Invited by Institute of Aerospace and Special Electrical Machines, Prof Roderick A Smith, fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, delivered an impressive lecture with the topic of Background and Recent Developments in UK and European Railways on May 9 last Friday. Prof Shen Jianxin, Fang Youtong, Lu Qinfen, together with other faculties and students attended the lecture.
Attendees were listening attentively to Prof Smith's presentation on Background and Recent Developments in UK and European Railways.
Professor Smith presented in detail the British and European railway’s history and its blueprint according to his research experience and the current statistical data which could be obtained. He then came further to similarities and differences between high speed railway and other transportation means. Finally he expressed his view on safety and technical problems which high-speed railways were faced with. All the attendees were impressed by Prof Smith’s humorous presentation and had a better understanding of the development of European high-speed railways.
Professor Roderick A Smith, ScD., FREng., is the Royal Academy of Engineering Research Professor in Advanced Railway Engineering and Chairman of the Future Rail Research Centre at Imperial College London. He is author of more than 300 publications on fatigue and fracture of metals and latterly on many aspects of railway engineering. He was a member of the British Rail Board’s Research and Technical Committee (1992-96) and Head of the Advanced Railway Research Centre at the University of Sheffield from (1993-00). He has been Head of Mechanical Engineering at both Sheffield (1992-5) and Imperial College (2000-5). He is a frequent expert witness in legal cases involving railway engineering, a keynote speaker at international conferences and an elected Vice President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. He is a Trustee of the Science Museum and a member of the advisory Board of the National Railway Museum. Recent EPSRC contacts include the highly rated GR/R17577/01 Fatigue Design of Railway Axles, many interactions with Railway Research UK and membership of the EPSRC Peer Review College. He has held extensive industrial financial research support from Hitachi, AEATechnology Rail and his research Chair is currently supported by Network Rail.
