testing and trialling to unlock innovation in gb rail

Testing and trialling to unlock innovation in GB rail


To improve performance and reduce costs

The rail industry wants to innovate


Boosting understanding of the potential of testing and trialling facilities and

shared good practice will support this.





Better railway

Twice the capacityHalf the carbon

Half the costMaximum customer satisfaction





Better railway

Technology will need to play a role

Innovation will be needed

Unlocking barriers to innovation


The rail industry identified the following barriers to overcome:

• Lack of a holistic, systems view • Weaknesses in organisation, processes,

competence and culture – eg problems in monetising benefits of innovation

• Poor implementation risk management – eg acceptance processes are not well understood by suppliers or flexible enough



Principal interventions were proposed:

• Establish a top-level ‘sponsor’ function to provide the business ‘pull’ (rather than technology ‘push’) for innovation and to integrate with industry planning

• Establish a GB rail ‘technology leadership’ function



Principal interventions were proposed:

• Establish a top-level ‘sponsor’ function to provide the business ‘pull’ (rather than technology ‘push’) for innovation and to integrate with industry planning

• Establish a GB rail ‘technology leadership’ function

These ideas tested in a

consultation...

As part of the consultation on industry’s Rail Technical Strategy, the need to enable innovation emerged as one of the key issues.

Enabling innovation


The rail industry ran a consultation ‘Shaping the 30-year Rail Technical

Strategy’ in autumn 2010, ahead of a new version being published in 2012.

Research has confirmed that lack of access to testing facilities, and lack of overall understanding of testing are key barriers to innovation.

The role of testing and trialling facilities


‘Enabling technical innovation in the GB rail industry - barriers

and solutions’ (T934)

The role of testing and trialling facilities


Lack of access to appropriate testing and trialling facilities has been identified at RIA’s innovation conferences as one of the top three barriers to innovation in the rail industry.

RIA represents suppliers to the rail industry and works closely with RSSB

and is a partner on TSLG

This led the rail industry to identify a need to pool and present its combined knowledge on testing and trialling.

Why is innovation so important?


The Technical Strategy Leadership Group (TSLG) asked the Testing Facilities Steering

Group (TFSG) to develop good practice guidance and collate testing and trialling

facilities’ capabilities and contacts

To promote a shared understanding of good practice

Objectives


To make it easier to find test facilities for introducing new technology to Britain’s railways

To provide answers to frequently asked questions

• Vital to develop technology

• Makes a concept real

• Demonstrates performance

• To develop technology in a laboratory

• To develop a product for ‘real-life’

Why do testing and trialling?


Technology readiness levels (TRLs)


Test

ing

an

d t

rial

ling TRLs describe the different

stages that a new technology goes through during development.

Testing enables a technologyto progress from TRL2 where it is nothing more than a concept through to TRL9 where it is proven and accepted into the operational environment.

Read more:

Development of a technology roadmap

and action plan for the GB railways – short-

term roadmap

(T809), RSSB, Oct 2010

TRLs are also described in more detail in the good practice guide on

testing and trialling...

Technology readiness levels (TRLs)


Test

ing

an

d t

rial

ling

TRL1 Basic principles observed

TRL2 Technology concept formulated

TRL3 Analytical/experimental proof of concept

TRL4 Technology component validation in lab

TRL5 Technology component validation in relevant (railway) environment

TRL6 Technology system prototype in relevant (railway) environment

TRL7 Technology system prototype in operational railway environment

TRL8 Actual technology system qualified through test in railway environment

TRL9 Actual technology system qualified through successful operation in railway environment

Testing the basic principles

and concept

Testing and trialling the

technology to show it works

Testing and trialling the end product to show

it works

A new place to go for information




www.futurerailway.org

Click on Testing and Trialling Facilities

The GB rail industry has a new shared hub of information on testing and trialling.



Details of GB facilities – what they do and how to contact them

Good practice guidance can be downloaded from here

Answers to frequently asked questions


Finding facilities


Finding facilities


A database of organisations with testing and trialling facilities

Search box

Finding facilities



Names of facilities

Finding facilities



Names of facility operators

Finding facilities



Keywords associated

with types of test and trial

services

Finding facilities


Click on a name to get full details

Finding facilities


Capability statement

Finding facilities


What tests does it

perform?

Finding facilities


What equipment or systems are tested?

Finding facilities


Details of who owns

and operates the facilities, where they

are, and their availability

Finding facilities


Contact names,

telephone numbers,

email addresses

and website links

Finding facilities


A selection of facilities were contacted to submit their details into the database to establish ‘critical mass’.

Since then, momentum has grown and other facility operators have contacted us to be listed.

If you operate facilities and wish to make them available to third parties on a commercial basis– get in touch with RSSB, email: [email protected]

Aimed at those who are new to testing and trialling in rail

Good practice guide


• Accessible, easy to read• Handy A5 format• Available as a download or

hard copy

Who should read it?

Good practice guide


Anyone who is new to testing and trialling for the railway

Who should read it?

Good practice guide


Companies who might be about to commission testing and trialling work for railway applications

Who should read it?

Good practice guide


Test house operators, for them to pass on to clients, to boost mutual understanding of the issues involved

Who should read it?

Good practice guide


Innovators and inventors with an interest in the rail industry

Written by the industry – empathy with both suppliers and end users

Good practice guide


Frequently asked questions


You can also find answers to some of the frequently asked questions about testing and trialling

Getting in touch


If you have feedback, comments or questions about testing and trialling or if you want facility details added to the database, contact:

[email protected]

Tel +44 (0) 20 3142 5300

• These shared resources have been produced through cross-industry cooperation

Who’s behind this?


• The Testing Facilities Steering Group comprises:• Network Rail• Association of Train Operating Companies• Railway Industry Association• Interfleet• Serco• London Underground• Department for Transport • RSSB




Click on Testing and Trialling Facilities

Email [email protected]

testing and trialling to unlock innovation in gb rail

Documents

innovation testing

gb rail testing

gb rail slide

testing facilities

potential of testing

role of testing

technical innovation

gb rail industry barriers