The appointment comes as part of a reorganization of the senior leadership team at Pandrol, which sees a change in role for a number of the Pandrol Executive Committee members.
Current Pandrol Executive Committee member Guy Talbourdet will now be fully devoted to his role as CEO of Delachaux Group. Brian Forster will retire from the business at the end of June. Fabrice Seewald is appointed to the new position of Deputy CEO of Pandrol, reporting to Eran Gartner and he remains a member of the Executive Committee of Delachaux Group.

Guy Talbourdet comments:
“The Pandrol Executive Committee was created to unify Delachaux Group rail infrastructure activities, an assignment which has been completed with all activities now united under the Pandrol brand. We welcome Eran to the business to lead the continued growth and success of Pandrol as a leading rail infrastructure solutions provider, focused on track safety, availability and lifetime value.”

Eran Gartner joins Pandrol from Megalim Solar Power and brings over 20 years of international rail engineering leadership experience in turnkey rail engineering, project management, services and sales, acquired mainly within Bombardier / ABB Daimler – Benz Transportation.
Eran Gartner has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University and holds an MBA from the University of Virginia.

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Covering an area of 3500 m², this new site will produce nearly 4 million clips per year, mostly for the Indian market. The facilities include an automated clip production line with state-of-theart technology for the anti-corrosion treatment of clips. In India, Pandrol fastening systems are used in the metro, freight and high-speed rail markets.

For Fabrice Seewald, Member of the Pandrol Executive Committee, “this new plant marks a further step in our establishment in India. I am convinced that India will represent an important source of growth for our rail infrastructure activities over the coming years. With this new production site for fastening systems, we will be able to supply the market with products “made in India”, continue to be as close as possible to our customers and create additional jobs in the region. Thanks to our other plant in Raipur, specialized in aluminothermic welding and track equipment, Pandrol now has an industrial tool adapted to capture the growth opportunities presented by the Indian rail infrastructure market.”

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Paris, 14 June 2018 – The Delachaux Group, CVC Capital Partners (“CVC”) and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (“CDPQ”), today announced that the Delachaux family and CDPQ have entered into an exclusivity agreement in order to acquire CVC Capital Partners Fund V’s stake in the Delachaux Group. The initial public offering process initiated in May 2018 is therefore suspended. Following the transaction, the Delachaux family will consolidate its position as majority shareholder.

Commenting on the transaction, Guy Talbourdet, CEO of the Delachaux Group, said: “I am pleased to welcome CDPQ as a long-term shareholder and want to thank CVC for their contribution to our development. Since 2011, the Group has significantly strengthened its positioning, stabilised the operational profile of its activities and made its business model even more flexible. I look forward to working alongside CDPQ and the Delachaux family as we open a new chapter in the Group’s century- long history. With their support, the Group would be ideally positioned to capture the full potential of its markets.”

Stéphane Delachaux, President of the Delachaux Group declared: “CVC has been a great partner and the Delachaux Group would strongly benefit from this new long-term partnership with CDPQ, one of the world’s largest institutional investors. We have been highly impressed by CDPQ’s understanding of our businesses and support of the Group’s strategy. This represents a new important step in the Delachaux Group history and an attractive alternative to the planned IPO.”

Stéphane Etroy, Executive Vice-President and Head of Private Equity, CDPQ, said: “The Delachaux Group is a leader in sectors that serve as the building blocks of our global economy. We are especially attracted by the company’s direct contribution to sustainable mobility and industrial efficiency, which are two areas that we deeply believe in and that are actively supporting through our investments. The company’s strong culture of entrepreneurship and focus on growth over the last century have allowed it to continuously innovate, and these are aspects of its DNA that have been paramount to its success in an ever-changing world.”

The completion of this transaction will be subject to the satisfaction of customary regulatory conditions and the execution of the final documentation is to occur after the consultation of works council pursuant to applicable law.

