The West Midlands: At the heart of future rail developments (Guest blog by West Midlands Growth Company)
Representing the epicentre of UK transport and mobility, the West Midlands is leading on a number of projects with the potential to transform the future of UK rail services.
The West Midlands has developed a considerable collaborative ecosystem to support innovation and the commercialisation of new technologies across the industry. It is also home to 40,000 railway-related jobs, one of the highest of any region in the UK, and is supported by the UK’s largest rail sector business organisation, the RBD Community.
The transition to low-carbon technologies, in support of national net zero ambitions, is one of the biggest challenges currently facing the rail sector and will require the development of innovative solutions at a regional level. In support of this mission, many rail businesses are engaging with the region’s specialist R&D facilities, dedicated to developing net zero technologies. These include the University of Birmingham’s Centre of Excellence in Rail Decarbonisation, the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE), which is leading critical applied research in key areas of digitalisation and decarbonisation in rail, and the Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre (VLRNIC) in Dudley.
One notable low carbon project hailing from the region is Coventry Very Light Railway (CVLR) – the UK’s first very light rail line. Backed by R&D from the University of Warwick and the VLRNIC, this initiative will make light rail as affordable and environmentally-friendly as possible, designed to sit just 30cm inside the road surface. With no overhead power supply, the VLR will be easy to install and remove, significantly reducing the impact on utilities. With a predicted cost saving of millions of pounds, it’s also a cost-effective solution for smaller cities, such as Coventry.
Another example of the West Midlands’ strong future rail credentials is HydroFLEX – the UK’s first hydrogen-ready passenger train, which was showcased to high-profile visitors at COP26 in Glasgow. The result of a collaboration between Porterbrook and the University of Birmingham, HydroFLEX can operate under electric, battery and hydrogen power, making it the world’s first ‘tri-mode’ train. Innovations such as HydroFLEX have the potential to play a vital role in achieving the 2050 net zero target by encouraging modal shift from road transport to rail.
The West Midlands also leads the way when it comes to opportunities in digital rail systems, including connected devices, connected operations, connected passengers and connected intervention. For example, BCRRE has established a collaborative partnership with Siemens Mobility to advance its industrial research expertise. Its research specialisms include simulation technologies, future railway operations and control, data integration and cyber security, and smart monitoring and autonomous systems.
Finally, it’s impossible to discuss transformational West Midlands rail projects without mentioning HS2 – Europe’s largest infrastructure project. Set to reach speeds of 230mph, the state-of-the-art high-speed rail network is a nationally significant market opportunity. With approximately 350 businesses currently in the local HS2 supply chain, companies of all sizes will benefit from the investment. The West Midlands HS2 Growth Strategy contains approximately £1.2bn of transport connectivity investment to be delivered by 2028. Through its Innovate@HS2 accelerator programme, in collaboration with Connected Places and Bruntwood SciTech, two cohorts of five small companies per year are gaining the opportunity to work with HS2 to develop innovative new digital products and services. The goal is that the initiative will leave a legacy of new ways of working and best practice in the industry.
Coventry Very Light Railway, HydroFLEX and HS2 demonstrate the vital role the West Midlands is playing in solving some of the greatest challenges currently facing the rail industry. Home to numerous innovative manufacturers and with many dynamic cross sector collaboration opportunities, it’s clear that many more significant rail developments are yet to come from the region.
Adam Titchen is sector lead for advanced manufacturing at the West Midlands Growth Company.
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