Welcome to the August 2024 issue of our e-newsletter where you can read about industry events and publications as well as activities that the Rail Cluster project is leading or supporting.

New members
A warm welcome to new members of the Rail Cluster this month:

• CREO Engineering Solutions
• Staubli
• Oriel Collections Limited
• Mitchell Power System

• 710 registered individuals
• 479 registered companies
• 291 registered SMEs

Specification Manager at Rail North Partnership Daisy Chapman-Chamberlain has shared her latest list of funding and engagement opportunities within the rail sector. 

Click below to read the extensive and detailed list. 

Scotland’s Railway will significantly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions across the network over the next five years.

Network Rail and ScotRail, under the Scotland’s Railway partnership, has published their Climate Action Plan for 2024-2029, to help tackle climate change.

It sets out five priority areas - climate ready, net zero, environmental management, biodiversity and social value – with the overall vision being to serve Scotland - now and in the future - with a greener, more resilient and responsible railway.

The plan tackles emissions from the road fleet, heating buildings and energy purchases, targeting a 65% reduction by 2029.

Network Rail has updated and refreshed key resources for SMEs keen to work with it and its delivery partners.

The infrastructure manager has updated its ‘Information for SMEs’ webpage, adding links to a recently-refreshed SME supplier guide and key delivery partners map.

It has also added a Procurement Act page, which it intends to update ahead of the act’s launch in October 2024.

In addition to these resources, suppliers can now access a PACE e-learning course, which has been developed for anyone new to – or who needs a refresher on – the project delivery framework.

Network Rail has pledged that at least 33 per cent of its annual £7 billion spend will be with SMEs. It added that it had created the SME supplier guide to help SMEs do more business with it and its supply chain.

Challenge Statements

Network Rail also has a page dedicated to Challenge Statements - each challenge statement details a specific business obstacle and provides detail on definition, root cause analysis, priority areas of focus and a section outlining guidance for research and development.
See the current challenges here. 

A new national hub working on transport decarbonisation in the UK has secured £46 million from the UK Government and almost 70 partners.

The TransiT Hub has been granted £20 million by the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the UK’s main funding body for research in engineering and physical sciences. This marks the largest investment in digital twinning in the UK’s transport system to date.

Stakeholders across the digital, energy and transport sectors have provided a further £26 million, in what is thought to be one of the largest transport consortia of its kind.

The Hub is a collaboration of eight universities and 67 partners, led by the University of Glasgow and Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.

TransiT will develop a digital twinning approach to decarbonise transport in a low-cost and energy-efficient manner. Digital twins replicate the real world digitally, analysing real-time data from key infrastructure such as railways or motorways to test different scenarios and find more efficient solutions.

Scottish Rail Holdings (SRH) has hired Hannah Ross, a pivotal figure in Edinburgh’s Trams to Newhaven project, as chief executive.

SRH has responsibility for the oversight of both ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper, following their transfer into public ownership in April 2022 and June 2023 respectively.

Ms Ross, who is currently head of major projects and commissioning at Edinburgh Council, will join SRH on 30 September.

On the Trams to Newhaven project she secured business case approval and successfully delivering the construction, testing, and commissioning prior to its opening last year.

This webinar provides an overview of current cyber threats facing the railway industry and outlines protective measures based on IEC 62443 and TS 50701 standards. It delves into specific security frameworks essential for safeguarding railway systems. Additionally, the presentation includes a practical hacking demonstration to illustrate potential vulnerabilities and the importance of robust cybersecurity practices.

During the second part of the webinar, we present exploratory research on security economics of critical and national infrastructure protection, which includes a macroeconomic perspective to study incentives and penalties around CNI security. This will include how the decisions of operators, suppliers and governments affect key measures of risks, incidents and disruptions. This will also extend to understanding CNI supply chains (in terms of self-sufficiency and national security) as part of strategic industries, and where may tax breaks, subsidies and protection from foreign competition be effective, and a microeconomic perspective to study the impact of digital and physical lock-ins, externalities and asymmetries (arising out of technologies and vendor-customer relationships), alongside organisational models of investment returns on spending on raising security awareness, and improving security behaviours and culture.

The SPOTLIGHT Rail Awards play a significant role in recognising the accomplishments of the rail sector, showcasing innovative practices and outstanding contributions that drive the industry forward. By honouring these successes, the awards not only inspire continued improvements but also emphasise the vital connection between superior asset management, customer satisfaction, and net zero.

Key Dates:
30 September 2024 – award entry deadline
November 2024 – shortlist announced
January 2025 – shortlist webinars
20 March 2025 – awards ceremony

This event is organised by Jobson James Rail – the UK market leader in insurance and contractual advice for railway companies – supported by the Railway Industry Association (RIA).

This event brings the rail infrastructure industry together in one room for networking events with no distractions of speeches or presentations at a very competitive cost to suit railway companies of all budgets so they can meet each other and potential new customers to grow their businesses.

Major buyers will be sending their procurement managers looking for new supplier products and services. There will be Meet the Buyer meetings - 15 minute private procurement interviews with major buyers in a private area away from the event.

This event is free for visitors.

The National Rail Awards celebrate achievements and excellence across every aspect of the railway, from senior management to individuals on the front line, as well as safety triumphs, major engineering successes, and environmental sustainability. They recognise outstanding accomplishments over the past year, but particularly look to highlight initiatives which deliver measurable improvements in performance.

By doing so, the rail industry ‘Oscars’ seek to promote the industry’s longer-term success and sustainability, which relies on a highly skilled, diverse, motivated and engaged workforce, and exceptional leaders.

Entries have now been received, but table bookings are open for attendees. 

The Department for Business and Trade is investing £500,000 in feasibility studies to address the challenges of a major overseas railway operator. 

Join the event in London or online to find out more about the competition and network with the rail operator and key stakeholders in the rail industry.

About the competition:

• £500,000 to fund 10-20 studies
• The scope includes challenges related to Infrastructure, Operations, Sustainability, and Strategy 
• 3-month feasibility studies planned to be funded from January 2025 

In partnership, UK railway suppliers are invited to join a Railway Industry Association (RIA) and the UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT) trade mission to Morocco. Participants will meet key players and find out more about opportunities in this strong railway market.

Morocco
The 2040 Rail Strategy is a £30bn rail development plan to expand Morocco’s existing rail network, with plans for 1,300km of high-speed lines and 3,800km of standard lines by 2040. With elements of the plan expected to be expedited for completion ahead of Morocco’s co-hosting of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, the National Railways Office (ONCF) will be releasing a high volume of tenders in high-speed and light rail over the coming months.

The plan is to extend Africa’s only operational high-speed rail line, connecting Tangier with Marrakech and Agadir. Morocco’s World Cup bid includes the development of light rail within Casablanca and Rabat, along with the development of new stations, connecting this network to the inter-city high-speed line.

At present, only one airport in Morocco is connected by rail, with plans to connect a further 14. The existing network includes 1,000km of track, with 120 stations serving passengers and 15 serving freight. Six Moroccan cities will host games at the 2030 FIFA World Cup – Tangier, Fes, Rabat, Casablanca, Agadir, and Marrakech.