The Railway Industry Association’s (RIA) annual innovation conference showcased impressive examples of new rail industry technologies. Yet the industry is widely perceived as being slow to innovate. This paradox was highlighted at the conference which included presentations describing barriers to innovation as well as the successful adoption of new technologies.
While introducing the conference, RIA Technical and Innovation Director Richard Carr explained that it was part of RIA’s Unlocking Innovation programme which aimed to connect suppliers and clients to accelerate innovation. He advised that he had always been struck by the sheer depth of creativity within the rail supply chain. Yet he acknowledged that it struggled to get ideas into widespread operational use.
RIA Chief Executive Darren Caplan stressed that the industry should acknowledge recent good news of continued support for East West Rail, the Transpennine Upgrade, and HS2, as well as initial funding for Northern Powerhouse Rail and the strong recovery of passenger numbers and revenue following the pandemic. With rail fare revenues growing by 8.3%, there has been a 70% reduction in state subsidy.
However, he was frank about the difficulties with stop-start investment cycles and poor visibility of work, a slow start to CP7, and the pausing of the Midland Main Line electrification which resulted in job losses and a loss of expertise. Surveys of RIA members show declining confidence with 62% freezing or reducing recruitment and 34% making redundancies.
Barriers to innovation
Three presentations and a panel session considered why new technologies were not being adopted.
In his presentation, Neil Drury, regional managing director for Network Rail Wales & Western, noted that data only matters if people act on it. He felt that there was so much data that people don’t know what to do with it. Other issues were projects being owned by individuals that stop when they move on, poor commercial models, and fragmented engagement.
He felt that there needed to be clear problem statements, focused innovation effort, better collaboration with suppliers, and a whole system view.
Geoff Ogden, chief transport planning & development officer at Transport for Wales, emphasised that success required organisations to learn, adapt, and scale as the biggest barrier is organisational capability.
Daryn McCombe, Great Western Railway’s train service delivery and performance director, described the following recurring issues: delays snowball because information doesn’t flow to the right people; scattered data increases the time to diagnose failed assets; decision makers have different versions of the truth and processes and systems not being aligned. He considered that a shared operational picture across track, train, crew, and fleet teams is needed, especially to respond to weather events.
McCombe ended his presentation with three clear imperatives:
- Data integration is no longer optional as if our systems can’t talk to each other, our people can’t either.
- Real time, cross system situational awareness is essential.
- Predictive analytics must not replace people but support them.
Barriers to innovation, mentioned during the panel discussion on getting from research to commercialisation, included there being no clear route to market as innovators don’t know who the customer is. An example was sensors for track monitoring for which Network Rail might be thought of as the customer. However, test trains may be run by contractors.
The need for early engagement of procurement teams was also discussed. Although trials are relatively straightforward, commercialising innovation is hard. Furthermore, rolling stock innovations benefits often accrue to infrastructure managers rather than operators. In such cases, system wide benefits such as reduced track damage are hard to demonstrate.
Making it happen
The conference heard that innovation is being promoted by Network Rail, GBRX, UKRRIN, the National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR), HS1, and National Highways. In addition, a Rail Data Marketplace competitive Hackathon was won by 16-year-old Mikey Whiston, as described in an accompanying feature.
At the Network Rail stands, seven employees explained the company’s full innovation lifecycle, from challenge identification to product acceptance and adoption as shown below.
From the Wales & Western Region, Olivia Jones explained how the region has its own innovation programme to engage with local suppliers while working along the national team.
Nicola Woodhead described the freight safety improvement programme which has funds to improve freight train safety by, for example, using AI for scrap monitoring and CCTV on freight trains to detect problems.
Carol Lodge explained the innovation acceleration forum works with suppliers and internal teams to identify ideas with strong business cases and help secure sponsors, funding, and trials.
