- GCRE and Ulusoy sign collaboration at InnoTrans 2024
The Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) and Ulusoy Railway Systems, railway catenary systems manufacturer, signed a new collaboration at InnoTrans in Berlin this week.
The two companies penned a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which will support Ulusoy’s growth into the UK rail market. Ulusoy will utilise GCRE for product development and commercial showcasing of their catenary technology.
The Global Centre of Rail Excellence is a facility for world class rail and mobility research, testing and innovation of rolling stock, infrastructure and cutting-edge new rail technologies currently being developed in South Wales.
Ulusoy Railway Systems are a Türkiye based company producing the entire catenary system products used in railway electrification for Metro, LRT, Tram, Conventional Lines and High-Speed Rail Projects. Ulusoy are expanding their commercial reach and have been introduced to the UK market through their established partner, TVS Rail Spares.
Ulusoy see their collaboration with GCRE as adding value to each other. GCRE will provide a platform from which they can grow a new core market in the UK.
Signing the agreement in Berlin, GCRE Ltd Chief Commercial Officer, Kelly Warburton, said: “We were very pleased when Ulusoy Railway Systems reached out to us and proposed this collaboration. Ulusoy want to establish a stronger commercial presence in the UK and see in GCRE a platform from which to develop the Ulusoy product range and showcase to a new core market for the company as part of their strategy.
“The GCRE facility will become Europe’s only purpose-built site for railway infrastructure innovation and that provides a unique environment in which Ulusoy can both develop their product range and demonstrate them to new customers as they look to expand their commercial operations.
“This collaboration has come together through the work of Ulusoy’s established partner TVS Rail Spares and their introduction to what GCRE can offer. We know TVS well and were very pleased to explore this innovative collaboration.
“What this deal further demonstrates is the growing commercial momentum behind GCRE and in particular the international reach of our facility. Companies from across Europe are reaching out to us because they are attracted to our site and because of the unique facilities for rail and mobility research, testing and showcasing that we can offer.
“We’re very much looking forward to getting our collaboration with Ulusoy up and running and supporting their ambitious commercial plans in the UK.”
Ali Unal, Business Development Manager of Ulusoy Railway Systems said: “As Ulusoy Railway Systems, we have been supplying our catenary system products to railway electrification projects since 2013. Our products have been preferred in many prestigious projects both domestically and internationally.
“After the projects we have carried out abroad and our expansions in European railways, we now want to offer our expertise in rail electrification projects starting with England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. In this context, this cooperation that we will realize with GCRE through our partner TVS Rail Spares is very valuable to us. Coupled with our new production facility process in the UK, this collaboration will accelerate our settlement and growth in the UK railway market.
“For safer and more comfortable journeys, the best trains in the world should be tested in the best test centre equipped with the best catenary system products in the world.”
Steve Welch, Commercial Manager, TVS Rail Spares said: “We’re delighted to have been involved in this collaboration between two great companies. We see our role in the UK rail sector as being an innovator in the marketplace and with both GCRE and Ulusoy being at the cutting edge of change in the industry, we couldn’t be happier to join them on the journey.”
