1. Rail research collaboration in Europe
Professor Mark Robinson
NewRail
CRC – Participant Workshop
16th November 2009
Adelaide

2. Contents
RRUK
UIC Coordination Strategy
ERRAC and the ERRAC ROADMAP Project
ERRAC Evaluation working group and research
priorities
FEAST
Future Collaborative Research Opportunities

3. NewRail
1994 2004
Vehicles Infrastructure Systems Freight &
Logistics

4. What is RRUK?
RRUK’s mission
– To support the UK railway industry by providing a focal point for
world-class, university based research
A virtual centre
– Twelve research groups in eight universities
Multidisciplinary research
– Engineering, Science, Economics, Human Factors
EPSRC funding

5. Management Structure
AGRRI
Advisory Group for
Rail Research
Innovation

6. Interface management
UIC Research Coordination Group
(RCG)/ERRAC

7. The communication between ERRAC and UIC (through RCG) is developing as a
continuous information exchange
1. Topic collection
2. Identification of
topics suitable for
EC research
6. RCG/UIC:
decision on Communication
further actions loop 3. Communication
RCG/ERRAC to ERRAC
5. Communication
to RCG 4. Discussion and
decision within
ERRAC

8. What is needed for the interface
RCG/ERRAC?
Ensure a timely and well-functioning information exchange between
RCG and ERRAC
Ensure that RCG interests are represented and advocated
professionally in ERRAC to the benefit of the positions agreed within
RCG
Ensure that ERRAC results are transferred and discussed in RCG
Ensure a mutual information transfer and avoid duplication of
discussions and counterproductive overlaps

9. How to put life to the interface
RCG appoints an "interface manager" for each of the ERRAC WPs.
This person will take the mandate to present and defend RCG's
positions and interests within this WP
The mandate will be neutral, clearly representing an overall RCG
position and not that of a single company/UIC member
Administration support to the "interface manager" will be provided by
UIC HQ staff

10. Your contacts for the ERRAC/UIC (RCG)
interface management
ERRAC WPs
WP 1 WP 2 WP 3 WP 4 WP 5 WP 6
The greening of Encouraging Ensuring Improving safety & Strengthening Evaluation & rail
surface transport modal shift (long sustainable (sub-) security competitiveness innovation data
distance) and urban transport bank
decongesting
transport corridors
Interface Interface Interface Interface Interface
Manager: Interface Manager: Manager: Manager: Manager:
Manager:
Enno Wiebe Dirk Peter Jonathan Christophe
UIC Malcolm Oelschläger Gerhardt Chéron
Paragreen
+33 1 444 92097 Lundgren UIC UIC Network Rail SNCF
wiebe@uic.org Banverket +33 1 444 92072 +33 1 444 92127 +44 20 7557 8611 +33 1 53429277
+46 24304405474 oelschlaeger gerhardt@uic.org jonathan.paragreen christophe.cheron
malcolm.lundgren @uic.org @networkrail.co.uk @sncf.fr
@banverket.se
Andrea
Lindner
DB AG
+ 49 30 297 56062
andrea.lindner
@deutschebahn.com
UIC Research Coordination Group (RCG) and all relevant UIC bodies

11. European Railway Research
ERRAC
ERRAC – European Rail Research Advisory Council
ERRAC was set up in 2001 with the ambitious goal of creating a single European
body with both the competence and capability to help revitalise the European rail
sector and make it more competitive, by fostering increased innovation and guiding
research efforts at European level.
The main goal of ERRAC is:
Enhancing collaborative European rail research by:
–Building consensus among all rail stakeholders
–Improving synergies between EU, national and private rail research
–Strengthening and re-organizing research and development efforts
–Facilitating effective pooling of human and material resources
–Launching ambitious co-operative research schemes
Advise the European Commission on essential Rail Research for the FP

12. European Railway Research
ERRAC
2001 Joint Strategy for European Rail – Strategic Railways Vision 2020
2002 Strategic Rail Research Agenda – based on the strategic Vision 2020
2002 Technical Annex of the SRRA – Roadmaps for implementation
2002 Rail Business Scenario – “doubling and tripling”
2007 Update of the SRRA – Strategic Rail Research Agenda
Implementation
Reaching the aims
Roadmaps needed!

