Network Rail has a significant research and development budget for Control Period 6 (2019-24). In the funding settlement for the five-year period, it has received £245 million; it is looking to bolster that with £112 million from third parties and is seeking partnerships from across the industry. At the heart of this is making best utilisation of the vast amounts of data available and of using robotics to automate tasks where it is safe and practical to do so. Andy Doherty, Chief Technology Officer, outlined to the Golden Whistles conference how some of this money is being spent with schemes in trial or going into first implementation.
One key aspect is managing infrastructure failures. Work here has included developing a new design of cast crossing, combating the issue of rising numbers of failures; the designs are complete and will be going to suppliers to deliver this year. With a large number of landslips in recent months, all eyes will be on a trial of electrokinetic geosynthesis to help dewater embankments and reduce the likelihood of failures; the trial has been deployed in Sussex since November.
Also within the programme are two innovations which have featured at the M…
