19.09.18
DfT launches second round of £3.5m rail innovations competition
Innovative ideas that transform experiences for rail passengers could receive a slice from a new £3.5m funding pot as part of a new government announcement made today.
Rail minister Jo Johnson announced the First of a Kind competition, which is now in its second year, in a bid to seek for ideas that can be adapted to improve the UK rail network.
He argued that there are “many brilliant ideas out there” that, with minor modification, can help to transform rail journeys for passengers across the network.
“We want to hear from those companies whose projects fit this template, because we can offer them the grant funding to make that a reality,” he added. “We are investing in the biggest rail modernisation programme since Victorian times and we want to put passengers at the heart of everything we do.”
The competition, run by Innovate UK and part of the DfT’s wider Accelerating Innovation in Rail (AIR) scheme, focuses on two themes: decarbonising of the railway and improving passenger experience in stations.
Earlier this year 10 projects succeeded in securing funding for improving passengers’ rail experience in the first round of funding. Highlights included a smartphone app that notifies you of landmarks on a journey in real-time, and beacons that guide visually-impaired passengers through stations and carriages.
Round two of the competition runs from 8 October to 28 November and is open to projects looking for individual funding of between £250,000 and £350,000.
Bosses are interested to hear about projects that can improve air quality in stations, reduce noise pollution, provide consistent and reliable information to passengers during periods of disruption, and enhance accessibility for everyone.
Simon Edmonds, Innovate UK’s director of manufacturing, materials and mobility, said: “We are delighted to be working with DfT on this competition. We want to unlock the talent of UK companies to demonstrate tomorrow’s stations today and to contribute to de-carbonising the railway.
“This first of a kind competition will result in tangible, realistic prototypes that have the potential to meet these challenges, to deliver a greener railway and an enhanced customer experience.”