13. Re-launching ERRAC- ERRAC ROADMAPS

14. The ERRAC - Roadmap project
ACCEPTED!
– Submitted to the European Commission on May 2008
– Evaluation received on October 2008
– Very good score: 13,5 points!
– No budget cut: €1,5 millions funded by the European Commission
ALREADY RUNNING!
– The ERRAC work continued even without funding with the
participation in kind of ERRAC Members and associations.
– ERRAC-Roadmap process has been defined and work on the FP7 3rd
call priorities done through the setup ERRAC-Roadmaps work
packages
– FP7 4th call priorities and Roadmaps work started

15. Re-launching ERRAC, ERRAC-Roadmaps project the
starting point
Openness and transparency of the work in the ERRAC-Roadmaps
WPs
– Everyone welcomed if active contributor
– Focus on the market uptake but openness to valuable « blue-sky»
research
Focus for the next 3 years on annual detailed and qualified sector
Roadmaps that will provide
– Input for the future work programme at EU and National level
– Input for interoperability at European level
– Input for legislative decision inline with the R&D objectives and needs

16. Re-launching ERRAC, ERRAC-Roadmaps project the
starting point
ERRAC associations work is fully inline with ERRAC-Roadmaps WPs
activities: i.e. for all Sector Members the unique entry point for R&D
priorities definition is ERRAC
Increased cooperation and interest from the transport sector!
– ERRAC-Roadmaps already cooperates in two WPs with ERTRAC
– Openness for cooperation – wherever relevant – with other ETPs
– ERRAC already cooperate with National Technology Platforms (i.e. Czech
Republic and Spanish)
– ERRAC formalised its link with the Joint Programme Committee for Rail
(JPCR)
– Future enhancement of alignment of MS funded research to create
synergies and to reduce duplications

17. ERRAC Roadmap EWG-WP06
Market uptake, Evaluation and database

18. The Evaluation Work Group (EWG) is part of Work Package 6 (WP06) in the
ERRAC ROADMAP Project :
WP0 : Management & Support Group
WP1 : Greening
WP2 : Modal Shift
WP3 : Urban Transport
WP4 : Safety & Security
WP5 : Strengthening Competitiveness
WP 6 : Evaluation & Rail Innovation Data
Bank
WP 7 : Dissemination & Communication

19. The Objective of the EWG
EWG Objectives within ERRAC activity activity is to identify the
factors that should be
considered in EU Rail
research
to improve use of
economic resources to
fulfil and ensure
coherence with the
planned strategic agenda
for the progress of rail
operations in Europe
to ensure successful
project deployment and
results
to avoid Weak uptake of
the results
to provide intelligence
for input to future FPs to
focus on important
objectives and gain
effective use of
resources.
Source: Dan Otteborn, Vice-Chairman of ERRAC, ERRAC General Presentation, Innotrans, 19.09.08.

20. Status update of EWG-WP06 activity
Up to date 48 projects (from a total of 138 listed projects) have been analysed and 39
have been evaluated:
– 13 of them were found to have a strong market uptake,
– 6 medium, and
– 20 a weak market uptake.
The 13 projects with a strong market uptake are in the domains of
– Train Control and Monitoring Systems (TCMS),
– Improving Safety and Security and in
– Greening of Surface Transport (Design for Environment)
The 20 projects with weak market uptake are mostly in the domain of
– railway freight operation, while others relate to
– signalling and research projects aimed at strengthening competitiveness
The 6 projects with medium market uptake are spread in
– Noise & Vibration monitoring,
– Infrastructure and
– Rail research Projects