About the Delachaux Group
Founded in 1902, the Delachaux Group is a global player in mission-critical engineered solutions in technology-intensive strategic markets. The Group designs and manufactures high value-added products, systems and services critical to the safety, reliability and efficiency of its customers’ equipment and infrastructure. The Delachaux teams’ commitment and know-how reflect their passion for their customers’ businesses. The Delachaux Group provides solutions to half of the world’s railways, two thirds of the world’s seaports and half of the planes flying. It mainly serves the rail infrastructure, port, aeronautics, logistics and mining sectors. The Group has developed an undisputed know-how and renowned innovation capabilities. It is the world leader in its markets through leading brands, such as Pandrol, Conductix Wampfler and DCX Chrome. Family-owned company, the Delachaux Group generated revenues of €841 million in 2017. It employs now more than 3000 people in more than 35 countries with the aim to “give the best of Delachaux everywhere”. Present in strategic markets, the Group’s brands Pandrol (Rail Infrastructure), Conductix-Wampfler (Energy & Data Management Systems) and DCX Chrome (Chromium Metal) are recognized global leaders for their reliability, expertise and innovation capabilities.

About CVC Capital Partners
CVC Capital Partners is a leading investment advisory firm. Founded in 1981, CVC today has a network of 23 offices and approximately 450 employees throughout Asia, Europe and the U.S. To date, CVC has secured commitments of over $110 billion from some of the world’s leading institutional investors across its private equity and credit strategies. In total, CVC currently manages c. $70 billion of assets. Today, funds managed or advised by CVC are invested in 61 companies worldwide, employing c.270,000 people in numerous countries. Together, these companies have combined annual sales of over $60 billion. For further information about CVC please visit: www.cvc.com

About Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec
Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) is a long-term institutional investor that manages funds primarily for public and parapublic pension and insurance plans. As at December 31, 2017, it held C$298.5 billion in net assets. As one of Canada’s leading institutional fund managers, CDPQ invests globally in major financial markets, private equity, infrastructure, real estate and private debt. For more information, visit cdpq.com, follow us on Twitter @LaCDPQ or consult our Facebook or LinkedIn pages.

Delachaux Group
Brunswick – Benoit Grange / Julien Trosdorf
+33 (0)1 53 96 83 83
delachaux@brunswickgroup.com

CDPQ

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Paris, 13th June 2018 – On 29 May 2018, the Delachaux Group, a global player in mission-critical engineered solutions in technology-intensive strategic markets, inaugurated a new production site in Wuhan (Hubei) in order to meet growing demand in the Asian market and achieve its ambitious targets for the Asia-Pacific region, which accounted for 29% of its sales at the end of 2017.

Covering an area of 14,000 m2 and counting more than 200 employees, this new facility is the only site in the world to produce under the same roof the whole range of the rail infrastructure and energy and data management system solutions offered by the Delachaux Group. As the flagship of the Delachaux Group’s in Asia, this new plant reflects the breadth of the company’s technological know-how and incorporates best practices in management, environmental impact reduction and safety.

Guy Talbourdet, CEO of the Delachaux Group, and Stéphane Delachaux, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Delachaux Group and the grandson of Clarence-Léon Delachaux, founder of the Group, inaugurated the site in the presence of the local authorities, Mr. Olivier Guyonvarch, Consul General of France in Wuhan.

The Delachaux Group has been supporting China’s industrial and urban development for over a century by providing technological solutions and historical know-how to rail infrastructure as well as port, logistics and mining sectors. Present since the 1920s and the electrification of the Shanghai metro, the Delachaux Group also produced the conductor bars used during the construction of the Three Gorges Dam. Today, it is an essential partner for aluminothermic rail welding as well as in the rail freight sector through its participation in the “One Road, One Belt”. Its energy and data management systems equip the country’s ports and automotive industries.

Guy Talbourdet declared: “The inauguration of this new production site in Wuhan is the start of a new chapter in the Group’s history in China. We continue to provide high value-added solutions to China’s major cities to enable them to meet their mobility and development challenges. This new production site demonstrates our long-term vision and our ambition to increase our presence in China by capitalizing on the growing demand for decongesting cities and infrastructure equipment.”

About the Delachaux Group
The Delachaux Group is a global player in mission-critical engineered solutions. The Delachaux teams’ commitment and know-how reflect their passion for their customers’ businesses. The Delachaux Group provides solutions to half of the world’s railways, two thirds of the world’s seaports and half of the planes flying. Family-owned company created in 1902, the Delachaux Group generated revenues of €841 million in 2017. It employs now more than 3000 people in more than 35 countries with the aim to “give the best of Delachaux everywhere”. Present in strategic markets, the Group’s brands Pandrol (Rail Infrastructure), Conductix-Wampfler (Energy & Data Management Systems) and DCX Chrome (Chromium Metal) are recognized global leaders for their reliability, expertise and innovation capabilities.

