A partnership between RSSB, the rail supply industry and a consortium of eight universities has secured £92 million to fund research aimed at establishing the UK as a world-leading centre of railway excellence.
The partnership, part of the newly-created UK Railway Research and Innovation Network, has won £28.1 million funding from the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund managed by the Higher Education Funding Council for England. This follows a successful bid led by the University of Birmingham. The funding will be boosted by £64 million of support from 17 industrial partners including Alstom, Siemens and Bombardier Transportation.
The funding will be used to create three world-class centres of excellence, forming the research heart of UK Railway Research and Innovation Network, which will focus on:
Digital Systems – located at the University of Birmingham. It will focus on railway control and simulation, data integration and cybersecurity, condition monitoring and sensing, and improved methods for technology introduction.
Rolling Stock – led by the University of Huddersfield in collaboration with the University of Newcastle and Loughborough University. It will focus on high value rolling stock systems, whole life asset optimisation and through-life management, and energy management.
Infrastructure – led by the University of Southampton in collaboration with the University of Sheffield, Loughborough University, the University of Nottingham and Heriot-Watt University.
The world-class centres of excellence along with the UK rail supply industry will be able to develop world-leading new technologies and products for trains, railway systems and infrastructure to deliver a better, more reliable and efficient railway.
Further information can be obtained from the UK Railway Research and Innovation Network website: www.ukrrin.org.uk.