Roger Moore is part of the product acceptance team. He encouraged early engagement with the team and offered to visit suppliers to demystify the process. Product acceptance requires products to be designed for reliability. Kevin Raymond explained that free training for suppliers for this is available.
The real world testing environments offered by Network Rail’s test tracks at Melton Mowbray and Tuxford was explained by James Lea.
Lara Correia explained how Digital Toolkits for maintenance and asset management provide visual dashboards.
The external partnerships supporting Network Rail’s research and development portfolio were described by Emma Donaghy and Felicity Wakefield. There are more than 30 active R&D projects including international partnerships in France, Switzerland, and Korea.
GBRX Portfolio Director Mark O’Connor explained that GBRX was created to break the pattern of slow innovation adoption that has historically held our railways back. He advised that GBRX will help modernise the railway faster by embracing new technology more effectively.
One key action is the publication of the Rail Industry AI Action Plan on which we report in an accompanying article. Another commitment is the production of an X portal for the supply chain to engage in QBRX. When asked when this will be available Mark advised that it is being worked on.
The UK Rail Research and Innovation Network (UKRRIN) is a collaboration of 20 academic institutions with major capabilities in rail research established in 2018 backed by industry investment of around £70 million. It is one of the largest coordinated rail research networks in Europe.
UKRRIN hosts test facilities worth £30–40 million, advanced simulation tools, specialist laboratories and rigs, and has four Centres of Excellence. These are Digital Systems at University of Birmingham, Infrastructure at University of Southampton, Rolling Stock at University of Huddersfield, and Railway Economics, Policy & Operations at Leeds University. UKRRIN offers long term partnerships and is a one stop shop with a single point of communication.
Neil Robertson, chief executive of the National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR), had a key message: “You need some skilled people to do this stuff.” He presented the findings of NSAR’s modelling of the impact of digital adoption on the rail industry workforce which were:
- In the next three years nobody in the rail industry will lose their job because of AI.
- Knowledge of the working environment is essential.
- Managers lack confidence and capability in digital leadership.
- The rail industry lacks data scientists, data analysts and AI/machine learning specialists.
To address these issues, he advised that NSAR is launching AI, machine learning, and data science apprenticeships, using a shared model where companies contribute one apprentice each. In addition, NSAR has published a digital competency framework for managers in December. Rail must recruit those with digital skills. Though it cannot compete on salary, it can compete on public good, environmental impact, and apprenticeships. Neil also noted that there is strong potential to attract more women into digital roles.
Chrisma Jain, Network Rail High Speed’s head of innovation, advised that HS1 differs from the wider UK network as it has its own mini technical authority and runs its own standards and product acceptance. She explained how HS1 is moving from periodic manual inspection to automated intelligent inspection. This programme began in 2023 with trials which helped refine a technology roadmap which is being rolled out this year. It includes:
- Forward and downward facing cameras on multi purpose vehicles and passenger train roofs.
- Drones for vegetation management carrying herbicide; high level surveys to detect dead/diseased trees; ventilation shaft inspections; and acoustic sensing by mimicking traditional hammer testing to detect voids and cracks.
- Condition monitoring sensors strategically placed on critical assets or those with known problems.
- Emerging technologies such as quantum positioning, satellite imagery for vegetation and earthworks and robotics for constrained access windows.
- HS1 will be running manual and automated inspections in parallel to compare results over time to gradually build confidence and maintain human oversight of automated workflows
Dr. Jo White is director of engineering for National Highways which is responsible for 24,000 structures, most of which are 50 to 70 years old and potentially subject to accelerated deterioration. The company is now deploying advanced non-destructive testing technologies that it has trialled to inspect hidden structural elements. These are:
- Guided wave testing which is best for longitudinal tendons. It works by sending acoustic waves along a tendon in which any defects reflect signals whose time and amplitude indicates location and severity.
- Muon tomography which detects the scattering patterns of cosmic ray muons as they pass through concrete and can then be used to produce a 3D image of internal steelwork.
