GCRE delight as hundreds attend for climax of rail innovation competition

Around 200 delegates descended on the Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) in South Wales on March 20, to see 11 companies show off new projects for the industry.

The Innovation in Railway Construction Demonstration Day was organised by Innovate UK, and showcased 12 projects that have received government funding.

It was the culmination of a competition to receive funding from the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). Some 54 schemes were put forward, with 25 receiving £50,000 funding for feasibility studies. Out of those, 12 were awarded up to £500,000 from DBT, if they could provide match funding.

GCRE Ltd Chief Executive Simon Jones was delighted with the event, which attracted more than 370 registrations representing 135 companies.

“This is about world-class research, testing and showcasing of products. Today is about the showcasing, and increasingly we see that as important,” he said.

“When we first started back in 2017-18 it was really about testing, but actually that showcasing bit has become increasingly important. We want this to become the backbone of tomorrow’s stronger, greener, more affordable net zero railway.This is the culmination of what we’ve been working for for a long time.”

Jones said that visitors had talked about bringing international clients to the site, and had asked about how they can exhibit their products.

“Today is what GCRE is about. It allows organisations to prove their gizmo.

“It would be nice to think in future we become part of the calendar, but it’s not the centrepieces of the business plan. I think we will have something here people can’t get anywhere else.”

The 12 stands were set up across the site, with two inside by the centre’s offices, seven outside around sidings that have been laid at the top of the site by the main building, and three near the boundary with the Network Rail line that runs from the Neath area.

Demonstrations allowed delegates to see products in action and to ask questions about them, as they considered whether those innovations demonstrated could be suitable for future deployment in settings across the network.

The projects demonstrated at GCRE were:

• Focus Sensors Limited: railway monitoring through lineside optical fibres.
• Ingram Networks Ltd: improved trackside telecommunications network to better on-train WiFi.
• Universal Signalling Ltd: worksite supervision system that remotely controls vehicle speeds and locations.
• Furrer+Frey: modified overhead line masts that allow for height of catenary to be adjusted.
• Furrer+Frey: composite cantilever that’s lighter and less susceptible to corrosion.
• Mimicrete: self-healing concrete for retaining walls.
• Concretene: concrete sleeper using graphene nanotechnology and graphene-enhanced admixture.
• AUS Ltd: twin-track cantilever for overhead line equipment that’s compatible on old and new infrastructure.
• RoboK: AI-powered video analytics system for rail construction monitoring.
• Drone Evolution: tethered drone that provides power and keeps device airborne for as long as needed.
• Silicon Microgravity: ground detection technology for gravity surveys that can read 12 metres deep.
• EneRail Ltd: traction power management system that combines renewables, energy storage, regenerative braking and grid supply.