Press Contact
Brunswick – Benoit Grange / Julien Trosdorf
+33 (0)1 53 96 83 83
delachaux@brunswickgroup.com

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“Heavy haul railways are generally found in areas with high concentrations of mineral deposits, which tend to be in some of the hardest to reach, most inhospitable areas of the world. Railways that travel through this difficult terrain, where temperatures can vary between +40°C and -40°C and tonnage transported can be in excess of 200 mgt/annum, which requires a rail fastening that is able to meet these challenging conditions.

Many heavy haulage railways are also having to cope with increased tonnage as commodity prices and world volumes recover from the low of a few years ago. Set against this background is the fact that many heavy haul railways were constructed at a time when there was less demand for minerals and therefore reduced tonnage shipped. In the USA, for example, the heavy haul freight network uses alignments that were set out in the 19^th century and some places still has wooden sleepers and ‘cut spike and anchor’ fastenings.

The growth in tonnage on some railways has resulted in premature deterioration of the track geometry and issues with the fastenings, particularly if these have been incorrectly specified originally.

In these kinds of situations, which by their very nature are in remote, difficult to reach places, a fastening system is required that needs minimum intervention and will perform over the long term.

High annual tonnage 

Two hundred million tonnes per annum is not unusual for a railroad to carry, compared with around 20m tonnes per annum in non-heavy haul applications. Even on heavy haul railways, the actual tonnage shipped far exceeds that which the track systems was originally designed for, which places increased stress on the track, fastening and sleeper system. With this much greater tonnage to carry, it could be expected that maintenance or replacement of fastenings would be required much more frequently. When replacing an existing fastening system it is therefore important to identify a low maintenance fastening solution that can withstand the rigours of modern heavy haul traffic.

When it comes to fastenings on heavy haul, the cost of maintenance and replacement is low compared to the cost of labour and track closures.  Most heavy haul track operators plan to replace small track components only when other maintenance work, such as re-railing, is being carried out.  Considerable savings can therefore be made by ensuring the life of fastening components exceeds the lifespan of the rail.  This, however, becomes more challenging as rail lifespans and tonnage carried are extended.  The major US heavy haul railways are now expecting rail to last for 3 bn tonnes of traffic in tangent track.   Therefore the net savings from investing in durable fastening components can soon be recouped.

High traction forces

High traction forces can cause longitudinal track stresses and therefore affect the specification.  In non-heavy haul applications, once track has been designed to cope with forces due to thermal expansion and contraction, the maximum expected braking forces will then by default be strong enough to withstand the applied traction forces.  However, in heavy haul applications with higher traction forces, this can induce track failure.  This first of all manifests itself in uneven movement of sleepers, which become skewed and displaced relative to the rails and the ballast.

The solution to this problem lies in the design, construction and maintenance of a high quality track bed and in special attention being paid to the specification of rail fastenings with appropriate longitudinal shear elasticity.  Tests on different types of rail pad have demonstrated quite different performance in terms of mitigating the effects of high traction forces.

Setting the specification

The third factor affecting specification of fastenings is brought about as a result of most heavy haul railways being proposed by mining companies, not established railway operators.  The railway therefore becomes part of the mining project because it is the most economical and reliable way to move bulk commodities from source to consumer.  In most cases, the design, build and even operation of the railway is put out competitive tender in the same way as any other capital investment.

This should require a specification of technical performance of the heavy haul track, however there is no established technical standard that takes into account the kind of factors that affect heavy haul railways.  In practice, simply adopting technical specifications from one railway and applying them to another in a different part of the world is rarely sufficient.   The heavy haul railway industry does have a strong record of sharing technical knowledge through organisations such as IHHA, which has helped to develop best practice which can be exported to new and more challenging projects.  This is helping to shape the specification of the fastener to ensure it meets that particular market’s challenges.