Case studies
Various presentations described how new technologies had offered significant improvements and savings or had the potential to do so.
Arcadis Digital Intelligence Director Joe Roebuck and South Rail Systems Alliance Access Planner Chris Sayce described how Network Rail’s Intelligent Infrastructure Programme is using Scheduleit as a maintenance planning tool for improved operational planning. This ensures there are sufficient competent individuals for the work and highlights competency violations. It also takes account of constraints such as line blockage positions and safe systems of work requirements.
The use of One Big Circle’s Automated Intelligent Video Review (AIVR) system to complete a 120km fibre survey and design project was described by One Big Circle Co-founder Emily Kent and Telent Chief Engineer Mark Warrender. AIVR integrated multiple video and data sources, and solved issues such as tunnel darkness through synchronised feeds. This eliminated the need for trackside survey and so enabled this project to be completed within 12 weeks instead of a year or so.
Pipcall specialises in recording and analysing safety critical communications. From June this year, all trackside safety critical communications must be recorded with thousands of calls requiring a manual review. Pipcall’s mobile app is GDPR compliant and records calls centrally. It is currently developing an automated assessment tool to transcribe calls and detect critical communication issues to improve safety and reduce review costs.
Airborne drones have demonstrated significant improvements in trespass detection, asset management, thermal imagery, graffiti detection, vegetation monitoring, and logistics support. However, their use is limited by the need for the pilot to see the drone. As Robert Garbett of the Drone Major Group (DMG) described the “nirvana” of drone operations is Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) which is extremely difficult to achieve due to technical and regulatory barriers.
As an alternative, DMG has developed Digital Tethering (DT) which uses Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM) to build a 3D map to determine the drone’s position within that map. DT also uses dual protected GPS, radar, and ground beacons to achieve centimetre level positional accuracy. It thus provides a credible, certifiable pathway to safe, repeatable, autonomous drone operations on critical national infrastructure.
Professor Jason Zheng Jiang of the University of Bristol, founder of FOSTER Technology, has been leading a project to develop an enhanced bogie trailing arm bush based on a novel mechanical design. This research is being funded by Network Rail and RSSB and to date has demonstrated a significant reduction in primary yaw stiffness which could save significant track and wheelset maintenance costs.
Leann Bliszko, programme manager for freight reform at Network Rail explained how research is benefiting rail freight and described the following initiatives: heavy axle weight modelling; gauge enhancement for large containers; digital coupling and automation; digitisation of freight load books; improving access to freight capability data; and research that proved more capacity could be safely carried without additional testing.
The use of Initiate in Scotland to preplan possessions into the signalling system to reduce errors and dramatically reduce setup times was described in Issue 213 (Mar-Apr 2025).
In his presentation, Minister for Industry Chris MacDonald mentioned two companies that had developed successful innovations with financial support from Government. These were Universal Signalling and Furrer+Frey.
Universal Signalling has developed U-Cross which is a low cost, train localisation system which can be rapidly deployed. The system has been deployed on the Heart of Wales line to provide signallers with the exact location of trains to enhance safety at user-worked crossings. The company had a Lego demonstrator at the conference with a fully functional version of their U-Cross system, in miniature.
Furrer+Frey developed a Cost-Reducing Electrification System (CODES) which determines the most efficient OLE incline designs to save construction costs. The company has also developed an innovative rail electrification cantilever made of composite materials. This has a lower weight and three-quarters of the embodied carbon of traditional masts with similar strength and durability.
Spotlights
Almost 50 companies had stands at the conference at which some explained what they had on offer at the Spotlight session as shown below:
Purple Transform’s AI Driven Visibility Platform can use the 100,000+ CCTV cameras on the network with existing sensors to provide useful intelligence about issues such as trespass, flooding, and PPE compliance. As an example, its Chipping Sodbury flood monitoring saved £1.5 million in delay minutes.
