Progress Rail manufactures switch and crossing (S&C) layouts for use in domestic and international markets. Crossings are safety-critical components and Hannah’s novel work has considered the design and analysis of them. Through extensive first-of-their-kind practical trials and finite element modelling the research has assessed the crossing design, enabling design modifications to be justified and incorporated into manufactured crossings. This has provided the foundation on which to extend the trials and consider how a crossing is affected, often adversely, by track voiding.

Hannah is a Senior Engineer – Crossing Development at Progress Rail and the Permanent Way Institution (PWI) Vice President for Scotland.  With 12 years’ experience in the railway industry, her presentation provides an overview of Progress Rail, the fundamentals of how a cast austenitic manganese steel (AMS) crossing is manufactured and the above-mentioned research, which formed the basis of her PhD from Heriot-Watt University.