Stephen qualified with First Class Honours in Mechanical Engineering from Heriot-Watt University in 1993. He then joined British Rail Research, initially working for the Track and Civil Engineering Department. During this time, he started his MSc in Railway Systems Engineering on a part time basis at Sheffield University. He then spent several years as a key member of the Braking and Adhesion Team.
During this time, the company changed to become AEA Technology Rail where Stephen became a member of the Vehicle Dynamics Team. After a number of years working in this area, the company changed again to become DeltaRail, where he took on the role of Strategic Bid Manager.
Stephen joined the BCRRE team at the University of Birmingham in 2010 as a Teaching Fellow, supporting the University’s MSc in Railway Systems Engineering & Integration (RSEI) programme. His role was then expanded to include a wide range of railway research including the development of hydrogen traction for rail, and the decarbonisation of rolling stock.