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Development of Train-based Overhead Line Inspections on the West Coast Main Line
14/10/2025 @ 15:30 - 18:00
Towards RailEI: Proposed Name Change – A short briefing from Past President Steve Whitmore and Chief Executive Stephen Barber on the vision for the future of the PWI and forthcoming ballot of members about a possible name change for the Institution.
Martin Catterall, Electrification & Plant Maintenance Engineer and Gareth Kinghorn, Infrastructure Maintenance Engineer, Network Rail
Lancaster, Barrow and Carlisle Section in-person meeting
This presentation focuses on the development of an alternative regime to the standard ‘B01’ foot patrol for the basic inspection of OLE equipment on the West Coast Main Line, which makes significant use of train-borne video recording and also analysis using artificial intelligence. The motivation for this development was the phasing out of foot patrol inspections employing the lookout-operated warning system (LOWS) by Network Rail: this resulted in a need to meet the inspection criteria set out in standards without the availability of significant track access during normal train running, and the section of WCML between Carnforth and Carlisle, where LOWS was predominantly employed, was adopted for the trials. The resulting ‘B01-A’ desktop-based inspection regime is the first of its kind on Network Rail, and consideration is given to the potential for further improvements to this regime, such as the use of a dedicated Class 153 inspection vehicle; this would also facilitate the inspection of track bonding.
Those attending should assemble at Preston railway station below the Preston Pals War Memorial plaque (adjacent to the subway stairs on Platforms 3 and 4) at 15:15, if attending the first meeting, or 16:15, if attending the second. They will then be accompanied from the Memorial to North Union House to join the meeting in each case.
Meeting in-person from 15:15 for a 15:30 start for those wishing to hear from Stephen Barber and Steve Whitmore. The main presentation will take place from 16:15 for a 16:30 start.
Light refreshments available before and between meetings.
If you are a PWI member, please book your space if would like this event to be automatically recorded in your CPD portfolio.
