Self-charging trains could make their way onto Britain’s railways, transforming the future of transport after receiving government funding.
Rail innovaton: Greener and cleaner
Top innovators and inventers have won prize money to bring their innovations to life, as part of the First of a Kind (FOAK) 2022 competition. This year’s competition, in partnership with Innovate UK, focused on new concepts that will transform rail travel for passengers and decarbonising the network.
FOAK 2022 saw 24 innovators receive a share of more than £5 million with grants of up to £400,000 each. From technology making our railways greener than ever before by removing harmful emissions from train exhausts to research into powering our railways with renewable energy, this year’s successful bidders will revolutionise the future of train travel for generations to come.
“The UK has a long history of leading the way in railway innovation and the First of a Kind competition is getting the great brains of today to create the trains of tomorrow.”
Mark Harper, Transport Secretary
Mike Biddle, Executive Director for Net Zero at Innovate UK, said:
The innovations funded through this competition will help to deliver a greener, lower-emissions railway carrying increasingly higher proportions of the UK’s freight.
Delivered by Innovate UK, on behalf of the Department for Transport through the Small Business Research Initiative, it seeks the best and brightest ideas.
Inside First of a Kind (FOAK) 2022
This year’s winners include:
Varamis who, working closely with DHL and Fedex, are revolutionising parcel delivery in the UK by repurposing former passenger carriages and putting rail right at the heart of the online shopping boom to create high-speed, non-letter delivery services.
Echion Technologies, another successful bidder, is developing batteries that will charge from overhead wires and use that charge to ‘leapfrog’ across unelectrified section of track and, effectively, create self-charging trains – truly, ‘the first of a kind’.
Thales Ground Transportation Systems have developed new sensors which will detect people approaching tracks, pin down their location, and give an early warning to staff – lifesaving technology that will reduce disruption and could act as suicide intervention or even stop protestors getting on the tracks.
Other winning projects include:
- automatic systems that detect and stop track flooding
- cutting edge electric drivetrains that replace polluting diesel engines
- new tech to instantly relay track information to improve and modernise rail safety
Winners with a track record of success will have the opportunity to progress for further funding next year as projects move from concepts to realisation.
The First of a Kind competition has already helped launch over 100 projects that are having a transformative effect across the entire industry. Previous winners have included Riding Sunbeams, which power railways with sunlight, and 4Silence’s sound bending walls which cancel out noise pollution from the railway.
Final Thought
With emissions to air from rail industries endangering environment and human health, investment in innovation towards green transportation is essential. The climate crisis can be addressed head on when organisations and governments look towards financing solutions that can increase innovation.
Photo Credit: Paul Johnston
As a policy institute, Curia is holding a series of inquiry sessions on the exciting opportunities that hydrogen will bring the UK. Informing leaders across the UK about the opportunities, they will kick off next year with the first inquiry session focussing on transport.
To find out more information, or get involved, email team@curiauk.com