A team of world-leading scientists has been awarded a £3.1million research grant to underpin a radical overhaul of the performance of the UK’s railway track system.
The research programme, Track21, brings together academics from The University of Nottingham, the University of Southampton, and The University of Birmingham and key industrial partners.
With funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) the aim is to develop a comprehensive understanding of the engineering, economic and environmental performance of railway track that will provide the science needed to bring about a step-change improvement in techniques for track design, construction and maintenance.
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The Nottingham research will be led by Glenn McDowell, Professor of Geomechanics in the Faculty of Engineering’s Centre for Geomechanics.
Professor McDowell said: "At Nottingham we have a lot of experience and expertise in research of the micro mechanics of particulate materials, and we are at the forefront of numerical modelling of aggregates of irregular shaped particles. Our fundamental scientific approach to looking at ballast behaviour will enable us to produce a step-change in the design of railway track. This is a unique and exciting collaborative opportunity which will allow us to make a real impact in railway engineering".
This team of experts will be studying the ground beneath the track; ballast, sleepers and alternative methods of rail support; noise and vibration, and economic and energy costs. The programme has been developed in consultation with industry partners.
Track21 is a partnership project involving Network Rail, High Speed 2 (HS2) — the high speed railway which will serve the Midlands and the North West of England, RSSB — the organization which facilitates continuous improvement in the health and safety performance of the railways in Great Britain, the Railway Industry Association, Balfour Beatty Rail, Scott Wilson, Pandrol and Corus Rail. For more information visit www.track21.org.uk
Professor William Powrie, of the University of Southampton, said: “This is a unique and exciting opportunity to make a real difference to the railway system.
"The railway industry is constantly making gradual improvements, but what we’re doing is something different. We’re interested in high-quality science. Working with our industry partners, we want to create the new knowledge that will inform not just incremental advances but a fundamental shift in the way the existing network is maintained and new lines are designed and built.
“The implications will be far-reaching; reduced costs, increased capacity and improved reliability would make an appreciable difference to all rail users.
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Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham, described by The Times as Britain's “only truly global university”, has award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings.
The University is committed to providing a truly international education for its 39,000 students, producing world-leading research and benefiting the communities around its campuses in the UK and Asia.
More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, with almost 60 per cent of all research defined as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. Research Fortnight analysis of RAE 2008 ranked the University 7th in the UK by research power.
The University’s vision is to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health.
More news from the University at: www.nottingham.ac.uk/news
University facts and figures at: www.nottingham.ac.uk/about/facts/factsandfigures.aspx
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is the UK’s main agency for funding research in engineering and the physical sciences. The EPSRC invests more than £850 million a year in research and postgraduate training to help the nation handle the next generation of technological change.
The University of Southampton is a leading UK teaching and research institution with a global reputation for research and scholarship across a wide range of subjects in engineering, science, social sciences, health, arts and humanities. More information can be found at: www.southampton.ac.uk