About

Why is UKRRIN needed?

The UK Rail Research and Innovation Network (UKRRIN) is designed to create powerful collaboration between academia and industry, aiming to provide a step-change in innovation in the sector and accelerate new technologies and products from research into market applications globally.

What is UKRRIN?

The initiative was built on the development of three Centres of Excellence formed by a consortium of universities, in collaboration with existing industry testing and trialling facilities and Network Rail. Some £92m of total funding was committed to the centres by the UK Government and leading industrial partners.

Centres have been created in:

• Digital Systems (led by University of Birmingham, in partnership with Lancaster University, Imperial College London, Swansea University, University of Hull and University of Derby),

• Rolling Stock (led by University of Huddersfield, in partnership with Newcastle University, Loughborough University, University of Cambridge, University of Bristol, Brunel University and University of Nottingham) and

• Infrastructure (led by University of Southampton, in partnership with University of Nottingham, University of Sheffield, Loughborough University , Heriot-Watt University and Swansea University).

The network now also has a number of affiliate members offering cross-cutting expertise and facilities to the network as a whole:

• Cranfield University
• University of Leeds
• University College London (UCL)

What does it do?

UKRRIN offers industry access to purpose built world-leading facilities and skills in a range of areas to support research, development and innovation for new technologies and products. The centres are supported by industrial partners to deliver world-leading research from inception to market application for both the UK and global markets. The Centres of Excellence provide the ability to deliver new products and technology to market faster, using advanced purpose-built simulation and testing facilities. The centres also help the UK maintain its position as a technology leader in rail on the world stage.

Key aims and objectives

• Support and build UK rail sector capacity and capability to develop, deliver and deploy new technologies
• Deliver a step change investment in rail innovation through a world-leading network of UK- based research and testing centres
• Radically increase UK rail productivity and performance by delivering transformational innovations and accelerating its uptake
• Develop new strategic relationships with the small – medium sized enterprise supply chain, rail industry and wider transport sector

Network Coordination

The UKRRIN Coordinating Hub provides is the opportunities for academia, suppliers, technology inventors and SME’s to have access to, and work with, industry experts to help them understand the route to market for new technology, products and systems.