26 SEPTEMBER 2024, BERLIN, GERMANY – The Global Centre of Rail Excellence and Crossrail International have signed a new partnership agreement aimed at enhancing the development and delivery of major rail infrastructure projects around the world.
The agreement – announced at InnoTrans 2024 – will see the Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) work with Crossrail International (CI) to enhance understanding and share best practice with the rail sector globally on rail infrastructure development and delivery, including centres of rail excellence.
When operational, GCRE will be a purpose-built facility for world class rail and mobility research, testing and certification of rolling stock, infrastructure and innovative new technologies.
CI is a specialist advisory practice, wholly owned by the UK government’s Department for Transport (DfT), that provides expert strategic advice globally to government agencies and client organisations developing and delivering complex rail schemes.
The announcement is the latest in a series of major commercial partnerships to be agreed by GCRE, including Hitachi Rail, CAF, Transport for Wales and Network Rail.
GCRE Limited Chief Executive Simon Jones marked the collaboration this week, alongside CI’s CEO Paul Dyson at InnoTrans 2024 in Berlin (pictured).
Chief Executive of GCRE Limited, Simon Jones said:
“It’s fantastic to agree this partnership with Crossrail International. Across the world, governments are planning significant investments to enhance both domestic and international rail links but how well those large and complex projects are delivered will be critical to their ultimate success.
“Over the coming years rail can play a vital role in the global transition to net zero and in supporting stronger economic growth through the development of high quality, integrated transport. We need to ensure that the major schemes that sit behind transport solutions are not only high quality, reliable and sustainable, but also delivered more regularly to time and to budget.
“Doing this job has really opened my eyes as to how well-respected UK rail expertise is across the world, despite our recent domestic challenges. Standards, approaches and people from the UK are actively sought by international clients when planning and operating railway systems, such is the UK’s global reputation.
“At the Global Centre of Rail Excellence we believe that we can play a positive role in that work by providing a world class platform for complex technology testing and particularly through earlier systems integration. Learning from the past and spreading good practice is what Crossrail International does very well, so this partnership with GCRE is a natural one and helps us exploit the opportunity ahead.
“Their experience in working with governments and operators across the world will have a two-way benefit, allowing us to enhance the advice and support we provide to partners testing on the GCRE site and in helping to cascade the learning about how to develop high quality and more sustainable infrastructure.
“As we’ve developed the GCRE vision over the last few years the Crossrail International team has been very supportive in shaping some of our ideas, so it’s great to formalise that relationship through this agreement.”
Crossrail International’s CEO Paul Dyson said: “We are thrilled to be working in collaboration with GCRE. The UK is highly regarded internationally for its rail expertise and experience, and GCRE’s ambition to create a new global benchmark in rail innovation and testing will further support the UK’s leading position to advise clients on international good practice.
“Importantly, we have agreed that as part of our work together, CI will become GCRE’s worldwide partner for systems integration and operational readiness advice, services vital to the effective delivery of modern infrastructure projects.
“GCRE’s model development using the Infrastructure and Projects Authority’s (IPA’s) 5 Case Model business plan template, together with extensive stakeholder engagement and target market assessment, offers clients a clear route map to provide for facilities that will deliver wider benefits and help to cement the case for rail, especially as a focus on net zero becomes increasingly important in our transport sectors.”
