UKIS Engage: HS2 Sign R&D Agreement

On Friday 14 August 2020, HS2 Ltd signed a ground-breaking agreement with leading research centres in UK universities to enable it to access world-leading research capabilities, knowledge and facilities, a part of its innovation programme.

This agreement with the UK Rail Research and Innovation Network (UKRRIN) will allow HS2 Ltd to be at the forefront of innovation within the rail sector, and will also help accelerate new technology and products from research into market applications on a global scale.

Along with the “3 Cs” – increasing capacity on the rail network, offering greater connectivity throughout the UK, and creating a low carbon transport alternative – building HS2 will also show off the best of British skills, innovation and engineering, and this partnership is a key example of this.

The University of Birmingham will coordinate UKRRIN activities in support of HS2 Ltd under the agreement, and support R&D across the three UKRRIN academic centres of excellence, including:

• Digital Systems (led by the University of Birmingham)
• Infrastructure (led by the University of Southampton)
• Rolling Stock (led by the University of Huddersfield)

Upon signing the agreement with UKRRIN on behalf of HS2 Ltd, the project’s Head of Innovation, Howard Mitchell, said: “HS2 is a major opportunity for British academia and UK plc to come together and meet the challenge of delivering what is a huge investment in the country’s future. The programme’s scale and longevity create the right conditions to develop solutions for High Speed 2 and also the wider rail industry – both of which are crucial in helping Britain to decarbonise.”

The first project under the new agreement is to be led by the University of Birmingham and will use simulation models in order to improve understanding of the performance of expansion joints used on high-speed rails.

Professor Clive Roberts, Director of the Birmingham Centre of Railway Research and Education (BCRRE) added:
“BCRRE works very closely with our industry partners to develop and deploy world-leading technologies onto the railway.  High speed rail is a vital part of the future of rail innovation in the UK and we’re delighted to be joining forces with HS2 to play our part in that future.”

Professor Stephen Jarvis, Head of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Birmingham, said: “By supporting HS2’s research programme we can help accelerate advances that will improve the UK’s railways through increasing capacity and decreasing the system’s carbon footprint. Through initiatives like this we can put the UK at the forefront of rail innovation and play our part in restoring the UK’s economy.”

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