21. The Roadmap EWG WP06 evaluations
Uptake of Evaluated Projects
WP05 WP04
€ 124.806.693 € 79.419.229 STRONG WEAK
WP01
€ 152.024.731
WP02
MEDIUM
WP03 € 241.555.224
€ 35.841.008
Total 138 Projects 39 Projects
Total projects in WPs Level of Uptake of the results of
@ July 2009 Projects evaluated
Global cost of projects in WPs
€ 633.646.885

22. The Roadmap EWG WP06 evaluations
Lessons learnt from Strong market up-take projects
Projects aimed at solving issues of general acknowledged
interest (eg. technical, of harmonisation, business cases)
Strong interaction between partners and relevant stakeholders
Clearly defined scope and objectives at the beginning
Results applied and implemented for products, or for regulatory
application and made available for future revision
Capability of building on results of previous projects (systemic
view)
Pilot cases or business cases developed

23. The Roadmap EWG WP06 evaluations
Recommendations
1. Clearly defined scope, inputs and deliverables of project at inception.
2. To specify, at inception, goals of projects, and to develop implementation
strategy anticipating possible problems with implementation itself,
identifying targeted users for dissemination of results
3. To plan for knowledge retention and dissemination at inception
4. To form a steering group of experts/stakeholders familiar with context.
5. To make clear that projects should search for viable solutions in terms of
applicability and cost implications, and to develop business cases.
6. To clarify ownership of project results and deliverables at inception.
7. To take account of implications for strategic interests of key players to
avoid strategic, commercial, technological and operational constraints
8. To select committed partners really interested in finding viable solutions.
9. To establish clear communication channels and frequency of exchange.
10. To conduct a regular review on post-project progress (possibly electing a
project responsible/promoter).

24. http://www.feast.org/
Building the European-Australian Research Community
FEAST (Forum for European-Australian Science and
Technology Cooperation)
Building 67a, The Australian National University
ACT 0200
Canberra
AUSTRALIA

25. Australia in FP7
Can I participate in FP7 if I am based in Australia?
The short answer is ‘yes’.
Can I coordinate a FP7 project if I am based in
Australia?
The short answer is ‘no’.
Can I receive EU research funding if I am based in
Australia?
The short answer is ‘no’, but…
Australia can participate in FP7, but with their own
funding.

26. Get funding from the EU: limited exceptions
Marie Curie Individual Fellowships
Evaluators for FP7
Become an evaluator for FP7
The Commission draws on a wide pool of evaluators. The call
for evaluators for FP7 has been launched and registration of
individuals and organisations is open on CORDIS:
cordis.europa.eu/emmfp7.

27. ERRAC PROPOSALS FOR THE 4TH CALL OF FP7 –
Feb 2010
Topic titles
Dynamic traffic management for better energy efficiency and higher capacity
– Energy efficient operation and managing in a dynamic way the traffic flow with timetabling
tools from energy management perspective including infrastructure capacity assessment
and optimized passengers + freight quality on mixed lines
Saving energy in the railway system: electrified infrastructure recovery/storage potential,
application and definition of recovery techniques/technologies in a sustainable way
(to be considered as preparatory research, fact finding project)
– Evaluation of the energy (quantity, duration) that can be stored
– storing in fixed installations when the energy can not be used immediately
new and innovative systems (batteries, flywheels, etc.)
– smart management of the electricity/smart grids? Taking in account that the railway
system is a large distributed system with several electrical loads (trains in operation,
auxiliary systems, public electricity grid)
– energy for isolated signalling systems (fuel cells, batteries, solar panels, etc..)
Energy consumption reduction and management in Urban Rail Systems
– Based in Modurban (subproject ModEnergy) results, it is now necessary to bring the
energy consumption model to a step forward, validate technologies and provide an energy
consumption decision support tool in the Urban Rail System.

