Member Article

Government to front £5m investment in rail industry

The Government is leading on an investment of £5m to accelerate business innovation and growth in the UK’s rail industry.

The funding, from the Technology Strategy Board, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills and RSSB, will support the development of technologies to address challenges and to meet customer requirements in both UK and international rail markets.

£5m will be invested through grant awards to 19 major new business-led research development projects.

Iain Gray, Chief Executive of the Technology Strategy Board, added: “These exciting business-led collaborative projects will develop innovative technologies to address the key challenges facing the UK rail industry today – cost, carbon, capacity and customer satisfaction – and we are delighted to be working with the rail industry through RSSB to support such vital business innovation.”

Len Porter, Chief Executive of RSSB, said: “The railway industry is a product of invention and innovation, but today the industry is facing the twin challenges of growth while reducing costs.

“This partnership recognises the role that innovation from all sizes of business can play in meeting those challenges. We are delighted to be working with the Technology Strategy Board to take so many exciting projects forward.”

The 19 projects will involve a total of 46 companies, universities and other organisations, including 21 SMEs.

Some of the projects to be included in the programme involve the development of systems to improve the energy efficiency of both diesel and electric-powered trains; better passenger services such as multi-modal journey planning and enhanced voice and broadband provision on passenger trains; improving safety and reducing delays and cost in winter with energy efficient heating system for points and an on-train adhesion monitoring system; and reducing the lifetime costs of rail infrastructure and rolling-stock with technologies such as laser cladding, asset monitoring systems and the use of composite materials.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .