Capacity Capability Connectivity The Midlands: Opportunities in Rail
The UK Rail Industry The UK railway system is the oldest in the world and employs more than 200,000 people, from train drivers and station staff to those responsible for managing and maintaining the network’s 20,000 miles of track - along with a vast range of supply chain companies. As a global rail innovator, the UK is at the forefront of developing even bigger and better rail systems, as well as managing and enhancing its long-established network. Major rail projects like HS2, Crossrail 2, Deep Tube, the Inter City Express Programme and the continued renewal of the network will be vitally important to the country’s ability to compete on the global stage. A decade of unprecedented growth has coincided with improved performance. Record numbers of passengers have been traveling on the UK mainline railway network. Seeing the longest sustained growth in history, today’s network delivers 1.5 billion passenger journeys a year. Since privatisation 20 years ago, passenger kilometres and journeys have more than doubled. This rail passenger growth has outperformed key external drivers of demand, such as population or employment, taking a bigger share of the passenger market. Rail passenger growth in the UK is greater than all other European countries, including France, Germany and the Netherlands.
Light rail, tram and metro networks are also set to continue to grow strongly in the UK, with passenger journeys on the eight key networks increasing by 9 per cent annually. The London Underground (LU) network alone makes around 1.2 billion journeys every year. LU connects the capital via 11 lines, 270 stations and 402km of track, with each train travelling on average 126,000km each year. Remaining a significant driver for the UK economy, the UK rail industry accounts for expenditure of around £12 billion per year and provides more than 200,000 UK jobs, with around 40 percent of those in the supply chain. This growth is set to continue well into the future, with train operators and Network Rail planning to accommodate an extra 400 million rail journeys on the mainline network by 2020. The industry’s business plan is for 20 per cent more capacity into and out of central London at peak times, and a 32 per cent increase in seats into and out of large regional cities. Looking even further ahead, passenger kilometres are forecast to double over 30 years from 2010 levels, with similar predictions for the growth of freight moved in tonne kilometres. And at the heart of the UK rail network is the Midlands.
The Midlands at a Glance
ÂŁ
ÂŁ222bn GVA
250+
rail companies
200making
31% under 25 years old
YEARS trains
2.2m educated to degree level
20
Rail centres of excellence
2 7 universities
9
Rail and Engineering Specialist Colleges
11.5m population
5
Rail Test Facilities
Welcome to the Midlands The Midlands is one of the most dynamic areas in the UK. Located at the heart of a connected transport network, it has close proximity to London, and access to 75% of the UK within 2 hours. Home to over 11.5 million people and 780,000 businesses, the region includes the cities of Birmingham and Nottingham alongside Coventry, Derby, Hereford, Leicester, Lincoln, Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton and Worcester.
The region’s 27 universities support a world-class science and innovation base making the region a global centre of excellence in areas such as advanced manufacturing, engineering, low carbon technology, healthcare, life sciences and agri-food and drink. A high quality of life also attracts people to live, work, study and invest here, with the Midlands region blessed with five Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, 60 historic houses, two UNESCO World Heritage Sites and a thriving culture of sport, music and the arts.
With the local economy worth more than £220 billion generating 13% of the UK’s Gross Value Added (GVA), employing 18% of the UK population and generating 16% of UK exports to 178 countries, the Midlands is an engine of growth at the heart of the UK. The home of Shakespeare, Robin Hood, JRR Tolkien and Sir Isaac Newton is today at the centre of plans for a new high speed rail network and an innovation hub for advanced manufacturing, automotive, life sciences, digital technologies and rail technologies. Birmingham Airport handles over 10 million passengers across 140 routes annually, while East Midlands Airport is the UK’s second largest cargo handler. In total, 45% of British rail freight and 33% of heavy road freight goes to, from or through the Midlands. The region has the fastest improving rail network in Europe and by 2033 will be the hub of the country’s new HS2 high speed rail network – expanding capacity and connecting to London in less than 50 minutes.
Lincoln HS2
Manchester Airport Stoke-on-Trent M1 East Midlands Airport
HS2
Shrewsbury
Nottingham
Derby
M6
Immingham & Grimsby
M54
M6
M42
TOLL
Wolverhampton M5
Birmingham Birmingham Solihull M6 Int. Airport Coventry M42
Leicester
M1
Northampton
M5 Worcester
M50
M40 London Heathrow, Gatwick, and Stansted Airports
HS2
M5 London Luton Airport
The Midlands Opportunity Capacity, Capability, Connectivity The Midlands is at the heart of UK advanced engineering, home to a global cluster of aerospace, automotive and rail companies. Aston Martin Lagonda, BMW, Bombardier, Jaguar Land Rover, Geely, GKN, JCB, Rolls-Royce, Siemens and Toyota UK are just some of the OEMs here designing and manufacturing the transport solutions of today and tomorrow. Our highly skilled workforce, world-class training facilities and internationally renowned universities and innovation centres, combined with excellent connectivity by rail, road and air and a superb quality of life, has made the Midlands the first choice for advanced engineering and manufacturing in the UK. We’ve been building trains and railways for 200 years, and today we are on the fast track for a new rail revolution, driven by exciting opportunities and technologies such as high speed rail, light rail and digital technologies. The Midlands is a hotspot for R&D activity in transport technologies. Our rail supply chain includes expertise in rolling stock design, development and manufacture; infrastructure and consultancy services; systems and signalling; and light and very light rail technologies.
The Midlands Opportunity The University of Birmingham is a world-leading centre for rail research, and a new High Speed Rail College will open shortly in Birmingham. Derby is the UK home of Bombardier and continues to be a major centre of rail technology in the UK. The Midlands Metro and Nottingham Metro showcase the latest tram and light rail technology. The Midlands has five rail test centres, including Rail Innovation and Development Centres at Melton and Tuxford. The Quinton Rail Technology Centre is a leading centre for the deployment and testing of light rail technology; and a proposed very light rail innovation centre at Dudley, in association with WMG at the University of Warwick will showcase light rail technologies. High Speed 2 (HS2), at £55bn, is one of the world’s largest live global investment programmes in high speed rail. The UK is also investing heavily in conventional and light rail renewal and expansion, as well as improved stations and infrastructure. The Midlands is seeing large investment in existing and new rail projects, such as Midland Mainline, Midlands Metro and the Midlands Connect programme. Our Midlands location provides the best access to the HS2 opportunity and other Midlands rail investments, and our leading supply chain and central location makes this an excellent base to access rail projects elsewhere in the UK. Capacity, capability and connectivity ‌ the Midlands Engine is on track to provide the best rail investment opportunities for your business.
The Midlands Opportunity A Leading Rail Cluster The Midlands’ rail supply chain includes some of the world’s leading engineering, consultancy, design, technology and manufacturing companies. Station your business in Europe’s most dynamic rail cluster. A Bratt & Son Ltd
Carillion
Graybar Ltd
Lloyds Somers
PRS
SWA Fortis Ltd
AB Hoses & Fittings
Cembre Ltd
Grayson Thermal Systems
LORAM UK Ltd
PSV Wipers Ltd
Sydac Limited
ABB Limited
Centre for Railway Research & Ed
Great Central Railway
Marlec Engineering Co Ltd
Qualitrain Limited
Tarmac
ABG Construction & Mineral Tools
CH2M Hill
Guidance Automation
Masters Rail Ltd
Racon Management Services Ltd
TBAT Innovation
Abtec Engineering Ltd
Collis Engineering Ltd
Harting
McGeoch LED Technology
Radar Finance and Leasing Ltd
Tecforce Ltd
Achilles Information Ltd
CoMech Metrology
HaslerRail
MCL Group Industries Ltd
Rail Operations Group
Telent Technology Services Ltd
Advanced Building Composites
Common Time Ltd
Hayley Rail
Mendip Rail Aggregate Industries
Rail Safety Solutions
TEW Control & Display Limited
Aecom
Coriel Ltd
Health & Safety Laboratory
Michael Evans & Associates Ltd
Rail Vision Europe Ltd
Tidyco Ltd
Aegis Engineering Systems Ltd
Creactive Design
Heanor Haulage Limited
Millenium Site Services
Railcare Sweden Ltd
Total Training Company (UK) Ltd
Allied Insulators Ltd
Cytec Industrial Materials Ltd
Heinrich Georg (UK) Ltd
Morgan Advanced Materials Plc
Railway Brake Services Limited
TQ Catalis Limited
Alstom Transportation
Data Acquisition & Testing Services
High Speed Two (HS2)
Morris Lubricants
RE Cooke Limited
Tracsis Plc
Altrans
Data and Process Advantage Ltd
Hitachi
Motorail Logistics
Resonate
Train FX
Alumasc Water Management
Datum
Holemasters Demtech Ltd
Mott Macdonald
Revaluetech Ltd
Transport Design International
Amphenol (Nottingham) Limited
Daventry Bus. & Consultancy Ltd
HORIBA MIRA Ltd
MRX Technologies
Ricardo Rail Limited
Transport KTN
Angel Trains
DCA Design Consultants
HTA Group Ltd
NAL Ltd
Rockwell Automation
Trelleborg
Anglia Metal Ltd
Dellner Limited
Huber + Suhner
Neterson Holdings Ltd
Roger Bullivant Limited
Turnell and Odell Limited
Apex Engineers Ltd
Depe Gear Co Ltd
HYDRO Systems UK
Network Certification Body
Rosehill Rail
TXM Projects (Group)
Applied Inspection Ltd
Design and Analysis Limited
IM Kelly Rail Ltd
Network Rail
RTC Group
UK Tram Ltd
Arbil Ltd
Destec Engineering Limited
ID Computing Ltd
Nottingham Trams Ltd
Samuel Taylor Ltd
UKRL Ltd
Arrowvale Electronics
Donfabs & Consillia
Idom Merebrook
Nuns Street Plating Ltd
Sapa Profiles UK Ltd
Ultra Electronics PMES
Arthur Flury (UK) Ltd
DWG Timber Components Ltd
iLine Technologies
OLEO International Ltd
Scott Bader Co Ltd
Uni-Lite International Ltd
ARUP
Elastacloud Limited
Impreglon UK Ltd
OnSite
SDC Manufacturing UK Ltd
Unilathe Ltd
Aspin Group
Elite KL
Inside Out Group (Europe) Ltd
Onyxrail Ltd
Selectequip Ltd
Universal Fabrications Ltd
ATA Recruitment Ltd
Enscite
Institute of Materials Finishing
Optical Coating Technologies
Serco Rail Technical Services
Van Elle Limited
Atkins
Entire Engineering Ltd
INTEG Solutions Ltd
Oxford Plastic Systems Ltd
SET Ltd
Vidiwave Ltd
B Hepworth & Co
ESG Rail
Intertek NDT
Parker Hannifin
Severn Lamb
Visul Systems Ltd
Bakerbellfield Ltd
ESSEMPY
ISS Labour Ltd
PAULEY (Interactive)
Severn Valley Railway plc
Viva Rail
Balfour Beatty Rail Services
Fabrikat (Nottingham) Ltd
Jacobs Engineering
Penso
Shorterm Limited
Von Roll UK
Battery Service Hub
Federal Mogul
Jobson James Insurance Brokers
Permafast Limited
Siemens plc
Vossloh Kiepe UK Ltd
Bernstein Ltd
Flip Up Seat Ltd
Jonathan Lee Group
Phoenix Contact Ltd
Siemens Rail Automation
VTG Rail UK Ltd
Bodyguard Workwear
Flotec Industrial Ltd
KM & T Ltd
Pilz Automation Technology
Siemens Transportation Systems
Wabtec Rail
Bombardier Transportation
Ford & Stanley Rail Recruitment
Knorr-Bremse
Plastic Coatings Ltd
Silentbloc UK Ltd
Ward Recycling
Bridgeway Consulting Ltd
Fosroc Ltd
Komplete Group
Polypipe Civils
SNC Lavalin
Webro Cable and Connectors
Brush Traction
FP McCann Ltd
Laser Process Ltd
Porterbrook Leasing Co Ltd
Solo Rail Solutions Ltd
WG Tanker Services Limited
BTRoS Electronics
FPA Consulting Ltd
LB Foster TEW Plus
Powdertech (Corby) Ltd
Southco Manufacturing Ltd
WMG Centre HVM Catapult
C A P Productions Ltd
GAI-Tronics
Learning Unlimited Derby
Power System Services Ltd
Sperry Rail International
WOR-Lifts WOR-Rail
CAF Rail UK Ltd
Garrandale Ltd
Lindhurst Engineering Ltd
Premier Pits
Structural Fabrications Ltd
XEIAD
Capula Ltd
GEW 2 Limited
Lista UK Ltd
Primasil Silicones
Sulzer Dowding & Mills
The Midlands Opportunity Leeds
Hull
Mapping the Midlands’ Rail Capability Manchester Airport
Doncaster
Manchester
Grimsby
Sheffield
Doncaster Sheffield Airport
Chesterfield
M6
Stoke on Trent
Nottingham Derby East Midlands
East Midlands Parkway Loughborough Airport M54 M42 Wolverhampton
Leicester M69
Birmingham
Peterborough
Market Harborough A1
Key
Coventry Warwick Light Rail
Motorways
Strategic Development Sites
HS2
Innovation Centres
Training Centres
M6 Stoke on Trent
Ambergate
Belper Duffield Derby
East Midlands Airport
Nottingham
Attenborough East Midlands Parkway Loughborough Melton Mowbray Sileby
M42
Market Harborough
Oakham
Peterborough
Corby
A1
Kettering
Coventry
Birmingham Airport
Norwich Airport
Syston
Leicester M69
Birmingham New Street
M1
Wellingborough
Train lines Motorways
Northampton
Tram lines
Bedford
M40
Flitwick Harlington Leagrave
Cheltenham Spa
Milton Keynes Central
M5
Luton
Oxford
Luton Airport
Bedford
Cheltenham Spa Milton Keynes
M5
Chesterfield
M54
Northampton
M40
Sheffield
Wolverhampton
M1
Birmingham StratfordAirport upon-Avon
Luton
Stanstead Airport
London Southend Airport St. Pancras International
Key OEMs
Major Projects
Oxford
Luton Airport
Stanstead Airport
London
Heathrow Airport
Major Projects The UK is undergoing a rail renaissance, and the Midlands is at the heart of it. HS2, conventional rail upgrades and exciting developments in innovative light rail and very light rail present unprecedented opportunities for Midlands-based companies.
Key to opportunities Infrastructure Rolling stock Signalling/digital Civils
UK Rail and Infrastructure Opportunities - pipeline of over £100bn £38.3bn
Rail Investment strategy Cross Rail 2
£30bn
HS2 Phase 2
£29bn
HS2 Phase 1
£27bn (forecast)
New tube for London
£16.42bn
Cross Rail 1
£14.8bn
Thameslink
£6.5bn
Inter City Express
£5.7bn (total project) £2.8bn
Great Western Main Line electrification London Bridge Station
£1bn
Wessex Programme
£1bn
Electric Spine
£800m
Edinburgh-Glasgow improvement programme
£742m
Northern Hub
£530m
Midland Mainline Electrification Phase 1
£500m (total project) £500m
Heathrow Rail Link Infrastructure works East Midlands Gateway
£500m (total project)
Midland Mainline Electrification Phase 2
£500m (total project)
Farringdon Station
£375m £290m
Manchester-Selby electrification East West Rail Western Section
£190m
Gospel Oak to Barking electrification
£133m
Coventry Station
£82m
Dudley VLR demonstrator vehicles
£4.2m
Worcestershire Parkway
£22m
West Midlands Rail Interchange Planning decision due
£8m (total project) £11m
Rugby Parkway DIRFT III Rail Terminal
To be confirmed
NUCKLE 1 & 2
To be confirmed
East Midlands Gateway
To be confirmed 2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Major Projects - Midlands HS2 The two HS2 stations and Birmingham Airport, with its huge potential and ability to open up access to key international markets, will drive new areas for regeneration, housing and business growth across the Midlands. The major investment in region-wide connectivity will provide access to significant employment and training opportunities for local residents. HS2 is one of the biggest engineering projects in the world and has the potential to revolutionise intercity travel in the UK, as well as providing unprecedented opportunities for Midlands supply chain companies. The route includes a new Birmingham Interchange station next to Birmingham Airport and the National Exhibition Centre (NEC). The route then splits; one link heads west into Birmingham to a new
Curzon Street station and another links directly to the existing West Coast Main Line to the North. Phase two of HS2 would complete the ‘Y’ shaped network from Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds, where a new HS2 station will be built at Toton to serve Nottingham, Derby and the wider region. HS2 combined with regional rail service enhancements will boost the West Midlands economy, creating
22,000
permanent jobs and a GVA impact of
£1.5bn by 2026
Birmingham is spending almost £1bn on regenerating
the area around the planned HS2 Curzon Street Station, in a scheme that will create 4,000 homes.
2,000 apprenticeships
£14bn
additional economic output
A stronger West Midlands economy as a result of HS2, and complementary rail improvements, would generate tax revenue of some £6.4bn. The Curzon Investment Plan will take place over 30 years, and will lead to the creation of several new neighbourhoods across 141 hectares, 36,000 jobs, as well as the development of the new Curzon Street HS2 Station.
104,000
created and safeguarded jobs 700 business supported to take advantage of the opportunities
2,000,000 of
the region’s population connected to HS2 by public transport
Major Projects - Midlands Midland Main Line Electrification The Midland Mainline runs from London St Pancras to Sheffield, via the East Midlands. It serves a diverse set of markets ranging from long distance and commuter travel to leisure passengers visiting Derby, Leicester and Nottingham as well as London. The line will be completely electrified, bridges and tunnels altered or rebuilt, and work will be carried out to remodel stations and carry out line speed improvements. Enabling electric trains to operate on the full length of the MML will improve journey times and make services more comfortable and smoother for passengers, as well as cleaner and quieter for people living near the railway. The work to electrify the Midlands Mainline is vital to provide a safe, reliable and efficient railway fit for the 21st century and beyond Key facts about the project:
639 km
12,500
16
4
35
24
of track (397 miles)
tunnels
Stations
overhead line electrification masts to be erected National Grid supply points
substations / distribution points
Major Projects - Midlands East Midlands Gateway
Coventry Station
East Midlands Gateway is a large-scale logistics park which will house up to 6 million square feet of warehouse premises covering around 700 acres. It will have its own rail terminal for the exclusive use of freight traffic with the aim of supporting and encouraging the increased movement of freight by rail in the East Midlands region.
COVENTRY station will have its first major upgrade since it was built half a century ago in an ÂŁ82million project featuring a modern glass second footbridge and extended canopies, and an additional 644 multi-storey car park.
The site is centrally located in the Midlands next to J24 of the M1 and East Midlands Airport. The rail terminal will be over 1km long and the south end will lie up to 20m below ground level. Key facts about the project: 775 - A freight terminal to accommodate 775m-long trains
557,414
Up to 557,414 sq m of warehouses
7,250 - 7,250 new jobs created.
A new rail line
to connect to the Castle Donington branch line
New roads and improvements to junction 24 of the M1
The grade II listed current building was built in 1962 and is considered to be one of the finest and largest examples of intact 1960s rail architecture in the UK, but as the fastest growing station outside London, it requires an upgrade to cope with 21st century passenger numbers. The new station building near Central Six car park will serve platforms including a new bay platform for the NUCKLE improved passenger service between Coventry and Nuneaton, stopping at the Ricoh Arena. Subject to funding approval, it is expected that all works on the Coventry station masterplan will be completed by 2021. Key facts about the project:
A new bay
2 - twice-hourly
644
7.5 million –
platform to link with NUCKLE
a new 644 space multi-storey car park
100
100 increase in passenger numbers forecast by 2043
services to run between Coventry and Nuneaton
the number of annual passenger trips by 2024 A bus interchange connected directly to the station building
Major Projects - Midlands Worcestershire Parkway Regional Interchange Station
Rugby Parkway
The new Worcestershire Parkway Regional Interchange Station, which is located at Norton, will serve the North Cotswold Line that links Worcester, Oxford and London Paddington and the Birmingham to Bristol railway line.
The new station is intended to serve Rugby’s expansion – it plans to build new homes on the old radio mast site between Hillmorton and DIRFT. The scheme will cost nearly £11 million and work will begin in May 2018, with a completion date of December 2019.
Having been approved by the Department for Transport (DfT) at the beginning of 2017, the new £22m station is scheduled to open in 2018, making it easier for many more passengers to use the county’s vital ‘North Cotswold’ rail link from Worcester to Oxford and London Paddington. Worcestershire residents will also be able to catch regular long-distance cross country services which currently pass through the county on the Gloucester to Birmingham route without stopping.
The new station will provide a service of two trains per hour (potentially three), allowing direct fast and semi-fast routes to Birmingham, Northampton, the West Midlands, London and the rest of the UK.
Direct link to London
£22m station
Rugby Parkway Station will be located on the Northampton Loop of the West Coast Main Line and it is hoped it will be used by commuters to DIRFT and by mast site residents to get into Rugby town centre.
Major Projects - Midlands West Midlands Rail Interchange
Very Light Rail Innovation Centre, Dudley
West Midlands Rail Interchange is a major strategic rail hub which will boost the West Midlands’ economy. If approved, it could create between 6,500 and 8,500 new jobs as well as ease HGV lorry congestion on some of the region’s busiest roads.
The new £28m very light rail (VLR) innovation centre and rail line has been proposed for Dudley. The project will connect the town with the national rail network for the first time in more than five decades.
These factors, together with its size which is in the region of 250 hectares, make the site ideal for a strategic rail freight interchange. Key facts about the project:
Up to 8500 new jobs
Direct link to the
West Coast Mainline Reduces
road congestion
Close to a major rail route,
major trunk roads and the business and consumer markets
Space needed for large structures, freight access and locations
for businesses to develop Meets local needs for rail-
served facilities and warehousing across the West Midlands, particularly Birmingham, the northern M6 corridor, Staffordshire and parts of Warwickshire.
The new line will comprise two tracks, one for pilot testing of VLR vehicles manufactured at the centre and the other for passenger services. The project is expected to generate approximately 50 jobs during the initial manufacturing phase, which will be enhanced following the start of operations. The new VLR innovation centre will develop and test the VLR prototype vehicle. The building will feature a triple-height engineering hall, a reception area, an office space for 45 people, R&D laboratories, meeting rooms, exhibition spaces, an auditorium and a cafe. The project is being overseen by the Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council and Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) of the University of Warwick. The VLR technology is being developed by Revolution VLR, a consortium led by Transport Design International (TDI) and comprised WMG Innovative Solutions, Unipart Rail, Prose and Trelleborg.
Major Projects - Midlands Coventry VLR
NUCKLE
Coventry is exploring the possibility of a rapid transit ‘very light rail’ system being introduced to connect Coventry station with Warwick University and beyond which forms part of a £620m transport investment plan for the city.
NUCKLE is a package of rail projects to enhance services between Nuneaton, Coventry, Kenilworth, and Leamington Spa. NUCKLE 1 will provide new local stations between Coventry and Nuneaton and an enhanced frequency of trains between 2014 and 2019, together with a new 5th platform at Coventry Station. This is a committed scheme, although the delivery date for the 5th platform is to be determined. NUCKLE 2 - Phase two will include developments at Kenilworth and Coventry. A new Kenilworth station will be built on the route between Coventry and Leamington Spa. Network Rail will be carrying out significant infrastructure works, including signaling upgrades and the relaying of the track through Kenilworth.Later work will include a new platform at Coventry to increase the frequency of services. NUCKLE 3 – will address connectivity between Coventry, Nuneaton and Leicester, with a prospective new crossing across the West Coast Main Line at Nuneaton. Key facts about the project:
2 4
two new stations on the line
Passenger capacity will be raised to four times its current level
£13.6m line upgrade
10,000 boost
to the local economy and benefit the 10,000 residents in the local catchment area.
Major Projects - Midlands DIRFT III
Midland Metro extension
Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT) is the leading Strategic Rail Freight Terminal (SRFT) in the country. Its rapid growth and the consistently high demand for its services demonstrate how very important rail is to supply chains and the logistics industry. The next phase of Prologis RFI DIRFT has planning consent for 7.8 million square feet of rail-served logistics space and a new rail terminal that will link to the existing Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT) infrastructure. Located close to the M1 and M6 motorways and to the A14 and A5 trunk roads, DIRFT is connected to the West Coast Mainline railway.
The Midland Metro is a light-rail/tram line in the West Midlands of England operating between Birmingham and Wolverhampton via West Bromwich and Wednesbury. It is owned and promoted by Transport for West Midlands, and operated by National Express Midland Metro, a subsidiary of National Express.
The expansion comprises:
A rail link from the
existing Rail Port to a replacement intermodal terminal which includes new transshipment sidings, container storage and an HGV reception area
Up to 730,665m2 (7,865,000ft2) of rail served storage and distribution floorspace
Operational facilities
including rail control building and staff facilities
It opened on 30 May 1999, mostly using the former disused Birmingham Snow Hill (now St. Chad’s) to Wolverhampton Low Level Line. An extension into Birmingham City Centre, was approved in 2012, and is now operational and further expansion is planned for the network with a number of schemes in different stages of development, including: - Wolverhampton City Centre Extension - Edgbaston and Centenary Square Extensions Key facts about the project:
A lorry park
Each tram is
strategic open space,
Width
and; infrastructure to serve including roads and bridges
The DIRFT III project has an important role to play in the future of the UK logistics industry. An expanded operation at the DIRFT estate has the potential to support large-scale rail served logistics development, which will provide thousands of new jobs and reduce carbon emissions in the way goods are distributed.
- Eastside Extension - Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Extension - East Birmingham/Solihull
33m long 2.65m Capacity
Accessibility
completely low floor, 2 wheelchair spaces 6 doors
37,301 Km’s travelled per week
210 people (54 seats)
Midland Metro
26
22 km
stops
length of route
Major Projects - National Major mainline upgrades The UK is upgrading a number of major main lines and stations so longer, faster trains can operate more frequently. Alternative routes are being provided to enable growing freight traffic to stay clear of the fast intercity trains. Lines being upgraded in the UK as part of the Strategic Freight Network include the Great Western Main Line, Transpennine, Midland Main Line, East Coast Main Line and the link from Felixstowe to Nuneaton.
Exceeds £850bn Rail freight contributes
£1.6bn
to UK economy
£235m
allocated for projects scheme
Top five rail freight operating companies annual turnover
Rail Investment Strategy (formerly High Level Output Specification) As part of the UK Government’s vision for a better, faster and greener railway, the £9 billion Rail Investment Strategy, announced in 2012, provides for railway upgrades across England and Wales for the period 2014 to 2019. This includes upgrading stations and tracks to create enough capacity around cities for an additional 140,000 passenger journeys daily at peak commuter time. The Scottish Ministers published a separate HLOS as part of a £5 billion package of funding and investment in Scotland’s railways between 2014 and 2019. This will support Network Rail’s delivery of a number of major rail projects as well as a rolling programme of network electrification to improve performance and journey times and reduce emissions.
140,000
additional daily peak time passenger capacity
£5bn investment in Scotland
£9bn
investment in England and Wales
Major Projects - National Crossrail2
New Tube for London
Crossrail2 is a proposal to add further capacity to London’s transport infrastructure to avoid additional crowding on the network. Crossrail 2 would build on Crossrail 1’s legacy, helping to support and advance the UK’s engineering, construction and manufacturing sectors, many of which are located in the Midlands and North. Crossrail 2 could generate enough work to support the equivalent of 60,000 full-time jobs throughout the project and its supply chain. The project would create orders for businesses of all sizes – analysis of the possible supply chain shows that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) could benefit from more than £5bn of spend.
London Underground is undergoing a major renewal that will result in more comfortable journeys and a faster, more reliable service.
A number of options are being considered for Crossrail 2. These include a major new tunnel across London from Wimbledon to Alexandra Palace, with an option to connect to existing rail networks between south west and north east London. Beyond the South East, Crossrail 2 would bring more than 800 destinations around the country within one interchange of a Crossrail 2 station, including towns in the Midlands and the North West Crossrail 2 would also provide capacity and connectivity that supports plans for the new HS2 line. A hybrid bill for the project is expected to be submitted in 2019, which would allow TfL to begin the process of acquiring property and starting construction in the early 2020s, with the scheme expected to be completed in the early to mid-2030s. Crossrail 2 could generate enough work to support the equivalent of
60,000 full-time jobs
800
destinations within one interchange
£5bn
spend with SMEs
2020
construction starts
New Tube for London (NTfL) is a programme that will introduce 250 new trains and signalling on several London Underground deep-tube lines between 2025 and 2033. Overall, the NTfL lines constitute a third of the Underground network, carrying around two million passengers per day to key locations across London, including: The City, West End, Stratford, Kings Cross and Heathrow Airport. Underground demand is forecast to grow by over 25 per cent over the next 10 years which will increase the need for additional capacity on these lines.
£16.42bn programme
250
1 train every 100 seconds on Victoria line
new trains for the next 40 years
Major Projects - National Thameslink Programme
Intercity Express Programme
As a result of the £6.5 billion Thameslink Programme, rail passengers will see more frequent and less crowded trains on one of the southeast’s busiest rail routes. The trains will be lighter, more reliable and more energy efficient. From 2018, Thameslink trains will run every 2-3 minutes through central London at the busiest periods.
The Intercity Express Programme (IEP) comprises the infrastructure, rolling stock and franchise changes needed to replace the fleet of Class 125 and 225 trains that operate on the Great Western routes (GWML) and East Coast Main Line (ECML). These faster, higher capacity and more environmentally sustainable trains will improve the passenger experience and support growth along the corridors they serve and through their manufacture and supply chain.
More stations outside London will be connected to the Thameslink route, providing better travel options to more destinations. There will be a brand new rail hub at Farringdon connecting Thameslink and Crossrail and linking three major airports (Gatwick, Heathrow and Luton) and St Pancras International. This Department for Transport Programme comprises the upgrading of infrastructure, the deployment of new rolling stock and the introduction of a new Thameslink franchise to achieve 24 trains per hour through London’s core, almost doubling current capacity. Improvements to stations, track and signalling are being carried out by Network Rail working closely with train operators Southeastern, Southern and Thameslink to minimise disruption to passengers. Thameslink will manage the introduction of the new train fleet and depots as well as the transition to new automatic train operating systems in central London and the new link to the East Coast Mainline.
£6.5bn
scheme New rail hub at Farringdon
24 trains per hour during peak time
Improvements to stations, track and singalling
The IEP is potentially the most significant rolling stock investment programme in the UK for over 30 years. It is a unique opportunity for the market to contribute to the development, introduction and long-term operation of a new generation of trains to serve Britain’s rail network’s long-distance routes well into the 21st century. Agility Trains, a consortium made up of Hitachi and John Laing, is to build 122 new trains and is an excellent example of world-class companies working together. Known as Class 800/801 trains, first IEP units to be built will be introduced on the Great Western Main Line from 2017 and on the East Coast Main Line from 2018. As well as the new assembly facility, Hitachi is constructing maintenance depots in Bristol, Swansea, west London and Doncaster. It’s also upgrading existing depots throughout Great Britain to maintain the fleet.
Major Projects - National Electrification
London Bridge Station Redevelopment
To cut down on CO2 emissions, reduce costs and speed up journeys, the government is electrifying important railway routes to phase out diesel trains.
As part of the Thameslink Project, Network Rail is transforming London Bridge into a bigger and better station, including new platforms for more trains and a new concourse.
Electrification of the railway allows for faster, greener, more reliable train journeys, improves passenger services and supports economic growth in the UK.
London Bridge is the fourth busiest station in the country, bringing around 50 million passengers into the city each year. The changes will allow more Thameslink trains to run every day – one every four minutes at peak time – offering better connections than ever before.
By 2020, it is expected that around three-quarters of all passenger kilometres will be by electric train. The routes being electrified are: • Great Western Main Line • Gospel Oak to Barking • North Transpennine to Selby • the ‘Electric Spine’ from Southampton to South Yorkshire via the East Midlands There are plans to electrify more lines in the next decade and the government is working with the rail industry to agree where it should invest during that time.
The concourse at London Bridge station will be bigger than the Wembley Stadium pitch. Connections to and between the surrounding areas will be improved, supporting the wider regeneration of the area. There will be better Tube and bus links, and lifts and escalators will provide step-free access to every platform. Reconfiguring the track will allow for nine ‘through’ platforms and six terminating platforms. This will mean more trains to more destinations, including a connection to Crossrail services at Farringdon, providing links across and beyond London in all directions.
Major Projects - National Wessex Improvement Programme
North West Electrification
Network Rail is spending £800m to improve and increase the capacity of London Waterloo, Britain’s busiest station and one of the country’s most used railways, with a programme of works to be delivered from 2016 to 2018. Work on the Waterloo and South West Upgrade started in April 2016 with the development of the former Waterloo International Terminal for domestic services. The project is expected to be completed by December 2018 and will provide the biggest package of improvements to London Waterloo since the 1930s.
£800m in improvements
Network Rail be will be upgrading and electrifying key routes across the North West. This will help to make journeys faster, quieter and more reliable. The investment will see over 300km of the rail network electrified, improving connections between towns and cities including Manchester, Liverpool, Preston and Blackpool. In conjunction with other improvements on the network, this will enable more trains with additional seats to run.
over
300km of the rail network
electrified
Major Projects - National Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme
Northern Hub
The Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP) is a comprehensive package of improvements to Scotland’s railway infrastructure. The £742m EGIP is being delivered by Network Rail and includes modernisation and upgrades to key junctions and infrastructure as well as widespread electrification of the Scottish rail network.
The Northern Hub project unlocks railway routes, improves connections and provides faster journey times across the north of England with Manchester at its centre.
£742bn
scheme
Electrification of Glasgow-Edinburgh main line
Victoria Station has had a major refurbishment and a new section of railway, the Ordsall Chord, will connect Piccadilly and Victoria stations for the first time. Oxford Road Station is to be expanded, and platforms 15 and 16 will be added to the south of Piccadilly station on a new 1km long viaduct. The viaduct will remove a bottleneck to the south of Piccadilly station. This will free up space on the network for improved connection to the north, as well as new direct services through Manchester city centre to Manchester Airport. New tracks will be laid on the line between Leeds and Liverpool and between Sheffield and Manchester to allow fast trains between major towns and cities. The number of trains travelling through Manchester will increase from 12 to 16 an hour in each direction. Two new fast trains will run every hour between Manchester and Liverpool, reducing the journey time by 10min to 15min. The number of fast trains an hour between Leeds and Manchester will be increased from four to six, and the journey time will be reduced by approximately 10min. The journey time to Sheffield and the East Midlands, Chester, Bradford, Halifax, Hull, Newcastle and the north-east will also be reduced. Most of the Northern Hub project focuses on changes to the operational infrastructure with a requirement for a series of new bridges and viaducts in one of the most important sites in the history of the railway, adjacent to Liverpool Road Station which was the first passenger railway station in the world.
Major Projects - National Heathrow Rail Link
Farringdon Station Redevelopment
Network Rail is developing plans to build a new rail tunnel to link the Great Western Mainline to London Heathrow Terminal 5. The proposed rail connection will speed up journeys to Britain’s busiest international airport, by allowing passengers to travel to the airport from Reading, Twyford, Maidenhead and Slough without going into London Paddington.
From 2018, Farringdon station will be the focal point at which Thameslink, Crossrail and Underground services meet. From there, passengers will have the choice to travel north-south, east-west or around London.
If this scheme goes ahead, it could generate over £800m of economic activity in Britain and create potential for 42,000 new jobs. It would also give 20 per cent of the UK population access to Heathrow via one interchange and help to provide much needed congestion relief for the M4, M25 and M3 (55 per cent of journeys on the proposed service will be abstracted from the road).
potential for
42,000
new jobs
20%
£800m of economic activity
of UK access to Heathrow within one interchange
With 160 trains an hour in the peak it will be the capital’s newest transport hub, relieving the pressure on the Underground and delivering thousands more seats for commuters every day. There will be direct links to London’s three major airports, Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton, and to St Pancras International for Eurostar services – plus dramatically reduced journey times.
Major Projects - National Digital Upgrades
East West Rail Project
A £300 million scheme to electrify more than 160 route kilometres of the South Wales local network is being sponsored by the Welsh Government. This scheme is planned to begin in 2019 and will enable the 30-plus year old diesel fleet of passenger trains to be replaced by faster, quieter and more environmentally friendly electric trains. The growth in the use of rail into Cardiff, the Welsh capital city, has averaged 5 percent a year in the peak commuter time and electrification helps deliver the extra capacity needed.
East West Rail is a major project to establish a strategic railway link between Cambridge and Oxford to improve connections across the southern midlands area.
£300m
programme
£450m
Electrification of
160km
signalling upgrade on South Wales Mainline
The East West Rail overall EWR rail link is being planned in three distinct phases: the Eastern Section between Ipswich and Norwich to Cambridge; the Central Section between Cambridge and Bedford, and the Western Section between the Bedford and Oxford. The ‘Western Section‘ is now a committed, funded scheme to reintroduce passenger and freight services between Bedford and Oxford, Milton Keynes and Aylesbury. It involves upgrading and reconstructing sections of existing and ‘mothballed’ rail track, which is to be delivered by Network Rail. The project is being promoted by the East West Rail Consortium – a group of local authorities and businesses with an interest in improving access to and from East Anglia and the Milton Keynes South Midlands growth area. The consortium is also working with Network Rail to develop a business case to extend the railway to Cambridge to enable train services to continue to Norfolk and Suffolk, referred to as ‘The Central Section‘. The Eastern Section includes the services east of Cambridge through to East Anglia and the east coast ports. A detailed study is underway that will explore options for the Eastern Section of East West Rail. It will consider ways to enhance the rail services that run from Cambridge to Norwich and Ipswich, and will look at the possibility of building a new station south of Cambridge – at the new Addenbrooke’s campus – to help tackle congestion in Cambridge.
Major Projects - National Station Upgrades
Wales
The £70m National Stations Improvement Programme will make a difference for over 200 medium-sized stations in areas such as passenger information and facilities, and continues the successful £180m programme that took place in 2009-2014 (Control Period 4).
Over the last 20 years the number of passengers using Britain’s railway has doubled. However, the railway network is facing acute capacity problems, which need investment now. The Department for Transport, Network Rail, academic institutions and private sector businesses are looking at innovative ways of using the existing rail network to address this.
In addition, over £62m of third-party funding was raised to help deliver more extensive improvements for passengers in Control Period 4. This industry-wide investment continues. Third parties have already raised an additional £52m in 2014-2019 (Control Period 5).
£52m
of external funding
200
£70m programme
medium sized stations targeted
The Digital Railway programme is the proposal for the UK to adopt modern digital signalling and train control within the next 25 years and create credible options to upgrade the railway to next generation technology as it becomes available. By using in-train signalling (called the European Train Control System) and traffic management systems which optimise the speed and movements of trains on the network, they can be run closer together without supervision and to travel at their best speeds whilst maintaining safe braking distances. Connected Driver Advisory Systems (CDAS) and Automatic Train Operation provides decision support to drivers in the cab so that they have the information they need at the right time to boost performance and safety. Traffic Management maximises performance as trains flow across the network, maximising the throughput that existing track can support and adapting in real-time as network conditions change to aid rapid recovery. Telecoms and Data through FTN and GSM-R, will underpin and connect all these systems.
Increased track capacity Maximises flow across the network
Trains can run closer together
Major Projects - National - Light Rail Blackpool Tram
Edinburgh Trams
Following on from the recent successful upgrade of the Blackpool to Fleetwood Tramway, Blackpool Council is now proposing to extend the existing tramway from North Pier to Blackpool North railway station.
