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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/D080207/1
Title: Copy of RRUK 2: Universities' Centre for Rail Systems Research
Principal Investigator: Powrie, Professor W
Other Investigators:
Nash, Professor CA Baker, Professor CJ Goodman, Dr CJ
Iwnicki, Professor S Wilson, Professor J Smith, Professor R
McDonald, Professor M Griffin, Professor M Goodall, Professor RM
Kapoor, Professor A Davis, Professor C
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Network Rail Rail Safety & Standards Board
Department: Faculty of Engineering & the Environment
Organisation: University of Southampton
Scheme: Standard Research
Starts: 07 September 2006 Ends: 06 September 2010 Value (£): 3,974,001
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Civil Engineering Materials Control Engineering
Eng. Dynamics & Tribology Materials testing & eng.
Pavement Engineering Transport Ops & Management
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Transport Systems and Vehicles
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
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 unacceptably poor 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.
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Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.soton.ac.uk