A 17-year-old engineering student from York has designed a simple device that could help prevent animal damage from causing railway delays and costly repairs.
Jackson Hall developed a polycarbonate screen during a work placement with York design consultancy AGH Engineering. The cover sits over electrical cables, stopping rats and other animals from chewing through them.
From college project to railway rollout
Damage at ageing signal boxes can trigger short circuits, power failures and disruption across large sections of track. Network Rail has installed Jackson’s screen at two signal boxes in the Leeds area, with plans for it to be used at a further 63.
AGH has also been asked to quote for fitting the device at 65 signal boxes. The company hopes the product could eventually be introduced across the country.
Jackson came up with the idea while studying a manufacturing and engineering T-Level at York College. He has been offered a job with AGH as a design technician when he finishes his course next summer, and the firm will fund a Higher National Diploma qualification.
The invention follows concerns about the wider cost of failures, including repairs and compensation after a recent power problem at Leeds Station reportedly cost more than £1m. By protecting vulnerable cables, the screen could help reduce disruption for passengers as well as costs for rail operators.
Why it matters for Britain
The project gives a young Yorkshire engineer a route into skilled work while testing a practical way to protect railway infrastructure. If adopted more widely, it could help cut avoidable delays and repair bills on the UK rail network.
