Come along to our Rail Electrification: Investment, Maintenance, Renewals, Research Seminar on 10 September 2026 – hear from industry leaders as they explore major projects, evolving electrification strategies, and the innovations shaping the future of sustainable rail across the North West → Find out more.

Increase recognition of your expertise

RailEI Fellowship

What is RailEI Fellowship (FRailEI)?

Raise your professional standing

The grade of Fellow is the highest grade of membership that RailEI can confer upon a member. RailEI Fellowship will raise your professional standing within the industry, increase recognition of your expertise and enhance your professional networks. 

As detailed below, an applicant for Fellowship must hold or have held a senior or influential position in the railway industry and made a significant contribution to the industry or to RailEI.

Applicants should be able to demonstrate:
Applicants Should Be Able To Demonstrate:
  • That they carry responsibilities appropriate to the grade of Fellow.
  • Their application of underpinning engineering knowledge in making decisions.
  • The breadth of their experience, technically and managerially, appropriate to the grade of Fellow.
  • Their personal and professional commitment to the RailEI Code of Professional Conduct and future commitment to the RailEI.
Who are typical candidates?
Who Are Typical Candidates?
  • A Chartered Engineer with 20+ years’ experience in a senior position in railway engineering.
  • A technically qualified but not professionally registered engineer with 25-30 years in a senior position in railway engineering.
  • A qualified MEng / MSc Chartered Engineer with 10+ years’ experience and the ability to demonstrate significant technical leadership in a specialist area.
  • A qualified IEng or CEng in a very senior position at director level.
  • An eminent, very senior person in the rail industry eg MD, Director.
Who may not yet be quite ready?
  • An influential rail director without professional qualifications and less than 10 years’ experience. They may be asked to first do IEng / CEng by the appropriate route.
  • An experienced engineer with up to 20 years’ experience without qualifications. They may be asked to first do IEng / CEng by the appropriate route.
  • An Incorporated or Chartered Engineer with less than 10 years’ experience. They may be asked to wait until they have more experience.
How to apply
How To Apply

Complete the application form with personal and work details and describe in 200-300 words how you demonstrate a personal commitment to the RailEI Code of Professional Conduct and your future commitment to the RailEI. 

You’ll also need to:

  • Support from two sponsoring Fellows, at least one of which must be a RailEI Fellow.
  • Remember to enclose your CV and CPD records for the past 12 months. 

Includes printed Journal and / or e-Journal

2026 Annual Fellowship fees

Fellow

£165

Apply

Concession

£63

Fellows aged 68 or over.

Apply

EngTech Fellow

£180

We’ll collect your Engineering Council Registration fee of £24.06 through your RailEI subscription and pay it to the Engineering Council on your behalf.

IEng Fellow

£255

We’ll collect your Engineering Council Registration fee of £41.97 through your RailEI subscription and pay it to the Engineering Council on your behalf.

CEng Fellow

£275

We’ll collect your Engineering Council Registration fee of £49.45 through your RailEI subscription and pay it to the Engineering Council on your behalf.

FRailEI gives me the confidence to propose ideas and drive them forward

I’ve been a Fellow of RailEI for approximately six years now. Fellowship is the highest grade of RailEI membership, awarded to senior professionals who have made a major contribution to the industry. I received my award in recognition of my significant and on-going research and testing on the subject of mitigations against low-adhesion railhead conditions (ie train-borne sanders to combat leaves on the line). My work is aimed at improving the Autumn performance of our railways. I’d been working towards applying for Fellowship with RailEI for several years, and in 2013 I had a suitable opportunity where my project work enabled me to demonstrate that I had the breadth of experience (technically and managerially) appropriate to a RailEI Fellow. I was relatively young when I became a RailEI Fellow and I feel that having those FRailEI letters on my business card is a recognition of my professional standing within my industry and gives me the confidence to propose ideas and drive them forward. Being a Fellow of the RailEI has also contributed substantially to my career development.
Liam Purcell MEng CEng FRailEI FICELiam is an Inspector of Rail Accidents for the Rail Accident Investigation Branch, and was appointed a RailEI Fellow in 2014

Professional Registration with the RailEI

Learn more