British and Chinese universities sign research agreement on joint high-speed rail lab

A research cooperation agreement has been signed between the University of Birmingham and Beijing Jiaotong University on plans to establish a joint international high-speed rail research laboratory.

The new research lab will be run jointly by the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE) at the University of Birmingham and the State Key Lab of Rail Traffic Control and Safety at Beijing Jiaotong University (BJTU) in China.

The joint high-speed rail research lab will bring together expertise from both institutions and developed as part of a wider UK-China high-speed railway research platform. The platform aims to deliver leading railway research for the global industry.

Past rail research collaborations between the two institutions include the Sino-UK Higher Education Research Partnership for PhD studies. The project supports the exchange of six researchers and six students between both the University of Birmingham and BJTU who work on advanced technologies to improve capacity and reduce consumption for metro systems.

“The railway research centre will help to enhance the global leadership of the two countries in the area of high speed rail”

Clive Roberts, Professor of Railway Systems and Director of the BCRRE at the University of Birmingham, said: “I am delighted we are signing this collaboration agreement today on behalf of the University of Birmingham. We have already shown that our collaborations can bring about technological change in both the UK and China, and I am looking forward to growing our existing relationship to cover other areas.”

Hairong Dong, Professor in Railway System Control and Deputy Director of the International Office at BJTU said: “The UK has a long history of research into railway technologies. China has achieved rapid development over the last decade in the areas of high-speed rail and developed leading railway technology. The set-up of the joint high-speed railway research centre will help to enhance the global leadership of the two countries in the area of high speed rail.”

Dr Lei Chen, Lecturer in Railway Traffic Management and Train Control at the University of Birmingham, added: “The agreement will initiate the setup of a joint international research platform across Europe and China to bring global expertise on high-speed railway technology and to deliver cutting-edge railway research, benefiting the development of high-speed railway programmes in the UK, China and other countries.”

Earlier this year, the University of Birmingham also signed a co-operation agreement on railway research and education with the Chinese rolling stock manufacturer, CSR Sifang.