research • education • consultancy

The leading European University-based centrefor railway research, engineering and logistics.

NewRail is the Centre for Railway Research, at Newcastle University.Our aim is to deliver university research, education and consultancyto meet the complex technological and managerial challenges of the rail industry, its manufacturers, policy makers, regulators,operators and customers. Working at both national and internationallevels, NewRail has established strong links in the UK, throughout Europe and abroad, and is globallyrecognised and respected through its research, design, technology development, applied engineering and logistics excellence.

At University level we have Principal Partner Status with Siemens, due to our many research and project collaborations with industry, across business sectors, and our work to engage graduate talent. Newcastle is one of only a handful of UK universities to gain this accolade.

NewRail undertakes university research that is of relevance to the rail industry and wehave a wide experience in the transfer ofknowledge and international collaborativeresearch, particularly in transport applications.

Experimental investigations are undertaken at our full-scale, 21 acre (8.5 hectare) test site at Barrow Hill, Chesterfield UK, wherethe test track and facilities are connected to the main line. A fully equipped workshopand our own Class 37 locomotive mean we areable to undertake static and dynamic testing of both rolling stock and railway infrastructure.

Welcome to NewRail

NewRail has either coordinated, or been a partner in, many European research projects, in the European Commission’s FP6 and FP7 Framework Programmes and now the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme.

NewRail acts as an interface between the rail & freight industries and academia, provides a focus for railway and transport research activities across Europe, and undertakesuniversity research that is of relevance to the rail industry, the logistics community, and cities. NewRail has forged strategic links with industry, academia and transportassociations, being a member of the European Rail Research Advisory Council (ERRAC);the International Rail Research Board (IRRB);

the European Conference of Transport Research Institutes (ECTRI);the Rail Research UK Association (RRUKA); the InternationalAssociation of Public Transport (UITP); and the European Logistics Technology Platform (ALICE).

Credentials

research • education • consultancy

Prof Mark Robinson, Director of NewRail

Controlled explosion at NewRail test site, simulatingterror attack, in the SecureMetro project

New Rail Structure

Research Groups

RailVehicles

Strategy Group

ResearchPriorities

RailInfastructure

RailSystems

Rail Freight& Logistics

Consultancy

Education & Training

As well as our award-winning research work we also provideconsultancy services, a rail teaching profile that includes CPDqualifications and degree level study, while our Industry ResearchStrategy Group monitors policy and provides the forward vision and strategic planning roadmaps to ensure our research meets the future needs of the rail industry.

All our work encompasses a wide spectrum of interest and expertise, including:

Power and propulsion systems; joining technologies for vehicle construction; modelling and analysis of vehiclestructures and components; innovative track technologies; infrastructure monitoring; testing and analysis of rail steels; 3-dimensional microstructure modelling; rail network resource and capacity allocation; e-Logisticsplatform development for SMEs; last-mile distribution; data collection and benchmarking; critical understanding of the physical internet.

Key words: Research; Policy; Infrastructure; Vehicles; Rail Systems; Rail and Urban Freight & Logistics; Education; Benchmarking; ICT; Safety; Sustainability.

Our freight work encompasses rail, urban logistics, green corridors and cleanvehicles, as we research the implications of the ECs aims to increase rail freightcapacity and encourage sustainable distribution. From innovative rail freightvehicle concepts, to cutting edge telematics, our research focuses on a number

of specialised areas, including the fast growingsustainability agenda for the cities of the future.

For vehicles, the design, development, analysis andtesting of novel materials, processes and structuresall help towards meeting the rail industry’s demandfor increased capacity, safety, energy efficiency andadvanced interior components

We even extend our research into the rail system as a whole, focusing on urban and suburban networks;connectivity between both rail systems and betweenthe whole transport network; the use of design toimprove and adapt to the evolving expectations andneeds of passengers; and the challenges and solutionsfor interoperability in the European rail system.

NewRail has developed significant capabilities indesign, analysis and modelling and the testing of novel materials, technologies and solutions. Track-wheel interaction; track design and components;infrastructure development and testing (laboratory and on-site); data collection and benchmarking;infrastructure asset management; condition monitoringand inspection – all fall within NewRail’s portfolio.

Our Research

What we do

Full electric urban delivery vehicle,implemented by NewRail, in

Smartfusion project

Loco hauling the RETRACK train service;researched and implemented by

NewRail & partners

Full-scale cab prototype, built by NewRail for the DE-LIGHT project

Innovative rail freight bogie, from the SPECTRUM project

research • education • consultancy

NewRail's Education Group provides a range of education and training for both home and international students. The curriculum frameworks are based on innovative research-led block teaching and provide the skillsand qualifications necessary to pursue a management and/or engineeringcareer in rail and logistics.

• Research-based teaching approach;

•Multicultural environment;

• Designed for graduates from a variety of educational backgrounds.