Abloy has a range of digital key systems for mechanical locks such as keyless padlocks. This enables digital keys to track who accessed what, when, and with what permissions.
The clean fuel pickup system on show at the FuelActive stand showed how this avoids picking up fuel from contamination at the bottom of a tank to protect injectors, extend filter life, and save fuel. The system is currently used by Network Rail, Colas Rail, and freight operators.
Over half a million Staytite self locking vibration proof nuts have been installed on the network as its patented design prevents loosening and failures. The company also offers an intelligent bolt which sends alerts via Wi Fi.
Incremental Solutions uses real time GPS train data to analyse train performance. This identifies sub-threshold delays, detects timetable resilience issues and compares real world timings with planning assumptions.
Laing O’Rourke is transforming lift installation through modular construction. To do so it has developed a modular lift system which can be installed on site in less than an hour and then requires a further 10 days commissioning. Thus, a typical 18 month lift installation programme can be reduced to about 12 weeks.
Unipart has the capability to integrate multiple suppliers’ technologies into a single platform. As an example, its lineside Vision Insight system uses thermal radiometry and optical systems, analysed by AI, to monitor temperatures of train wheels, axleboxes, and other components. Payment for this system is only required when it presents failures.
To enable deaf passengers to travel confidently and independently, Infotech has developed AI-driven British Sign Language (BSL) technology to provide train running information to deaf passengers.
Transmission Dynamics specialises in remote condition monitoring and presented its Panda roof mounted pantograph/overhead line monitoring system. This detects overhead line by providing 10 seconds of video recording where an accelerometer on the pantograph head detects abnormal acceleration. This has prevented dewirements on various occasions. A further development is a networked system that shares pantograph/OHL alerts and instructs trains to drop pantographs past an obstruction.
MoniRail specialises in ride quality monitoring that determines whether rough riding is due to track, train, or wheel profile. The company has developed a web based app that uses phone vibration sensors to generate ride quality indices which shows how low cost sensing can complement professional monitoring systems.
So much enthusiasm
The final keynote address was given by Network Rail Head of Programme Management, Susan Millington (pictured right) who had been delighted to see so much enthusiasm and ambition during the conference.
She also praised the industry’s willingness to openly discuss barriers of complex procurement, fragmented decision making, regional variations, and the difficulty of connecting suppliers with problem owners. She felt that recognising and addressing these barriers will move the industry forward.
Susan advised that a particularly promising development is the Evolving Innovation Playbook. This will be a shared resource with information about the challenges and outcomes of all the innovations that Network Rail supports or knows about.
She considered her takeaway from this conference was that innovation must have a central system wide role “grounded in the needs of the frontline teams that we support”. This requires proven innovations to be scaled up quickly and consistently, collaboration with suppliers to be strengthened, innovation to be embedded in everyday delivery, and a focus on outcomes that matter.
Your writer was also impressed by the scale and variety of the new technologies on show, many of which clearly offer significant benefits. It was also good to hear how Network Rail, UKKRIN, and RIA are actively supporting innovation. RIA in particular is to be commended for organising such a worthwhile event to facilitate innovation by connecting suppliers and clients.
Although there are certainly barriers to innovation which need to be addressed, some are now less of an issue than they were. Within the past 10 years there has been a significant increase in the use of passenger trains for infrastructure monitoring as monitoring data ownership arguments have become irrelevant. Furthermore, as the new GBR organisation is implemented it is to be expected that there will be more support for innovations offering whole system benefits.
Our report on last year’s innovation conference in Issue 214 (May-Jun 2025) shows that since RIA held its first innovation conference in 2009 many innovations have transformed how the railway operates and manages its assets. For example, new trains have had a quantum leap in technical capabilities and much has been done to automate infrastructure monitoring which has almost eliminated red zone working.
Does this indicate that the rail industry, which has older assets than other sectors, is slow to innovate?
Perhaps a better assessment would be ‘good but could do better’!
Image credit: David Shirres