Extreme climates

The location of heavy haul railways are often in extremely harsh climates, due to the fact that mineral deposits, especially iron ore, are exploited in ever more inaccessible places.  This can present a challenge to the materials being used in rail fastening systems. Steel and concrete function well in extremes of climate, but for other materials, such as plastics, this can prove a challenge. Plastics are widely used within the rail fastening system to provide electrical insulation, resilience and sometimes sacrificial wear elements,

The other challenge caused by climatic factors is labour. A great deal of manual labour is still involved in track construction and maintenance, therefore there is a drive towards introducing more automation and to extend maintenance intervals because of the human factors that must be taken into account with inhospitable climates.

Norfolk Southern Railways USA

One heavy haul railway which has helped to shape the specification of heavy haul tie plates was Norfolk Southern Railways.  For this project, Pandrol worked with Norfolk Southern Railways to pioneer the development of a standard asymmetrical 18” tie plate in locations where reverse rail cant was an issue.   The railroad used timber ties, but all the tie plates available at the time on the market with elastic fasteners had a smaller footprint.   The challenge was driven by higher locomotive horsepower, dynamic breaking, more MGTs per year, larger rail sections and tie strength variation, which when combined meant a new specification was needed for a heavy haul tieplate design.

The most critical of these specifications were maximum bearing area contact with the tie, increased bearing area contact with the tie, increased bearing area asymmetry toward the field side, a clip housing that centres on the tieplate, space for four screw spikes and two cut spikes and ultimately financial savings over a cast plate.

Pandrol introduced the VICTOR plate, which had the same footprint as a standard asymmetrical 18” AREMA tie plate and incorporated a cast swaged-in shoulder that utilised a standard Pandrol e-clip to secure the rail to the plate. The VICTOR plate is designed to accommodate high axle loads on wood ties.

The location was in a 6.0 degree curve (290m radius) on a 0.09% grade with a 3.5% (90mm) of super elevation, which carried mainly coal trains totally around 40 MGT annually.   Pandrol VICTOR plates incorporated the use of cut spikes to secure the plate to the ties on this primarily cut spike railroad.  The VICTOR plate was monitored and found to perform well with respect to reduced tie plate cutting and gauge widening, which lowered maintenance  requirements for this curve.

The VICTOR tieplates provide maximum bearing area, while the use of Pandrol fasteners provides the heavy haul railroads with resilient fasteners with superior holding power, preventing rail rollover and reducing maintenance.

Norfolk Southern railways has specified the use of Pandrol’s VICTOR plates with screw spikes for bridge applications too.  To date, Norfolk Southern Railways has installed over 3m VICTOR plates.  These plates have proven to be beneficial in reducing plate cutting, reverse rail cant and gauge widening conditions, as well as providing rail roll-over restraint.  By addressing these factors, the rail operator has been able to reduce maintenance costs and increase efficiency.

High output, low maintenance

So it is clear to see that rail fastenings require enhanced performance to be able to withstand the axle loads and curvature that can lead to issues such as reverse rail cant and the need for ongoing maintenance.   Heavy haul operators are increasingly seeking the use of fastenings that allow for high output mechanisation for installation and maintenance that delivers lower installation costs for contractors and repeats those efficiencies in stressing operations, re-railing and rail maintenance activity throughout the life of the fastening system.

Innovation in this sector has led to solutions that overcome many of these problems and help railways to achieve lower maintenance and longer lifespans for their fastening systems.

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The Pandrol team attended a glittering event at London’s Hilton hotel on Park Lane, where the prestigious trophy was presented by TV celebrity and comedienne Sandi Toksvig OBE.

The Pandrol ‘Re’ 1800 SYSTEM was selected from amongst hundreds of entries for its time and efficiency savings as it minimises track infrastructure downtime and allows more work to be done within a single possession.  It also improves the ergonomics and efficiency for contractors undertaking the re-railing work.

Gavin Livie, UK Market Manager at Pandrol, said: “We are delighted that our ‘Re’ 1800 SYSTEM was successful in winning this award, especially against such strong competition.  This innovative new product offers huge benefits to rail track operators in terms of reducing installation time and enhancing safety. The award is testament to the hard work and dedication of our team in working with rail operators and contractors to develop innovative solutions.”

He adds: “We expect that with increasing adoption of the new ‘Re’ 1800 SYSTEM, there will be a significant contribution to reducing the cost of maintaining the railway network, both in the UK and globally.”

