Government commits £11m to multi-million pound rail research facility
The Government will provide £11m of funding to create one of the most advanced conventional and high speed rail research facilities in the world, in Leeds.
The £11m commitment will go towards the capital costs of The University of Leeds’ Institute for High Speed Rail and System Integration (IHSRSI) project.
A further £40m has come from the University and rail industry partners, adding to £13m from the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership Growth Deal.
The IHSRSI is set to “revolutionise the way new railway systems are invented, developed and brought into service.”
It is expected the Institute, which will be on the Leeds City Region Enterprise Zone at Gateway 45, will become fully operational in 2021. It forms the early phase of a plan to position the City Region as a UK centre for rail engineering to generate jobs and inward investment.
At the heart of the Leeds’ Institute will be the capability to investigate rail systems as an integrated whole: measuring how train, track, power systems and signals interact as a unified system.
The cutting-edge facilities will result in research that will transform transport systems not only in the UK but across the world.
Jake Berry, Minister for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth, said:“Improving transport for people across the North remains our priority so it is fitting that the research facilities at the University of Leeds’ Institute for High Speed Rail and System Integration, when developed, will revolutionise the transport system and benefit passengers by ensuring it is fit for the 21st century and beyond.
“Universities across the Northern Powerhouse have a strong tradition of being at the forefront of scientific research and innovation and that is why continued Government investment in our higher education institutions is so important.”
The Government’s support to the Leeds Institute has been allocated from the UK Research Partnership and Investment Fund (UKRPIF), administered by Research England to develop facilities that enable world-class research.
Professor Lisa Roberts, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation at the University of Leeds, said: “The real power of the Institute is that it has been designed with the rail industry, to help it address some of its big research questions. Working together with industry we will play a big role in future rail innovation.
“If you look at the Government’s Industrial Strategy, never before has it been so important for universities to work with business and industry and the UKRPIF scheme is truly catalysing those collaborations.”
Sir Peter Hendy, Chair of Network Rail, added: “This new testing facility will be one of the most advanced in the world and will revolutionise the UK’s approach to high speed rail system design and implementation.
“Not only will it reduce the number of issues we see on the operational railway, it will help to bring economic growth and jobs to the area for many years to come. Network Rail is keen to support this bold initiative by the University of Leeds.”
The Institute will be three cutting-edge test facilities: Vehicle testing; Infrastructure testing; System Integration and Innovation Centre.
Professor Peter Woodward, Head of the IHSRSI, said: “The Institute will revolutionise the testing, commissioning and building of new trains, rail infrastructure and systems, both in the UK and overseas.
“The test facilities will place the Leeds City Region as a global leader in high speed railway technology development, significantly enhancing the UK’s ability to develop, test and certify new railway technologies for the commercial export market.
“The capabilities of the test facilities are of global significance and I’m very grateful for the significant support we have received from all the companies and organisations that have helped us over the last two years.
“It’s a great time to be in rail, and with the new capability that the Institute represents, the UK’s railway future is looking very bright both for industry and for passengers.”
Councillor Judith Blake, Leader of Leeds City Council, said: “The Institute for High Speed Rail and System Integration has a key role to play as a world-leader in engineering excellence, new infrastructure, innovation and learning.
“Located next to the HS2 depot, it is a further significant endorsement of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Zone as a key economic driver for the city and the wider region.
“It also fits perfectly with the council’s Inclusive Growth Strategy, generating inward investment and jobs and offering opportunities for young people in Leeds and the region to learn cutting-edge skills in what is sure to be a leading industry supporting our future national transport network.”
Together with the Institute of Railway Research at the University of Huddersfield, the High Speed Rail College in Doncaster, the Network Rail Campus in York and the manufacturing capabilities of the Leeds City Region, there is an unprecedented economic opportunity for advanced manufacturing, engineering and education in the region and the north, to complement the Northern Powerhouse agenda.