Our offer includes:

• RailNewcastle summer school and RailNewcastle conference;

• CPDs in Rail related subject areas;

•With a focus on Rail Freight and Logistics we offer MSc degrees in:

• Rail Operations and Management;

• Rail Asset Management and Public Engagement;

• Rail Technical Management and Engineering.

• PhD’s in all aspects or rail engineering, operations, management and economics, materials, freight and logistics.

Education at NewRail

Dr Marin Marinov is the Rail Education Group Manager. His educational backgroundincludes Technology, Organisation and Management of Train Movement and hisresearch interest is in railway operations, planning and service design.

Dr Anna Fraszczyk’s role is to support the development of new teaching andlearning activities at NewRail. She is involved in developing transport activities forschool children and in mentoring students at A-level and on university placements.

Anna’s research interest is in travel behaviour and transport education.

Each summer our Education Group organises and runs the RailNewcastle Conference,a 2-day, rail focused, international, scientific conference for researchers, academics and students.

We also engage with young talent in a number of ways, including summer placement projects and participation in the collaborative Railway Talents network, co-ordinated by UIC.

Visit: www.ncl.ac.uk/newrail/educationContact: newrail-education@newcastle.ac.uk

research • education • consultancy

NewRail is all about the creation of useful, applied research – research that can be protected andimplemented, predominantly in the rail sector, but also in other transport modes. It is important to us that the research we do has a strong potential for implementation, so we work closely with industry and industry bodies to define a strategy for the research priorities, both short and long term.

For specific research areas, the research group managers are active in ensuring they understand the needs and problem areas of their industrial and commercial client partners. This means that, when we use our expertise to create research proposals, we can do so knowing that we have strong industry and end user support.

Our past success in areas such as freight train derailment, freight and logistics, lightweighting,crashworthiness, fire resistance, energy reduction, and infrastructure monitoring makes these areas ofexpertise clear targets for the future. Our team of mechanical and systems engineers is complemented by experienced logisticians, designers and ICT practitioners, while our funded PhD students help us ensure we stay right up to date with the newest innovations and ideas.

Our innovative research and development is protected by European patents, so we can work strategicallywith industry to implement the results and to develop our rail engineers.

We welcome your enquiries, for consultancy, for research, to join or lead consortia, to apply for one of our post graduate courses, or to discuss your design, ICT or engineering needs. Our dedicated NewRailwebsite will give you much more information on all the above topics, or you can contact us in any of theways mentioned overleaf.

Where we go in the future

NewRail invests in new research areas by funding PhD students. This means we can explore new researchpriorities and build expertise, while the student can become an expert in their chosen area and develop new research projects, on completion.

PhD students

Raphael Kling-David:"New designs for railfreight interchanges."

Anthony Gallagher: “Imaging Railway Substructure

using Ground Penetrating Radar.”

Zi Qian: “Towards an integrated evaluation ofsmoke or toxic gas dispersion and

pedestrian evacuation strategy in subwaystations based on subway climatology.”

Dongjun Li: “A freight industry tool to maximiseprofit for infrastructure managers and freight service operators”

John Morris:“Improved design of shortneutral section throughdynamic modelling ofperformance.”

Asim Onder: "Enabling the Implementation

of Composite Materials inRailway Rolling Stock."

Contacts:

Director: Prof Mark Robinson

newrail@ncl.ac.uk

Rail Vehicles: Conor O’Neill

conor.oneill@ncl.ac.ukwww.newrail.org/vehicles

Rail Systems: Roberto Palacin

roberto.palacin@ncl.ac.ukwww.newrail.org/systems

Rail Infrastructure: Dr Cristian Ulianov

cristian.ulianov@ncl.ac.ukwww.newrail.org/infrastructure

Freight & Logistics: Tom Zunder

tom.zunder@ncl.ac.ukwww.newrail.org/freight

Strategy: Sian Evans

sian.evans@ncl.ac.ukwww.newrail.org/strategy

Consultancy: Dr George Kotsikos

george.kotsikos@ncl.ac.ukwww.newrail.org

Education: Dr Marin Marinov

marin.marinov@ncl.ac.ukwww.newrail.org/education

For information on all this and more,

please visit:

www.newrail.orgTwitter: @newrailresearch

Notes:

Many of the projects featured in this brochure have been co-funded by the EC under various Framework Programmes.

Award-Winning Research

NewRail has received many awards, for all areas of our research work. Some of the most recent:

A highly prestigious THELMA - Outstanding Procurement Initiative Times Higher Education Leadership Awards, 2015

Best Environmental Initiative - Electric Vehicles for Last Mile Deliveries Newcastle University Environment Awards, 2015

First Prize (Rail Freight Services) - TopHat Concept UIC Research and Innovation Awards, 2014

Most Significant Safety Initiative – Anti-Terrorism Design Study Light Rail Awards, 2013

Outstanding Achievement – The SecureMetro project WCRR (World Congress on Railway Research), 2013

Alfred Rosling Bennett Premium/Charles S Lake Award for best paper of 2009 Railway Division of the IMechE