The ‘Re’ 1800 SYSTEM is a rail fastening innovation that has been designed to increase the output rates during the re-railing process and has been proven in trials to reduce installation time by as much as 35 per cent, as well as significantly reducing the number of components required.

In addition, the ‘Re’ 1800 SYSTEM, which requires very little product training to install, can be retrofitted on existing PANDROL e-clip and PR clip concrete sleepers, therefore improving the longevity and durability of rail fastening components on older types of sleeper.

The ‘Re’ 1800 SYSTEM features a composite pad which centralises the rail in the rail seat during the threading and clipping process. The flexibility of the ‘Re’ 1800 SYSTEM also means that rail pads can be provided in different materials and stiffness where required, such as EVA, or studded rubber.

The ‘Re’ 1800 SYSTEM follows the design of the PANDROL FASTCLIP System in providing a two-part electrical insulator concept, but reduces the number of components from five per rail seat to just three: two PANDROL Re clips with integral toe insulator and one rail pad with integral side post insulators.

The post Pandrol’s Innovative ‘Re’ Fastening System Wins Industry Award! appeared first on Delachaux.

The agreements will involve IRS and Davanac distributing Railtech Matweld hydraulic tools and Rosenqvist rail equipment throughout the US and Canada. In addition to the distribution agreement, IRS will act as a sales agent for Pandrol’s equipment and welding products in the US in a move designed to further enhance customer service.

Breen Reardon, Pandrol’s President for North America, said:

“We are delighted to announce this new agreement, which will have major benefits for our customers of rail track products in the US and Canada. We selected IRS and Davanac as our partners due to our shared values in terms of quality of service, combined with the fact they are long established and highly reputable in the industry. We are excited about what this means for the service to our customers and the growth of our business in North America and Canada.”

Scott Commo, President of Chicago-based Industry-Railway Suppliers, Inc., said:

“Our goal is to provide safe, high quality, cost effective product solutions combined with unrivalled customer service and field sales support. By representing the Rosenqvist, Matweld and Railtech product ranges we build on our core strengths and enhance our product-mix through Pandrol’s well-established portfolio of products and focus with providing valued customers with the safest and most innovative products available to the market. This is a progressive step in the growth of Industry-Railway Suppliers, Inc. and an opportunity to work collaboratively with like-minded partners who are 100% railway focused just as we are.”

Erika Berg, Managing Director at Rosenqvist Rail, said:

“We are very excited about this new agreement, which will strengthen our brand and our ability to supply and support our products on the American market.”

Pandrol’s aluminothermic welding and rail equipment products encompasses market leading solutions for welding kits, track mounted machinery, such as grinders and rail saws and modular power units. Pandrol’s range of track machinery is renowned for its ease and speed of use, ergonomic design and precision.

For further details about Industry Railway Suppliers, visit www.industryrailway.com or for information about Davanac visit www.davanac.com.

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The Pandrol ‘Re’ SYSTEM was selected from amongst hundreds of entries for its time and efficiency savings as it minimises track infrastructure downtime and allows more work to be done within a single possession, as well as enhancing the safety, ergonomics and efficiency of the contractors undertaking the re-railing work.

Gavin Livie, UK Market Manager at Pandrol, explains: “The ‘Re’ SYSTEM is a rail fastening innovation that has been designed to increase the output rates during the re-railing process, as well as improving the longevity and durability of rail fastening components on older types of concrete sleeper.

“We are delighted that the ‘Re’ SYSTEM has been shortlisted in these industry leading awards.  It will bring huge benefits to rail track operators as it has been proven in trials to reduce installation time by as much as 35 per cent, as well as significantly reducing the number of components required. Another benefit is that very little product training is required for installation of the ‘Re’ SYSTEM, which can also be retrofitted on existing Pandrol e-clip and PR clip concrete sleepers.”

He adds: “We expect that with increasing adoption of the new system, there will be a significant contribution to reducing the cost of maintaining the railway network both in the UK and globally.”

The ‘Re’ SYSTEM features a composite pad which centralises the rail in the rail seat during the threading and clipping process. The flexibility of the ‘Re’ SYSTEM also means that rail pads can be provided in different materials and stiffness where required, such as EVA, or studded rubber.

