RIA Wales and Western Set to Establish World-Leading Railway Research and Innovation Centre in South Wales.

£15million funding for world-leading railway research and innovation centre in South Wales.

The Railway Industry Association (RIA) Wales & Western has welcomed today’s news that a consortium of universities, including Cardiff and Swansea, has been awarded £15 million by the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund (UKRPIF) to establish a new world-leading railway research and innovation centre in South Wales.

UKRPIF investment will enable Cardiff, Swansea and Birmingham universities to establish a new Centre of Excellence for Railway Testing, Validation and Customer Experience at the Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) site, currently under construction near Onllwyn in the Neath Valley.

Industry partners include: Siemens, Atkins, Unipart, RSSB, GCRE, Knorr Bremse, Aegis, Angel Trains, Eversholt Rail, Furrer+Frey, Razor Secure, SLC Rail, EnServe, TRL, BBA, Vanguard, MoniRail and EneRail, many of whom are RIA members.  The facilities are currently being planned with building work expected to commence later this year.

Robert Cook, RIA Wales & Western Lead said:  “This investment is a vote of confidence in research and innovation in South Wales and will help secure the future development of the rail industry right across the UK. The funding and the partnership between these three universities is good news for RIA members and the supply sector, and will help the governments in Cardiff and Westminster to build a more effective integrated public transport network.

“We and our members look forward to working on this with Cardiff, Swansea and Birmingham universities in the months and years ahead”.