UK Rail Research and Innovation Network building facility
November 2020 marked the successful completion of the £16.4M UK Rail Research and Innovation Network building facility (UKRRIN) Building. A new purpose-built centre designed to deliver specialist research in digital railway engineering.
Procured through the Constructing West Midlands framework, the 3000 m2 facility offers a variety of contemporary and flexible design and research spaces that act as an incubator for innovation, strengthening teaching and building research partnerships. Open offices, meeting rooms, seminar rooms and event spaces will enable industry partners to come and work directly with University experts and researchers.
The New UKRRIN Building includes:
- Open seminar rooms and event facilities
- Cyber Security Lab
- Electronics fabrication/light labs
- Simulation Control Room & Simulation Suite
- Robotics Lab
- Railway Systems lab
- Test track for our scaled hydrogen-powered train
- Pantograph Cell
The UKRRIN building
An operator using a train driving simulator
A research demonstrates a large simulation screen
The building offers open plan workspaces comprising desks and workstations
The facility also includes technology assets to enable high quality, fast-paced research, through to proof-of-concept and testing.
The centre is home to specialist research in digital railway engineering, focusing on railway control and simulation, data integration, cybersecurity, condition monitoring and sensing, and improved methods for technology introduction.
The UKRRIN sits alongside the £46.5M new School of Engineering building. The state-of-the-art 12000 m2 facility spans five floors and features a double-height atrium, A new 179-capacity Design Centre, 0-seat electronics, and electrical focused project spaces, 20 flexi-bays specifically designed for staff and student interactions, three 50-seat seminar rooms, expanded computer labs and 160 drop-in study spaces.