Edinburgh Trams is a 14km tramway between York Place in New Town and Edinburgh Airport in Edinburgh, Scotland, operated by Transport for Edinburgh.
London Tramlink The capital’s only tram network offers frequent services from Croydon to Wimbledon, Beckenham Junction, Elmers End and New Addington. Current plans are for extensions to Elmers End (second platform and double tracking to allow more flexible and resilient timetabling) and the Dingwall Loop (to enable more services to eastern branches and Westfield improvements to Wellesley Road). A further three phase development is planned. The first phase would ensure a reliable and resilient network in central Croydon, boost service to New Addington and enable future enhancements. The second phase would unlock the potential of the Wandle Valley and St Helier areas for housing, through upgrades of the Wimbledon branch and new links to the Northern line and Sutton town centre. The final phase would boost capacity across the network for further housing growth.
Construction began in June 2008, and after encountering delays it opened on 31 May 2014. There are now plans to extend the trams down into Leith and beyond could form part of Edinburgh’s multi-billion pound City Deal The latest draft of the new Strategic Development Plan (SDP) – which sets out a vision for the long term development of the Edinburgh region lists the tram expansions as part of its “strategic projects 2018-2030”.
Major Projects case studies A number of major projects have already been delivered across the Midlands in recent years, clearly demonstrating the importance of the region to the network, and its ability to successfully deliver large and complex rail schemes.
New Street Station redevelopment The £750million transformation of Birmingham New Street has given the city a modern, 21st century station, helping to boost regional regeneration. The new station is enclosed by a giant glass-roofed atrium allowing natural light to brighten the entire area including all 12 refurbished platforms. The new concourse - five times the size of London Euston’s is three and a half times bigger than before. This makes using the station a much easier and more enjoyable experience for the 170,000 passengers who pass through it each day. Birmingham New Street is a truly remarkable refurbishment that is not only providing better journeys for passengers, but also driving economic growth and regeneration across the West Midlands and beyond.
Key facts about the project:
4
train operating companies run through the station
15 36
new lifts
new escalators
Clearer platforms with
more space for passengers The extended Midland Metro
tram system now terminates at New Street station.
The station is the busiest outside London, dealing with more than
170,000 passengers
a day, more than double the capacity of the 1960s building.
300,000 passenger-per-day capacity of the new
Birmingham New Street station
The new concourse is five times larger than its predecessor and designed to cope with up to
52 million people per year 37 New Street is the
busiest station outside London, with a train leaving every 37 seconds
ÂŁ750m
Cost of transforming the station
12
Number of platforms refurbished
13 Centre Courts at Wimbledon - the size of the new concourse
Great Central Railway and test track The Great Central Railway is the UK’s only double track, main line heritage railway. As well as being the only place in the world where full size steam engines can be seen passing each other, it is also home to a fully equipped testing facility.
Key facts about the project:
75
Featuring eight miles of shallow gradient track and gentle curves, it can handle vehicle testing at speeds of up to 75mph in a realistic, safe and confidential environment.
Vehicle / locomotive testing at speeds of
up to 75mph
Dedicated road / rail transfer siding which can handle
on a double track
the biggest vehicles
25 ton axle loading
Years of experience
The railway offers double and single track, over and under bridges and a viaduct to assess how the vehicle interfaces with other rolling stock and infrastructure. Four stations, a sixty foot turntable, sheds and the finest mechanical signaling scheme on any private railway completes the picture.
8 mile 8m An main line with
The facilities are unrivalled on any other private railway in the UK are often available at short notice, cutting the time and cost of getting access to the national network.
60
gentle gradients, fully signalled using absolute block
60 - A sixty foot turntable On site training room On site engineering facilities
working alongside the industry’s biggest names
Availability at short notice Convenient road loading access Extensive storage sidings
Birmingham Intermodal Freight Terminal
Rugby Operating Centre
The Birmingham Intermodal Freight Terminal is an important strategic freight interchange uniquely situated right in the heart of England’s second city, yet just half a mile from Junction 10 of the M42.
The ÂŁ22 million Rail Operating Centre (ROC) in Rugby is one of 12 being built nationwide which will eventually control the entire rail network in Britain and replace more than 800 signal boxes and other operational locations.
The 35-acre terminal has capacity to hold 3,000 containers and acts as an inland rail head, handling incoming and outgoing containerised freight and the distribution of goods transported by rail from major UK ports.
All 12 centres will have more advanced signalling tools and technology that will help reduce delays, improve performance, increase capacity, provide better information to passengers and offer better value for money for passengers and taxpayers. The Rugby ROC is an essential part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan to provide a better service to passengers and will make sure the town is a key location on the railway map for decades to come.
Network Rail HQ, Milton Keynes
Nottingham Express Transit
Milton Keynes, in the south of the region, is home to Network Rail’s £120 million headquarters. It opened its doors in the summer of 2012, bringing more than 3000 people from across the UK under one roof and putting the city at the very centre of national railway operations.
Nottingham Express Transit (NET) is a 32-kilometre-long tramway serving the city of Nottingham and surrounding areas. The system opened to the public on 9 March 2004 and a second phase, that more than doubled the size of the total system, opened on 25 August 2015.
The complex, known as The Quadrant:MK, spans more than 400,000 sq ft of the best designed offices in the country. The centre has been specifically designed to facilitate better working practices by bringing teams together in flexible and informal ways.
The network consists of two lines that cross the city, running together on a common section for the middle part of their journey, including the city centre section. Line 1 runs between Chilwell and Hucknall, features a total of 33 or 34 tram stops, depending on direction, and has a journey time throughout of 62 minutes. Line 2 runs between Clifton and Phoenix Park, features 27 or 28 tram stops, depending on direction, and has a journey time throughout of 47 minutes. The system has a total of 32 km (20 miles) As well as helping to tackle congestion, the expanded network has further raised Nottingham’s international profile and should ultimately boost the local economy, directly and indirectly, by creating up to 8,000 local jobs. The system started with 15 trams named after famous local people with a further 22 new trams ordered for the Phase Two extensions to Beeston and Clifton.
Nottingham Express Transit Nottingham Express Transit (NET) is a 32-kilometre-long tramway serving the city of Nottingham and surrounding areas. The system opened to the public on 9 March 2004 and a second phase, that more than doubled the size of the total system, opened on 25 August 2015. The network consists of two lines that cross the city, running together on a common section for the middle part of their journey, including the city centre section. Line 1 runs between Chilwell and Hucknall, features a total of 33 or 34 tram stops, depending on direction, and has a journey time throughout of 62 minutes. Line 2 runs between Clifton and Phoenix Park, features 27 or 28 tram stops, depending on direction, and has a journey time throughout of 47 minutes. The system has a total of 32 km (20 miles) As well as helping to tackle congestion, the expanded network has further raised Nottingham’s international profile and should ultimately boost the local economy, directly and indirectly, by creating up to 8,000 local jobs. The system started with 15 trams named after famous local people with a further 22 new trams ordered for the Phase Two extensions to Beeston and Clifton.
Key facts about the project:
32 km of track
Up to 16 trams per hour
8,000 new jobs
ÂŁ108m
boost to the local economy from the phase 2 expansion
700
young people took part in work experience courses
A centre for innovation The region has a long-established reputation for ingenuity and innovation. This continues today through a number of different industry-related initiatives.
University of Birmingham The Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education The Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education is a world class research centre in the field of rail science and education. Over 130 academics, researchers and professional support staff take a multi-disciplinary approach to delivering pioneering research, knowledge transfer and thought leadership within the rail sector. Close relationships with the industry ensure that the research adds real value, developing new innovations, capacity and capabilities and delivering tangible improvements and impacts. The centre delivers world-class research in a number of areas: • Railway control and operations simulation • Data integrity and cybersecurity • Condition monitoring and sensing • Power systems and energy use • Aerodynamics • Climate change and weather impact • Benchmarking • Computational modelling • Geotechnical and engineering asset management
WMG, University of Warwick The WMG is one of the world’s leading research and education groups, designing solutions through collaborative R&D and world class education. An academic department of the University of Warwick, it has over 500 people working across seven dedicated research and education centres, on the Warwick campus, plus collaborative centres in seven countries. With an annual programme of £180m, which includes industrial and in-kind support, it invests in state-of-the-art facilities and expertise to remain at the forefront of innovation in research, education and knowledge transfer activities. Partnerships with industry, companies, organisations, entrepreneurs and government have allowed us to enable the creation of groundbreaking products, processes, and services. The group is a partner in the new £28m very light rail (VLR) innovation centre and rail line proposed for Dudley, which will use new tracks on the disused freight lines to test new Very Light Rail (VLR) technology.
