RSSB
Route-setting industry’s research and innovation
The RSSB’s Anson Jack talks through the broad programme of activities that supports the rail industry’s common goal of improving the way it works
I
f you've seen the fly-on-the-wall documentary The Railway: Keeping Britain Moving, you will have recognised that talk of 'vision' and
'innovation' can seem like meaningless, irrelevant business jargon to most passengers. What people really want is value for money, to get from A to B, today. Even inside the industry, talk of new initiatives and schemes designed to unlock new innovation and research funding can seem just as removed from the challenge of delivering business-as-usual. In reality, research, development and
innovation help businesses to make the railway work better and for less, which is ironic given the low R&D investment in comparison to other industries. Indeed, with passenger journeys doubling in the past 15 years and still growing, combined with ambitions for a higher quality and quantity of trains for passengers and freight, at lower cost, this challenge can’t be met with sticking plasters or a magic wand.
Industry researching together Railway services are delivered through many organisations, but they all buy into the common purpose of improving performance. How do we get there? By thinking of the system as a whole. By having a comprehensive body of data and research on which industry can be assured of making the right decisions. By developing and demonstrating solutions that will work and can be proven to deliver business benefits. The cross-industry R&D programme, managed by RSSB, mirrors this simple principle: industry shares a common goal or issue, this triggers the need to get some work done – including research and innovation – to inform a way forward. Industry-wide membership of RSSB is reflected in a broad range of cross-industry groups. These can commission research and be the champions for its implementation. Since 2003 the programme has delivered
a wide range of answers, toolkits, standards, models and knowledge to improve the business of operating and engineering the railway system, and developing the people that make it work. What's the best way of preventing loss of life on a train in an accident? How do
of the first Rail Technical Strategy from government and to lead cross-industry development of it. The first industry version was published at the end of 2012. This outlines the 30-year vision of meeting higher customer expectations
we accommodate more people at stations without compromising comfort and safety? These are the types of question that research is providing industry answers to, informing strategy and supporting business planning at the system level.
April 2013 Page 139
you balance the needs of nearby residents suffering noise and the needs of people trackside when it comes to train horns? Is there an economic case for increased electrification of the network? How do you develop a risk model that covers all types of level crossing? How can we get more knowledge about the way rail assets behave? These are just some of the questions the industry has explored, and developed answers to, that contribute to a better performing railway for passengers and freight shippers.
A model that works Over the years, this simple approach has attracted fresh demand, not just to resolve issues around today's railway performance but increasingly to inform future strategy. In 2007, the Technical Strategy
Leadership Group (TSLG) was set up by the RSSB board to pick up the mantle
and increasing capacity for less carbon and cost, which translates into more immediate objectives in the Industry Strategic Business Plan (ISBP) for CP5. Although one of the RSSB facilitated groups, TSLG now seeks direction for its strategic priorities and plans from the newly created Rail Delivery Group. The ISBP includes the intention to initiate substantial transformations to the mainline rail system (such as electrification schemes and ERTMS). These tangible objectives have been informed by research and industry cooperation based on the same principle that has served the industry so well.
How will we know the optimum
investment to make into climate change protection of rail assets? How much money would the railway save if reliability meant there was no unplanned maintenance, and how many more trains could run? How can
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