25 July 2013
University of Huddersfield and rail industry forge a new strategic partnership
Leading academic experts and industry decision-makers have joined forces to set up a
new partnership for rail research.
The University of Huddersfield and RSSB have signed a Memorandum of Understanding,
sealing a deal to pool resources and talent for research into system and engineering risk
modelling to support informed decision making and future risk prediction.
Each organisation is putting in funding of £0.5 million per year to fuel a £5million 5-year
programme. Research will be carried out and new techniques developed to fill the gaps
that are identified in system and engineering risk modelling, as well as issues around
human capital, and educating the next generation of railway professionals.
Huddersfield’s pedigree in rail research is well-known, embodied in its Institute of Railway
Research. It has an extensive record of delivering research and consultancy projects for
RSSB on behalf of GB railway stakeholders and international partners, as well as existing
partnerships with Agilent Technologies, National Physical Laboratory, Siemens and 3M.
RSSB, working closely with its members, provides safety intelligence and risk modelling
capabilities to the industry as well as managing the cross-industry research programme.
This includes work on system risk modelling, engineering interfaces within the railway,
and interfaces with other parts of the community and society as well as informing and
implementing the vision for a lower cost, lower carbon, and higher capacity future railway
in the Rail Technical Strategy.
Colin Dennis, Director Policy, Research and Risk at RSSB commented: ‘I look forward to
working with Huddersfield on a wide range of activities. The rail industry continues to find
new ways to get more all-round value out of its research by collaborating with universities
and other academic research organisations. This is a great opportunity for our industry
to focus its own resources in combination with those of a leading university rail research
centre in a new and exciting programme.’
RSSB Block 2 Angel Square 1 Torrens Street London EC1V 1NY
Telephone: +44 (0)20 3142 5300 Facsimilie: +44 (0)20 3142 5301 www.rssb.co.uk
Rail Safety and Standards Board Limited Registered Office: Block 2 Angel Square 1 Torrens Street London EC1V 1NY Registered in England No. 04655675
Simon Iwnicki, Professor of Railway Engineering and Director of the Institute of Railway
Research at the University of Huddersfield commented: ‘I welcome this opportunity to
extend our work with the railway industry through RSSB. The academic science base has
a great deal to offer towards finding solutions to meet the country’s needs in a way that
can deliver long term value-for-money. This new partnership and the additional research
capability it will bring is also an excellent opportunity to provide new opportunities both for
postgraduate researchers and for industry experts.’
Anson Jack and Simon Iwnicki signed the MoU on 24 July 2013 at RSSB’s offices in
Angel, London.
-Ends-
For further information:
RSSB:
Please contact RSSB’s press office, on 020 3142 5331/2/3 or email
pressoffice@rssb.co.uk or visit the website at www.rssb.co.uk
University of Huddersfield:
Please contact John Ramsdin, Public Relations Manager on 01484 472693 or email
john.ramsdin@hud.ac.uk
RSSB Block 2 Angel Square 1 Torrens Street London EC1V 1NY
Telephone: +44 (0)20 3142 5300 Facsimilie: +44 (0)20 3142 5301 www.rssb.co.uk
Rail Safety and Standards Board Limited Registered Office: Block 2 Angel Square 1 Torrens Street London EC1V 1NY Registered in England No. 04655675
Notes to editors:
1. About the partnership / MoU
The partnership between the University of Huddersfield (UoH) and RSSB in the fields of system and
engineering risk modelling, has a purpose of enhancing the tools and skills available to the rail industry to
support risk-based decision making and asset management, to deliver cost reductions, performance
enhancements and optimisation of the railway system.
The Strategic Partnership will enhance and develop the existing techniques, tools and skills, such as the
Safety Risk Model, that are used to model system and engineering risk – with a strong focus on delivering
simple, user friendly products that will enable the rail industry to make informed, risk-based decisions on
the management of its assets and the opportunities for improvement and innovation. Significant expertise
rests with the two partners in both fields. The aim is to expand on this partnership with the addition of
further partners and/or partnerships as appropriate, to form a network of interrelated activity designed to
meet RSSB ’s - and therefore rail industry - goals including key technical, economic and training objectives.
2. About The University of Huddersfield
The University of Huddersfield – inspiring tomorrow’s professionals. The University of Huddersfield is an
inspiring, innovative provider of higher education of international renown. It has a national reputation as
enterprise and innovation and was the recipient of the Times Higher Education’s ‘Entrepreneurial Award of
the Year’ for 2012 and won two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise earlier this year. The University annually
welcomes 24,000 students on to a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across subjects
covering:
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Science, engineering and IT
Health, education and the social sciences
Business and the professions
Humanities and the arts
The University has a fast-growing research profile and a reputation for working closely with business and
employers in delivering high-quality education. The Chancellor of the University is Professor Sir Patrick
Stewart and the Patron is His Royal Highness The Duke of York.
Go to: http://www.hud.ac.uk/research/researchcentres/irr/ for more information on the Institute of Railway
Research at the University.
3. About RSSB
RSSB builds industry-wide consensus and facilitates the resolution of difficult cross-industry issues. It
provides knowledge, analysis, and a substantial level of technical expertise, powerful information and risk
management tools. This delivers a unique mix to the rail industry across a whole range of subject areas.
4. About R&D programme, TSLG and RTS 2012
RSSB manages the cross industry research and development programme, which covers ‘systems’ issues
across the railway, engineering interfaces within the railway, and interfaces with other parts of the
community and society. This also includes managing the existing cross-industry research programme,
strategic research for TSLG to support the Rail Technical Strategy, as well as hosting the
Enabling Innovation Team.
The Technical Strategy Leadership Group (TSLG), is an RSSB-facilitated cross-industry expert body made
up of senior executive staff from industry and funders, charged with developing and championing
implementation of the Rail Technical Strategy(RTS 2012) , supporting communication, managing strategic
research, identifying opportunities, barriers and actions. TSLG has a remit to address future opportunities
over a 30-year horizon. For more information please visit: www.futurerailway.org
RSSB Block 2 Angel Square 1 Torrens Street London EC1V 1NY
Telephone: +44 (0)20 3142 5300 Facsimilie: +44 (0)20 3142 5301 www.rssb.co.uk
Rail Safety and Standards Board Limited Registered Office: Block 2 Angel Square 1 Torrens Street London EC1V 1NY Registered in England No. 04655675