PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Enabling Innovation Team announces first Radical Train finalists
The first four finalists have been awarded £6m investment from the Enabling Innovation Team’s (EIT) Radical Train competition.
The finalists are:
• Revolution VLR Consortium (Very Light Rail) consisting of TDI (Europe) Ltd (Transport Design International), Unipart Rail Ltd, Warwick Manufacturing Group centre HVM Catapult, Trelleborg PPL Ltd, Allectra Ltd and GKN Land Systems for their low carbon, very- lightweight whole passenger railcar demonstrator. • Holdtrade Ltd, Transnet, Huddersfield University and HBA Ltd for their radical freight bogie concept.
• Thales and NewRail for their active adhesion monitoring project.
• A confidential investment in emissions reduction and fuel efficiency technology.
The teams will now demonstrate innovations for new rolling stock. The applications were assessed
David Clarke, director of the EIT, said: “We are delighted to announce these four investments which bring a mixture of new technologies and organisations to the UK rail sector. We’re looking forward to the winners demonstrating their proposals to show how they can deliver a tangible benefit to both the UK rail sector and to the economy through exports.”
RTM interviewed David Clarke about Radical Train in our June/ July 2013 edition.
CILT judges HS2 case ‘sound and secure’
HS2 has a “compelling” business case, the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) has argued in a new report.
There must be more work to ensure the project’s benefits are maximised, the report adds. Investment should not “crowd out” investment in other projects, and links to both the existing network and HS1 are important.
The CILT also called for more work to demonstrate the integration of freight benefits, and to consider the optimum speed of services to balance journey time, energy cost and carbon emissions.
Crossrail contract extension for GBRf
GB Railfreight (GBRf) has won a contract extension to shift excavated material from Crossrail tunnels.
The contract is with BFK working with Costain/SkansaJV and will run until November 2014. It covers services from Willesden Euro terminal to Crossrail’s waste facility in Northfleet, where it will be stored
before being shipped to Wallasea Island to be used to build a new nature reserve.
John Smith, managing director of GBRf, said: “We are delighted that our contract with Crossrail contractor BFK has been extended and we are proud to expand our portfolio of services which support the major enhancements
of London’s transport infrastructure. GBRf welcomes its role in such a vital project and is pleased that its high level of customer satisfaction and high performance measures continue to ensure extended relations with important customers such as BFK.”
But they believe that “none of the potential alternatives will meet current, let alone future, predictions of demand”.
Steve Agg, chief executive of the CILT said: “Against a febrile debate with claim and counter- claim about HS2, the Institute has taken a calm and considered view of its merits and weighed up the alternatives.
“On every measure, we judge the economic, social, demographic, commercial and environmental arguments for the line to be sound and secure. We have no doubt that it will deliver handsomely for the UK.”
on their ability to realise significant improvements and benefits for passengers, freight users, TOCs, the environment and the supply industry.
102 | rail technology magazine Dec/Jan 14
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