28. Mitigation measures and good practice to reduce human fatalities and
disruption of services resulting from trespasses on railways property –
agreed with ERA
– : Identify the practices that could be applied to introduce mitigation measures of different
kinds, analyse them and identify the most effective and cost-efficient counter actions to
prevent suicides.
Rail System Interoperability (general open topic on the regulatory
interoperability and on the non-legislative side with technological
innovations)
– Technologies and innovative train concepts for both passengers and freight transport
characterised by interoperability and cross-operation between different rail networks.
The proposed solutions will be based on advanced mechatronic systems, on-board
electronics, information and communication systems and services. Research results
will contribute to standardisation at two main levels: 1) in the regulated domain,
related to Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSI's) and the ‘open points’,
especially in view of the upcoming geographical scope extension, given that this will
undoubtfully create ‘new open points’. 2) In the non regulated domain, innovative
solutions for interoperability and standardised interfacing between mostly proprietary
solutions. These measures are a necessary tool for strengthening the
competitiveness of the rail sector.

29. Sustainable materials for the infrastructure
– It expected that this project would aim to find a viable alternative to creosoted wooden
sleepers; investigate solutions to reduce the carbon impact of the rail steels currently used,
concrete sleepers and slab track and also investigating the sustainability of ballast. A
common methodology to calculate environmental impact and life cycle cost will be used, a
performance criteria will be developed for the product specification and the alternative
materials will be tested against this specification.
Urban Rail Vibrations and noise
– Some work in mitigation measures, modelling and procedure standardisation could be
done; the RIVAS proposal presently in progress for the FP7 3rd call doesn’t include input
from Urban rail systems operators (metro, light rail…)
Increased control and European harmonisation against unsafe freight
transport conditions (inspection gates & platforms + system inspection + onboard
monitoring)
Eminent IMs and Railway Undertakings are turning towards Automatic Train
Examination Portals Two types of portals are currently being designed far apart one
from the other depending if they are targeting train integrity (wheel sets, axles,
brakepads, etc..) or infrastructure monitoring (track temperature, catenary thermal
and video inspection, clearance monitoring, ). NDT supplier for railway academia
and both, IM and Railway Undertakings shall gather together in a win-to-win
approach for a European harmonization

30. Effective bridges (also road bridges, to be considered together with
ERTRAC)
– The project Effective Bridges addresses both old and new bridges in three
principal areas:
– Life cycle cost analyses (LCCA) of existing bridges as a tool for
management and decision support
– Approaches for the maintenance and strengthening of existing bridges to
increase life length to avoid or postpone the costs and environmental
impact of replacement (e.g. prolonging the service of 2% of the bridges
by 10 years should save more than 3 billion Euros).
– Methods and tools for new bridges to minimize, from “cradle to grave”,
total ownership cost and environmental impact.
Virtual homologation for train acoustic performances
– This topic builds on the results of the Silence project and will help to specify
what progress could be made in the next version of the related TSI. The idea
is similar to the TrioTrain and aims to anticipate and get easier test
procedures.

31. OTHERS:
SUPPORTED by ERRAC and to be presented together with EIRAC:
– Create an intermodal possibilities/network/facilities not only for big
quantities but also for the small quantities
– There may be a substantial market share if the problems of small scale
intermodality operations can be addressed in a cost efficient manner.
Secondary lines especially may be more efficiently used.
SUPPORTED by ERRAC as a CSA project:
– Intermodality and new services to the customers
– With an objective of improving Urban mobility, the study would aim at
identifying new information and communications services which could be
proposed to the customers before entering the transport system
(including multimodal information) and/or during their trip along their
travel chain either on board vehicles or at interchange stations.

32. Contact Details
Prof Mark Robinson
Professor of Rail Systems Engineering
Director - NewRail Railway Research Centre
Associate Dean Transport
School of Mechanical and Systems Engineering
Stephenson Building
Newcastle University
NE1 7RU
newrail@ncl.ac.uk