for the benefit of all sections of the economy.”