The ‘Re’ SYSTEM follows the design of the Pandrol FASTCLIP System in providing a two-part electrical insulator concept, but reduces the number of components from five per rail seat to just three: two Pandrol Re clips with integral toe insulator and one rail pad with integral side post insulators.

The final awards event for the UK Rail Industry Awards is set to take place on 22nd March 2018 at Battersea Evolution in London and for the Rail Business Awards at London Hilton Hotel on Park Lane on February 22^nd.

The post Pandrol’s Innovative ‘RE’ Fastening System Shortlisted for Two Awards appeared first on Delachaux.

The rail companies within the Delachaux Group –including welding, equipment and electrification solutions companies Railtech, specialist rail equipment companies, Vortok, Pandrol CDM Track, Rosenqvist, Matweld, RSS and fastenings systems solution company Pandrol – will come together under the re-energised PANDROL name.

The move comes as part of a strategic review, with the objective to create a synergy from the combined strengths of the market leading businesses within the rail division, and to make the products and services more streamlined for customers.

Chief Executive of the Delachaux Group, Guy Talbourdet, explains: “This move will reinforce our position as a market leading partner to our customers, who will benefit even further from our collaborative approach whilst we ensure that their requirements are met and exceeded. Our rail companies have a strong history of bringing game-changing innovation to the rail industry. We feel that we can generate benefits by being a tier-one partner to our rail operator customers and Pandrol is here to solve our customer’s issues and to co-develop solutions, for short term challenges up to projects including the whole life cycle of rail infrastructure.”

The newly combined Pandrol organisation will be focussed on four key products lines of the Rail Infrastructure; Fastening Systems, Aluminothermic Welding; Equipment and Control, and Electrification, which will collectively develop and deliver integrated rail infrastructure solutions for customers. As a single entity, the business will look beyond their existing product portfolio to focus on maximising rail infrastructure availability, safety and the lifetime value of rail infrastructure for customers.

Guy Talbourdet continues: “We want to make the rail industry better, smarter and safer. Customers bring us their biggest rail infrastructure challenges every day. They need an innovative, reliable, responsive rail infrastructure partner, and they know they can trust the Pandrol brand to deliver. Our new structure and strategy allows us to connect our products and co-operate across geographies, advancing the best of our current business to develop products and services beyond the existing range”

The combined organisation has been operating in the rail sector for over a century and has experience delivering rail infrastructure solutions in over 100 countries, with products designed and tested to meet or exceed all relevant industry standards, in whichever country they are specified.

Find out more information at thenewpandrol.com

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The partnership – part of the newly-created UK Railway Research and Innovation Network (UKRRIN) – has won £28.1 million funding from the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund (UKRPIF) managed by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). It follows a bid successfully led by the University of Birmingham. The funding will be boosted by £64 million of support from 17 industrial partners including Alstom, Siemens and Bombardier Transportation.

Steve Cox, Fastening Systems Technical Director at Pandrol, commented, “We’re thrilled to have been involved in the establishment of this partnership and delighted that we could offer our support and expertise.”

The UKRPIF funding will be used to create three linked world-class centres of excellence, forming the research heart of UKRRIN, which will focus on:

• Digital Systems – located at the University of Birmingham. It will focus on railway control and simulation, data integration and cybersecurity, condition monitoring and sensing, and improved methods for technology introduction.
• Rolling Stock – led by the University of Huddersfield in collaboration with the University of Newcastle and Loughborough University. It will focus on high value rolling stock systems, whole life asset optimisation and through-life management, and energy management.
• Infrastructure – led by the University of Southampton in collaboration with the University of Sheffield, Loughborough University, the University of Nottingham and Heriot-Watt University.

These centres of excellence, together with existing UK Rail Test Centres, are the foundation of UKRRIN, bringing together the UK rail supply industry and academia to undertake world-leading research and innovation in rail.

The UKRRIN will support delivery of the ambitious Rail Technical Strategy and is aligned with the aims of the Government’s Industrial Strategy.

With these world class centres of excellence, the UK rail supply industry will be able to develop world-leading new technologies and products for trains, railway systems and infrastructure that will deliver a better, more reliable and efficient railway.