Loughborough University Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering / Control Systems Research Group The Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering is one of the biggest engineering schools of its kind in the UK, providing international leadership in research and innovation. The school has two prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize and houses two EPSRC National Centres, for Innovative Manufacturing in Regenerative Medicine and for Innovative Manufacturing in Intelligent Automation. The current research portfolio value is £52 million. The Control Systems Group has an established track record for applied research in control systems engineering which goes back more than 40 years, with a number of industrial collaborations, in particular with the rail, aerospace, energy and automotive sectors. The group was responsible for the development of the Repoint project - a failsafe and reliable points mechanism which will improve safety, reduce maintenance costs and boost capacity on the railways.
University of Warwick High Value Manufacturing Catapult
National Auto Innovation Campus
The High Value Manufacturing Catapult is part of a network of world-leading centres designed to transform the UK’s capability for innovation in specific areas and help drive future economic growth. Part of the WMG centre, the HVM Catapult focuses on providing solutions for low carbon mobility. It delivers value to UK manufacturing by de-risking innovation in the following areas: • Lightweighting • Advanced Propulsion Systems • Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) • Energy Storage and Management.
The National Automotive Innovation Centre is a 33,000 sq m facility and one of the UK’s largest private sector investments in any university. The centre, a partnership between WMG, Jaguar Land Rover and Tata Motors European Technical Centre, will provide a critical mass of research capability combining automotive expertise nationally and internationally. NAIC is a unique resource linking people, research and worldleading infrastructure to create novel technologies and crossfertilisation of knowledge. Academic and industrial R&D teams work together using state-ofthe-art equipment and facilities to develop breakthrough designs, technologies and processes, creating a critical mass of research capability at Warwick, and combining this with expertise nationally and internationally from universities, supply chain companies, and innovative small enterprises.
University of Nottingham Nottingham Transportation Engineering
Advanced Manufacturing Research Group
The Nottingham Transportation Engineering Centre (NTEC) evaluates the engineering, environmental and sustainable aspects of elements of road, rail, dock and airfield infrastructure.
The Advanced Manufacturing Research Group is the UK pioneer of a wider, multidisciplinary approach to manufacturing research and its vision is to establish Nottingham as a world-leading hub for advanced manufacturing innovation. By developing its strong research base and enhancing its industrial partnerships it will deliver new ideas to drive the transformation of manufacturing technologies.
It performs laboratory assessment of materials that construct pavements, and is concerned with the sustainability of transportation infrastructure, risks associated with the use of transportation networks (e.g. aircraft safety or road congestion) and the management and maintenance of the infrastructure asset. The centre specialises in the following areas: • Pavement and rail track design and performance • Management of transport infrastructure assets • Mechanical and environmental property evaluation of materials used in the transport infrastructure
• Operational risk assessment, risk reduction and reliability in transportation • Sustainable transport infrastructure and the environment
Research undertaken by NTEC provides a means for industry to benefit through technology transfer, by providing improved design methods and cost-effective products and processes. Technology transfer is facilitated through a number of routes, including Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) and short courses.
The university is also home to The Institute for Advanced Manufacturing (IfAM), encompassing a multidisciplinary team of established academics in their respective fields in the UK. This provides the foundation needed for research and world-leading facilities to encourage the development of new technologies and systems for production of high-value products within the manufacturing sector.
De Montfort University Interdisciplinary Group in Intelligent Transport Systems The De Montfort University Interdisciplinary Group in Intelligent Transport Systems (DIGITS) is a research group of academics which focuses on a wide range of intelligent transport and transport infrastructure solutions. The group is dedicated to carrying out research and developing programmes that will progress the introduction of sustainable urban and regional transport policies across the Europe and internationally. By working in partnership with industry, transport service providers, government and other research institutes and communities, the group provides answers to technological, economic and societal questions around sustainability and modal change, in particular, the health and well-being of communities. Key areas of expertise include: • Intelligent integrated traffic and air quality control • Mechanical behaviour of pavement and rail track materials • Airport and harbour environment modelling and evaluation
• Geographical information systems and data mining • Computational intelligence • Embedded systems and ECU design • Telematics
Coventry University Centre for Mobility and Transport / National Transport Design Centre The Centre for Mobility & Transport works across faculties and focuses on the design and engineering of future transport systems, including the growing influence of the internet and connectivity. The focus is on inclusive, sustainable and safe transport integrating the strongest research elements in design and engineering. This area brings together a number of established and growing areas of research expertise and focused themes. These include: vehicle design and styling, vehicle electrification, user centred design, human factors and ergonomics, structural optimisation and light-weighting, wireless sensing, vehicle dynamics and safety, aerospace engineering, autonomous systems, connectivity and cyber security and human systems integration. The National Transport Design Centre (NTDC) is a multi-million pound state-of-the-art facility, operating within the University’s existing Centre for Mobility and Transport to support UK innovation in the transport industry and boost efforts to bridge a shortfall in essential creative skills.
The NTDC is set to explore new area of transport design research using technology in new ways, as well as new technology. State-of-the-art features of the NTDC, which forms a key facility for the University’s existing Centre for Mobility and Transport, include: • A 6m interactive power wall which allows users to explore detailed design and engineering concepts in virtual reality; • Advanced clay milling facilities for creating physical models of vehicles; • A projection mapping system which can cast digital images onto 3D objects below, helping designers to assess how multiple options would appear on full-scale models. • Wearable devices for creating virtual, augmented and mixed reality environments • Precision CNC milling machines for scale model creation • A range of 3D printing technologies • Large bed graphics printers • Structured white-light 3D scanning for reverse engineering The National Transport Design Centre will meet demand for specialised skills, building on Coventry University’s existing expertise in transport design with a range of new courses and research programmes.
Long Marston
Dudley
Quinton Rail Technology Centre
Very Light Rail Innovation Centre
The Quinton Rail Technology Centre in Warwickshire is the UK’s leading facility for testing, trialling and product development purposes. Boasting an endurance test track of 2.4km with a maximum speed of 90km/h and a performance test track with a 1.4km straight and a maximum speed of 110km/h, making it ideal for a wide variety of uses including impact testing, product approval, product development, publicity and training The site at Long Marston is also the largest and most extensive storage facility in the UK with 20km of storage sidings connected to the national rail network on the Worcester to London line. As well as testing and storage, the site offers a four road railway workshop which is fully equipped and able to lift vehicles of up to 80 tonnes weight, alongside numerous engineering, testing and overhaul activities, fleet and project management services and a comprehensive rail tank cleaning and maintenance service
A new ÂŁ28m very light rail (VLR) innovation centre and rail line is proposed for Dudley. The project will involve new track being built on disused freight lines to test the latest concepts in Very Light Rail. connect the town with the national rail network for the first time in more than five decades. The new VLR innovation centre will develop and test the VLR prototype vehicle and the project is being overseen by the Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council and Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) of the University of Warwick.
Coventry
Milton Keynes
Institute for Advanced Manufacturing
The Transport Systems Catapult
The Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME) is a collaboration between Coventry University and Unipart Manufacturing Group.
The Transport Systems Catapult is one of ten elite technology and innovation centres established and overseen by the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK to help UK businesses to develop solutions to public transport and freight needs.
