The UK is expected to become a world-leading centre of railway expertise after a £92 million partnership has been established between RSSB, the rail supply industry and eight universities. Funding will be used to create three research hubs to develop centres of excellence. It follows a successful bid led by the University of Birmingham. 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. Additional funding will be boosted by £64 million of support from 17 industrial partners including Alstom, Siemens and Bombardier Transportation.
With these new centres of research it is hoped that the UK rail supply industry will be able to develop world-leading new technologies and products for trains, railway systems and infrastructure that will deliver a better, more reliable and efficient railway.