“His priority seemed to be not to teach them what he knew but rather to impress upon them that nothing […] was foolproof.” [Harry on Firenze’s Teaching, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]. Dr Holly Foss talks about the future of education and how ambiguity and the unknown is a necessity for our … Continue reading “Education and ambiguity”
The railway is full; how can we increase its capacity?
Mohamed Samra, Research Fellow in BCRRE, introduces how Moving Block and Virtual Coupling gives us the opportunity to increase the capacity of the railway. Rail transport is already an efficient mode of transport that brings great economic, social, and environmental benefits. The railways around the world are facing growing demand to transport more people and … Continue reading “The railway is full; how can we increase its capacity?”
The value of collaboration in innovation
Dr Jenny Illingsworth is Deputy Director of BCRRE and spent many years in product development and product management in the manufacturing industry before she joined the University of Birmingham. She shares some of her thoughts around the benefits of working together. I’ve found, over my career – which is longer than I care to think … Continue reading “The value of collaboration in innovation”
Distance Learning at BCRRE: The Digital Platform
Zena Green, a Teaching Fellow (International Programmes) talks about the shift to the digital platform when it comes to teaching and what this entails. When I raised the possibility of creating a digital version of BCRRE’s MSc courses in the autumn of 2019, nobody could have guessed that six months later we would be discussing … Continue reading “Distance Learning at BCRRE: The Digital Platform”
Automating data into useful information to support decision-making
Dr Chris Morris answers our questions on the new Network Rail Acumen Platform Docker, to which he and PhD student, Richard Horridge, contributed heavily on software development. Both provided consultancy on appropriate technologies to choose. What’s the project? It’s known as the Network Rail Acumen Platform Docker. It’s a real-time information tool for signallers and … Continue reading “Automating data into useful information to support decision-making”
Stay Connected with Digi Rail
Alec Gillham, Business Engagement Manager with the Digi-Rail project, outlines why it’s important to stay connected as we emerge out of the Covid-19 lockdown, and how SMEs in the Midlands region can take advantage. Here in the Digi-Rail team we have been making efforts to keep in touch with the SME community so we can … Continue reading “Stay Connected with Digi Rail”
Sustainability Reporting in the Field of High-Speed Railways: Towards a Unified Framework
Dr Labib Azzouz talks about sustainability reporting in the field of high-speed railways and the related research at BCRRE. High-speed railways (HSRs) are often bracketed with sustainability in the transportation literature; they are capable of meeting many individuals’ and societies’ mobility needs in a safe, clean, reliable, efficient, and environmental-friendly manner (Leboeuf, 2018). Sustainability reporting … Continue reading “Sustainability Reporting in the Field of High-Speed Railways: Towards a Unified Framework”
How can we innovate our way out of recession?
Steve Mills, Senior Industrial Fellow, will be speaking about innovation and the funding landscape at our Stay Connected round-table event on 25th June. In today’s blog he outlines the opportunity our current situation offers and gives tips on maximising your chances of success. As our colleague, Rachel Eade, mentioned in her earlier blog, Innovation as … Continue reading “How can we innovate our way out of recession?”
HydroFLEX one step closer to commercial operation, a debate on removing diesel trains from the railway and championing SMEs to dominate the rail industry!
We have had a busy morning across BCRRE and the Rail Alliance with our Rail Online event taking place and a big project announcement breaking cover. Firstly, we are delighted to be able to share the news that our HydroFLEX project is now moving into a final development phase supported by Innovate UK funding. We … Continue reading “HydroFLEX one step closer to commercial operation, a debate on removing diesel trains from the railway and championing SMEs to dominate the rail industry!”
How to survive train rides in crosswinds?
Syeda Anam Hashmi, a Doctoral Researcher in the School of Engineering at the University of Birmingham, discusses how windbreak/acoustic barriers for railway lines can provide passenger safety and comfort. We can already see, as outlined in David Soper’s blog, why aerodynamics is important. High-speed passenger trains are associated with a number of challenges where large … Continue reading “How to survive train rides in crosswinds?”