Expertise includes constitutive and numerical modelling, micro-mechanics, shakedown theory, particle fracture and laboratory testing, means the centre is uniquely placed to apply its expertise to the solution of transportation geotechnics problems.

A large Railway Test Facility has been designed and commissioned for the repeated loading of full-sized sleepers embedded in ballast over subgrade. A variety of ballasts, including those reinforced with geogrids, are studied using it. Discrete element modelling is used to complement the research and provide insight into material behaviour. The Facility has been upgraded as part of the EPSRC Track 21 Project to study the effect of sleeper type, reinforcement, ballast type and the use of under-sleeper pads on performance.

A bespoke large triaxial system is used for testing ballasts under a range of stress conditions. Laboratory wheel-tracking tests on model pavements have been used to gain data on the permanent deformation of pavements and railway foundations.

The centre is dedicated to conducting research into developing modelling techniques to predict ways of improving the design, maintenance and operation of engineering systems in order to reduce the frequency and consequences of failure. It is also committed to providing education in risk and reliability methods

We aim to produce models which predict the deterioration mechanisms and rates for the diverse range of assets which make up a modern railway system. These include the track, signalling systems, electrification systems, and communications systems, in addition to the civil structures such as bridges, tunnels and earthworks. Once the asset deterioration processes are understood, models can be produced which integrate the degradation with the effects of the possible interventions. By embedding the resulting asset state models into an optimisation framework, the selection of intervention activities and the time at which they are performed can be predicted to minimise whole life costs.

Capabilities include the measurement and characterisation of fields and the development of advanced simulation software. These can be uses in a number of contexts including wired communication channels and next generation wireless technologies (5G and on chip)

Capabilities include Reliability and health management of electrical systems: Technologies and methodologies, Energy Management: Smart grids expertise and energy storage and Power Conversion: Power device packaging and integration. These capabilities will help to meet challenges such as adopting smart grid technologies and improving electrification protection and control. Our Heat Transfer Research Group undertakes research on heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, refrigeration and heat transfer encountered in trains. We also have a growing capability in the traction sector working with a number of industrial partners

The Polymer Composites Research Group at Nottingham is one of the leading international research groups in the field of processing and performance of polymer matrix composites, having expertise in both thermoset and thermoplastic matrices. The group conducts fundamental and applied research on manufacture and performance of advanced fibre reinforced composites. The group is also the coordinator of the EPSRC Innovative Manufacturing Research Centre in Composite Materials.

All these technologies are relevant for light-weighting solutions to railway carriages or sub-assemblies, where heavy metallic components can be replaced with lighter composite materials. New manufacturing techniques can allow unit costs to be more competitive and new materials and advanced structures can provide opportunities to integrate other functionality into the design. The group has active collaborations with a large number of companies across the transport sector and sees considerable scope to apply these techniques to the rail sector.

The Automated Scheduling, Optimisation and Planning (ASAP) research group carries out multi-disciplinary research into mathematical models and algorithms for a variety of real world optimisation problems.

Capabilities include:

Modelling the complexity and uncertainty inherent in complex, real-world problems across a wide range of application areas including airport optimization, network routing, personnel scheduling, production scheduling/rescheduling, public transport optimization, space allocation, transportation logistics optimization and vehicle routing.

The Nottingham Geospatial Institute (NGI) is one of the world’s largest academic centres in the field of navigation, sensor integration and data dissemination and display.

Our expertise can assist in maximising the efficient movement of passengers and freight on the railway, via accurate real-time train position data.

Areas of expertise include: Navigation Guidance and Control, GPS, future satellite systems (including Galileo), Inertial Navigation Systems, optimised position orientation, and integration with awareness of rail requirements.

Key Competencies:

GNSS (GPS and Galileo), Independent simulation and testing of GNSS and other positioning systems, Fixed test-track for system testing and research and development, Applications of GNSS positioning and navigation in the transport sector, Coordinate systems and map projection expertise, Precise deformation monitoring, Remote measurement techniques (such as airborne, terrestrial and satellite photogrammetry and remote sensing)