The Institute aims to: • Develop industry-ready engineering graduates • Research and develop innovative technology for automotive, aerospace, oil and gas, power generation and rail sectors • Disseminate research and technologies for the benefit of Unipart, its suppliers and UK manufacturing • Create new postgraduate learning opportunities and professional development courses for industry • Drive economic growth by making the UK globally competitive
The catapult is the UK’s technology and innovation centre for transport modelling and monitoring, testing the latest theories on how transport systems interact and function against real-world examples, acting as a magnet for innovation activity in Intelligent Mobility The centre promotes the use of new and emerging technologies to transport people and goods more smartly and efficiently and to help UK businesses create products and services that meet the needs of the world’s transport systems as they respond to changing demands.
All students are provided with training in the Unipart best practice manufacturing methodology and given the opportunity to benefit from working with some of the most talented engineering professionals in the UK.
With a clear emphasis on collaboration, the centre is bringing together diverse organisations across different modes of transport, breaking down barriers and providing a unique platform for meeting the world’s most pressing transport challenges and promoting the UK as a test bed for the transportation industry.
The majority of this learning is carried out at AME’s 1700 sq ft manufacturing hub, which houses £3m of state-of-the-art robotic automation, forming, joining, analysis and simulation, metrology and product verification technology.
The main focus areas for the centre include automated transport systems, modelling and visualisation, customer experience and information exploitation and smart infrastructure.
Derby iHub / Enscite
RTC Business Park The RTC Business Park is the site of the former Railway Technical Centre – previously the British Rail technical headquarters and at the time, the largest railway research complex in the world. The RTC Business Park is now home to over 1100 employees with a number of prestigious rail-related organisations including Atkins, Rail Vehicle Engineering Ltd, the University of Birmingham and the University of Derby. Because of its history, it has a variety of specialist industrial buildings, including rail connected properties, and which offer a wide variety of specification in terms of eaves height, mezzanine storage, pit facilities, ancillary offices and craneage.
Based at Infinity Park, a new manufacturing-focused innovation and technology park with Enterprise Zone status, the iHub provides flexible workspace for start-ups, early stage businesses and established high growth SMEs hoping to establish themselves, or expand their role in the aerospace, rail and automotive supply chains. The centre is also home to Enscite – a support organisation for companies in the transport equipment manufacturing supply chain. It is a joint venture between three partners: the University of Derby, Derby City Council and Aston University, offering a range of expert and holistic support services to help SMEs win and grow business in the aerospace, automotive and rail sectors.
Lloyds Bank
RRUKA
Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre
Rail Research UK Association
The Rail Research UK Association (RRUKA) is a partnership between the British rail industry and UK universities. Established in 2010, RRUKA builds on a recent resurgence in universitybased railway research, and seeks to enhance already strong collaborative relationships between academia and the railway industry.
The MTC’s Lloyds Bank Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre, located on the campus of the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) at Ansty Park, Coventry, has been designed to provide premium training for the next generation of engineers and technicians. The purpose-built training facility delivers a range of training and experience on real-life projects – from apprenticeship programmes, through engineer up-skilling courses and graduate development programmes up to executive level training.
By doing this, it provides a focus for research institutions who undertake R&D that could be of benefit to the railways and for the railway industry to access academic research capabilities, and it brings together those who can use and fund research, with those who do it. RRUKA provides a forum for targeted knowledge exchange between universities and the industry, including the organisation of focused workshops and seminars, as well as wider networking opportunities and also maintains a ‘map’ of expertise that helps identify experts in particular areas. RRUKA collates this knowledge of what is being researched or has been researched, so that it is not duplicated when further research is being considered and undertaken.
Network Rail Rail Innovation & Development Centres (RIDCs) Melton and Tuxford
The RIDC site in Tuxford, Nottinghamshire, spurs off the Robin Hood line to provide 10 miles of single-line test track with a threemile double section, capable of testing up to 75mph.
Network Rail owns and operates two RIDCS in the Midlands at Melton Mowbray and Tuxford. These dedicated test facilities provide safe and reliable testing environments for new and modified technology within the rail industry.
The facility comprises a short section of non-live 25kV type catenary and a short section of non-live 3rd/4th rail.
These two test facilities are strategically important as they provide a safe environment where new and modified rolling stock, plant, on-track machines, infrastructure, equipment and technology can be tested – either by us or the rail industry and the facilities are also available for training. The RIDC site at Melton, Leicestershire is purpose-built to support both high and low speed testing of vehicles and infrastructure using 11 miles of 25kV overhead line equipment and 3rd/4th rail DC equipment. The Melton facility provides two separate test tracks: a high-speed facility between Melton Junction and Edwalton, incorporating 13 miles of track up to 125mph – 11 miles of this with overhead line equipment – and a slow-speed test track from Old Dalby to Stanton Tunnel, with four miles of track up to 60mph. A former cross-country line, RIDC Tuxford provides a safe environment for testing new and modified rolling stock, plant, ontrack machines, infrastructure, equipment and technology
As well as providing a safe operating environment for testing, RIDC Tuxford is also used by the rail industry to deliver training and competency assessments.
Developing rail engineers of the future Despite boasting a highly skilled and experienced workforce, the region has continued to invest heavily in training and development in order to ensure a continuous supply of next generation engineers.
Developing rail engineers of the future The National College for High Speed Rail
HS2 provides the opportunity to drive productivity and growth and increase the UK’s international competitiveness in high-tech engineering and construction. It demands new higher-level technical skills for jobs not yet in existence in the UK. The new £22 million National College for High Speed Rail in Birmingham will play a vital role in ensuring Britain addresses the impending skills shortage in the engineering sector while upskilling the current workforce. The College is vital to the delivery of High Speed Rail across Britain and will start equipping the next generation of rail engineers and technicians with first-class practical abilities and technical knowledge.
Developing rail engineers of the future National Skills Academy for Rail The National Skills Academy for Rail is an organisation established to enable the sector to deliver a modern and efficient, world class railway through the development of a highly skilled and productive workforce.
National Training Academy for Rail Co-ordination
Derby College hosts a Midlands campus for the academy with the aim of improving training and apprenticeship opportunities at rail firms in the East Midlands. The academy will help to ensure that more young people enter the rail industry and provide financial help for companies to increase the number of apprentices nationwide.
The National Training Academy for Rail Co-ordination in Northampton was established in response to a forecast skills shortage over the next ten years, caused by factors such as the technological advancement of rolling stock, an ageing workforce, and significant investment and growth in the industry. An innovative agreement between the National Skills Academy for Rail Engineering (NSARE) and the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) with support from the Department for Transport (DfT) provided half the funds required to build the academy, with Siemens contributing the other 50 per cent. The 50/50 funding agreement releases 50 per cent of the academy’s training capacity to the wider UK industry, with the remainder used by Siemens’s own rail sector employees.
Developing rail engineers of the future Coventry and Solihull-WMG Academy for Young Engineers The WMG Academy for Young Engineers supports the development of well-qualified and industry-trained students, equipping them with the functional skills, knowledge and personal qualities to make an impact in a commercial environment as apprentices and/or in further/higher education. The Academy combines strong employer and further and higher education links (especially with WMG – a significant academic department of the University of Warwick), as well as a professional ethos and a curriculum that is based around projects that have been designed by employers to reflect the types of problems and challenges that employers have to deal with on a day to day basis. The projects are designed to ensure students gain qualifications as they work through the real-life challenges that have been set by the employers. The projects provide every student with access to high value manufacturing, engineering and design and academic experiences
North Nottinghamshire College National Fluid Power Centre The National Fluid Power Centre is a BFPA certified CETOP Education Centre and an approved training provider for many ‘blue chip’, industry leading corporations. The centre employs training engineers who have many years industry experience, offering support and advice to all who attend it’s Training Courses. The centre has three fully-equipped technical centres with over £3m worth of up to date equipment supplied by industry partners.
Support for Investors The Department for International Trade (DIT) helps businesses export and grow into global markets. We also help overseas companies locate to and grow in the UK. We can help with information on how to set up in the UK, provide sector specific information about the rail industry in the UK, and support you to identify the right location here for you and introduce you to local partners and supply chains. Our network of UK specialists includes a team who are based in the Midlands, providing expert local knowledge of projects, potential public and private sector partners and other local business support. For more information on rail opportunities in the Midlands, please contact: midlandsengine@trade.gsi.gov.uk
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