Passengers will directly benefit from the research leading to improved technology; a better infrastructure with increased reliability that can be more effectively managed; and new digital signalling systems that will allow additional trains to run on the network. The High Speed 2 project will also be an early beneficiary of the world-leading research.

Professor Sir David Eastwood, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Birmingham, said: “These are exciting times for railways, which have become integral to how people live and economies grow in the 21st Century.

“UKRRIN gives British universities and rail industry partners the opportunity to shape the global future of railways.

“The University of Birmingham is renowned for its rail research, and innovations in railway control, command, and communication will be the key to significantly improve the quality of railway services.

“We’re looking forward to working with research and industry partners across the world to deliver innovation that establishes the UK as a world-leading centre of rail excellence.”

Professor Bob Cryan, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Huddersfield, said: “I am deeply proud of the Institute of Railway Research (IRR), one of the jewels in our crown at Huddersfield.

“It has a dedicated staff of 36 expert researchers in multiple facets of rail technology, and they already have superb facilities, including a £4.5 million test rig installed last year and the only one of its type in Europe.

“Now, thanks to UKRINN, those facilities and staffing levels are set to expand still further, with the establishment of a new Rolling Stock Innovation Centre within the IRR.”

Professor Sir Christopher Snowden, President and Vice-Chancellor at the University of Southampton, said: “This major funding award is excellent news for the University and demonstrates once again how industry and academia can work in partnership for the benefit of the nation as a whole.

“Combining our specialist knowledge with that of partners at Sheffield, Loughborough, Nottingham and Heriot Watt, we will advance fundamental science to tackle the problems currently undermining the UK’s rail infrastructure and help create a sustainable network fit for the future.”

Gordon Wakeford, Divisional Managing Director for Siemens Mobility UK and Industry Chair of the Rail Supply Group, said: “This investment brings together a range of British universities renowned for their expertise in railway research, backed by leading partners across the rail supply industry.

“UKRRIN will, undoubtedly, create important strategic partnerships and support future high speed rail programmes in the UK and around the world.”

Nick Crossfield, Managing Director at Alstom UK & Ireland, said: “UKRRIN is a fantastic initiative, bringing companies like Alstom together with universities to accelerate innovation in the railway.

“We are proud to be one of the leading private sector supporters of this project, involved right from the bid stage. With cross industry collaboration like this forging ahead, the UK railway industry is in a great position to deliver HS2 and the digital railway.”

Richard Hunter, UK Managing Director at Bombardier Transportation, said: “Bombardier Transportation is thrilled to be involved in UKRRIN.

“We believe this is a significant opportunity for the UK to develop and coordinate a network of world class facilities and capabilities to further support developments within the rail industry.”

Graham Hopkins, Group Safety, Technical and Engineering Director at Network Rail and the Chair of the Industry Technical Leadership Group, said: “By working together in UKRRIN, researchers and industry partners can deliver technical transformations to help deliver a more cost effective, customer and carbon friendly railway that delivers more capacity safely.

“The development of centres of excellence will help the rail industry to accelerate the uptake of technology and innovation.”

Dr Iain Roche, Head of Innovation at HS2 Ltd., said: “HS2 will be a transformative project for the UK rail sector.

“It will require world leading innovative approaches to delivering infrastructure projects alongside cutting-edge design.

“The formation of this UK network is great news for the sector and I’m absolutely sure it will help us bring the innovation required for HS2 to become reality.”

Darren Caplan, Chief Executive at the Railway Industry Association, said: “We have been delighted to help bring our members together in an unprecedented cross industry collaboration to secure this funding which will, for the first time, provide the ‘open to all’ innovation space which our industry has lacked.

“We look forward to UKRRIN supporting suppliers, large and small, to catalyse the developments which will help secure the future of the UK rail supply chain.”

The initiative is being supported by a range of clients and stakeholders including Network Rail, HS2 Ltd, Transport for London, Rail North and the Department for Transport.

IBM, Unipart Rail, SMRT, British Steel, RSSB, Thales, Hitachi, AECOM, Aggregate Industries, Atkins, Pandrol and Progress Rail are also among the 17 industrial partners supporting the partnership over a 10-year period.

Further information about the partnership can be obtained from the UKRRIN website: www.ukrrin.org.uk.

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