The University of Leeds has signed a £10 million co-investment agreement with companies involved in the power supply upgrade of the East Coast Main Line.
This partnership will allow for research into the best and most efficient way of managing the electrical power flow onto the route, which is expected to get busier with newer and faster electric trains, including high-speed trains.
The research into the £1.2bn East Coast Upgrade is due to last for two years. The East Coast Main Line is a vital rail link between London, Yorkshire and Scotland and carries more than 20 million passengers a year.
The power upgrade involves new sub-stations, 1600 kilometres of cabling and overhead line equipment. When finished, more electric trains will be welcomed which run quieter and are more environmentally friendly.
University of Leeds scientists and engineers will have access to data collected from a series of lineside static frequency converters, devices which manage the flow of electrical power from the National Grid to the overhead power cables along the line.
That data will then be analysed to determine how well the power system is performing.
The research partnership is between the University and the consortium involved in upgrading the power supply, the Rail Electrification Alliance (REAL) made up of Network Rail, VolkerRail, Siemens Mobility, J Murphy and Sons, Jacobs and Systra.
Peter Woodward, Professor of High-Speed Rail and Director of the Institute for High-Speed Rail and System Integration at Leeds, said: “The electrification upgrade of the East Coast Main Line will create one of the most advanced and efficient rail arteries in the world.
“At the heart of that rail system is the electrical power that drives it. There has to be enough power available to enable the trains operating on the line to run at speed and at full capacity.
“This research will see University and rail industry engineers working closely together to identify the most efficient and effective ways to manage that power system.”
Keith Earnshaw, Engineering Director at the REAL Alliance, said: “Through analysis of the data, we want to get a detailed understanding of how trains and other rolling stock are using the power that is being fed onto the network and importantly, are we getting the most effective use of that power.
“We also want to ensure that the power that is coming onto the line does not result in power surges or other electrical interference that could disrupt other rail equipment.
“Our aim is to have a system that is efficient and reliable, and this research will eventually enable us to access a digital power map of the UK’s network to ensure that the future electrification projects are designed as efficiently as possible.”
Jason Hamilton, REAL Alliance Director, said: “It’s a really exciting opportunity for the Industry and REAL Alliance to be working with the University of Leeds and a facility such as the Institute for High-Speed Rail and System Integration.
“The research work that the University does and the opportunity to work alongside and in conjunction with industry on live projects holds real potential. This partnership will allow the East Coast Main Line Power Supply Upgrade programme to progress with additional research and analysis that we wouldn’t have been able to access without this relationship.”
READ MORE: Why is the East Coast Main Line Upgrade so vital to passengers?
READ MORE: East Coast Upgrade continues at London King’s Cross
