UK Rail Research and Innovation Network

The University of Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education is home to one of UKRRIN’s four Centres of Excellence, the Centre of Excellence in Digital Systems (CEDS). Together with a growing cohort of Industrial members and managed by a coordinating hub run by the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB), UKRRIN is revolutionising innovation in the rail industry by bringing together academic centres with industrial partners from all over the supply chain.

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 such as Network Rail’s Rail Innovation and Development Centres.

Centres were created in:

• Digital Systems (led by University of Birmingham, in partnership with Lancaster University, Imperial College London, Swansea University and University of Hull)
• 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 the University of Nottingham, the University of Sheffield, Loughborough University and Heriot-Watt University).

Some £92m of total funding was committed to the centres by the UK Government and leading industrial partners.

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.

To find out more about UKRRIN click the button below.