Institution of Railway Signal Engineers

The IRSE is based in London, with international sections in: • Australasia • Hong Kong • India • Japan • The Netherlands • North America • Singapore • Southern Africa • Switzerland • Malaysia • Indonesia • France • Thailand In the UK: • London and South East • Midland and North Western • Plymouth • Scottish • Western • York There is also a Minor Railways section specialising in railways that are not part of the national network, including industrial, tourist and heritage railways. Additionally, a Younger Members section aims to contribute to and improve the development of new entrants into the sector. Benefits include the co-ordination of a number of events each year.

The headquarters of the IRSE is in Westminster, London, in the offices of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. The Chief Executive is Blane Judd BEng FCGI CEng FIET

Elsie Louisa Winterton became the IRSE's first woman member in 1923, whilst working as a draughtswoman for the Great Western Railway.

The IRSE Licensing Scheme was introduced in 1994 as a means of competence certification for people undertaking work in the railway signalling and telecommunications industry. Over 50 licence categories cover the design, installation, testing, maintenance and engineering management of both railway signalling and telecommunications. Possession of a licence (or evidence that you are working towards obtaining a licence) is essential for people who want to carry out S&T engineering work for Network Rail or London Underground. Network Rail and London Underground require themselves and their contractors and consultants to ensure that all S&T engineers engaged in safety-critical and safety-related work possess IRSE licences.