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Projects


Projects: Projects for Investigator
Reference Number EP/D080207/1
Title Copy of RRUK 2: Universities' Centre for Rail Systems Research
Status Completed
Energy Categories Energy Efficiency(Transport) 15%;
Not Energy Related 85%;
Research Types Basic and strategic applied research 50%;
Applied Research and Development 50%;
Science and Technology Fields SOCIAL SCIENCES (Economics and Econometrics) 10%;
SOCIAL SCIENCES (Sociology) 10%;
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) 20%;
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Civil Engineering) 40%;
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering) 20%;
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation Not Cross-cutting 80%;
Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Environmental dimensions) 5%;
Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Policy and regulation) 5%;
Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Consumer attitudes and behaviour) 5%;
Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Technology acceptance) 5%;
Principal Investigator Professor W Powrie
No email address given
Faculty of Engineering and the Environment
University of Southampton
Award Type Standard
Funding Source EPSRC
Start Date 07 September 2006
End Date 06 September 2010
Duration 48 months
Total Grant Value £3,974,001
Industrial Sectors Transport Systems and Vehicles
Region South East
Programme NC : Engineering
 
Investigators Principal Investigator Professor W Powrie , Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton (99.989%)
  Other Investigator Professor RM Goodall , Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Loughborough University (0.001%)
Professor RA Smith , Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London (0.001%)
Professor CJ Baker , Infra. Engineering & Management, University of Birmingham (0.001%)
Dr C Davis , Metallurgy and Materials, University of Birmingham (0.001%)
Professor M McDonald , Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton (0.001%)
Professor A Kapoor , Mechanical and Systems Engineering, Newcastle University (0.001%)
Dr S D (Simon ) Iwnicki , Sch of Computing and Engineering, University of Huddersfield (0.001%)
Dr CJ Goodman , Electronic, Electrical and Computer Eng, University of Birmingham (0.001%)
Professor M.J. Griffin , Inst of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton (0.001%)
Professor CA Nash , Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds (0.001%)
Professor J Wilson , Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Nottingham (0.001%)
  Industrial Collaborator Project Contact , Rail Safety & Standards Board (0.000%)
Project Contact , Network Rail Ltd (0.000%)
Web Site
Objectives
Abstract Railways have a vital role in any 21st century transport policy. No other form of transport could cope with the large numbers of people transported into and around major cities every day by commuter railways and metro systems. Trunk lines can shift vast quantities of freight, keeping thousands of lorries off our roads, and intercity routes are increasingly competitive for speed and convenience with domestic air transport. Even in rural areas, railways often offer more reliable and attractive public transport than buses. Environmentally, railways outperform road vehicles and aircraft in terms of energy efficiency, air pollution and noise. However, railways are operating at or beyond capacity. The system can take a long time to recover from a small delay, and disruption on one part of the network can spread rapidly to affect services elsewhere. There is little time for vital maintenance, and last year one train company had to re-write its timetable completely because of unacceptablypoor reliability. Travel is becoming increasingly popular, and if the Government's plans to introduce road charging for car journeys cause just 1% of people to switch to rail, the system will be overwhelmed. Rail Research UK is a consortium of twelve university-based groups carrying out research across a range of areas from engineering to human factors and transport economics, that will help to reduce the complexity and need for maintenance of railway systems, reduce their environmental impacts, increase their capacity and improve their reliability, attractiveness and safety
Publications (none)
Final Report (none)
Added to Database 14/05/07