York student designs new device to save Network Rail £1 million

Jackson Hall stands next to an electrical engineering training unit in AGH Engineering's office (Image: York College & University Centre)

A student’s engineering solution is saving Network Rail more than £1 million in rail delay costs.

Jackson Hall, a 17-year-old T Level student from York College, designed a device to stop rodents from damaging signal boxes, an issue that had repeatedly taken sections of track out of use and led to significant disruption.

He was tasked with the challenge during a work placement with AGH Engineering, based in York, after the company was approached by Network Rail to address the long-standing problem.

Mr Hall said: "I’m proud because there's been investment into it and it’s going to make a difference.

"Before, if just one of the boxes was damaged by a rat, or even an unlucky spider, it was creating a short circuit that would stop trains being able to run on miles and miles of track."

After a site visit, Mr Hall used 3D scanning and computer-aided design (CAD) software to develop a prototype at AGH’s city-centre office.

His initial polycarbonate model was then refined into a second version, which successfully addressed the issue.

The device is now in use in the Leeds area.

Adam Wood, principal at AGH Engineering, praised Mr Hall’s work during National T Level Week.

He said: "Two of Adam’s screens have already been installed for Network Rail in the signal boxes and there’s a plan to introduce a further 63.

"It’s all come from his ideas and thought process, which is impressive for a student coming to us at the age of 17.

"It shows there are good students coming through and it's clearly a nice thing for them to understand and see."

The solution has not only saved Network Rail significant delay costs but has also improved AGH’s standing within the rail industry.

Mr Wood added: "For Jackson to deliver something that has future-proofed and negated an issue has enhanced the confidence the client has in our company.

"They’ll be asking who developed the solution and AGH Engineering’s name will crop up, which naturally helps our reputation and our forward work balance."

"We were talking around covering £25,000 in costs for the job and, when you’re looking at the ongoing savings for Network Rail, in terms of limiting that cable fault by stopping animals getting in, there was a recent delay at Leeds station where they had a power failure and that cost Network Rail north of £1million alone."

AGH Engineering has offered Mr Hall a full-time role as a design technician upon completion of his T Level, along with sponsorship for an HND qualification on the path to becoming a chartered engineer.

His work could eventually be rolled out nationwide, as similar issues with animal intrusion have been reported beyond Leeds.