The AREMA Educational Foundation in cooperation with the US Committee to the Watford Group of International Railway Designers is offering two young professional rail or transit employees the opportunity to gain an international perspective on rail and transit design and operations by becoming Watford Fellows for 2025.
The 2025 Watford Fellowship Program consists of two paid registrations to the 2025 Watford Conference scheduled for September 24 – 27, 2025 in the United Kingdom. The three-day conference will be held in conjunction with 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway. The British rail network is undergoing significant investment including the HS2 High Speed Line, the recent opening of London’s Crossrail and regional improvements in the Midlands. The Conference will include presentations by the attendees on all aspects of railway planning including: design, and construction with an emphasis on buildings, bridge and tunnel structures, rolling stock design, graphics, and corporate identity. In addition to technical presentations, the Conference will include tours of recent infrastructure and rolling stock projects and opportunities to interact with railroaders from many countries. The program will be of keen interest to AREMA members in the Passenger & Transit, Structures, and Engineering Services Functional Groups.
The Watford Conference registration fee includes nearly all the meals during the conference, all local travel, and admission fees for conference activities. The Fellowship grant will reimburse four nights of hotel accommodation and incidental meals in the United Kingdom not covered by the registration fee. The only added cost to a North American would be trans-Atlantic air travel (could be done using airline rewards) and expenses before and after the Conference. The total value of the grant may not exceed US $2200.
To learn more about the Watford Fellowship check out our Season 2 Episode 11 Podcast with Thomas Cornillie and James Michel.