Research Catalogue
Welcome to the RSSB research catalogue. The catalogue contains all projects from the 20+ years of the RSSB rail research programme. Please be mindful of the publication date when accessing findings and guidance.
Search by entering a title, keyword(s) or project reference number below (e.g. "wayfinding" or T1010 or COF-INP-05) or use the filters to narrow down options.
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Wheel-rail interface (x)
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Train design - Components (x)
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Train design - Structure and crashworthiness (x)
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Other - Rolling stock (x)
Railways Interoperability (x)
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Other - Infrastructure (x)
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Rolling stock testing (x)
Operational Safety (x)
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Social dynamics of transport (x)
Stations management and passenger flow (x)
Rolling stock asset management (x)
Rolling stock passenger comfort (x)
Rolling stock condition monitoring and inspection (x)
Energy collection systems (x)
Other - People behaviour and health (x)
Overhead line equipment (x)
Aerodynamics (x)
Movement authorities and signalling systems (x)
Control and display systems (x)
Accident investigation and learning (x)
Other - Interfaces (x)
Safety data analysis (x)
Safety data collection (x)
Rail Standardisation (x)
Safety decision support (x)
Education and competence (x)
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Rolling stock fire performance (x)
On board power supplies and monitoring (x)
Smart grids and energy harvesting (x)
Electrical safety (x)
Rolling stock interiors (x)
Signalling - Train detection systems (x)
CCC asset management (x)
Signalling - Train protection systems (x)
Derailment (x)
Keeping on-track staff safe (x)
CCC system integration and life cycle management (x)
Signalling - People protection and warning systems including level crossings (x)
Gauging (x)
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Human Factors in event reporting (x)
Energy metering and billing (x)
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Status
Topics
-
Control Command and Communication
- CCC asset management (4)
- CCC system integration and life cycle management (3)
- Control and display systems (16)
- Data and communications systems (47)
- Movement authorities and signalling systems (16)
- Other - Control command and communication (36)
- Signalling - People protection and warning systems including level crossings (2)
- Signalling - Train detection systems (5)
- Signalling - Train protection systems (4)
- Energy and Electrification
- Infrastructure
- Interfaces
-
Operations
- Customer services for freight (44)
- Customer services for passengers (100)
- Keeping on-track staff safe (3)
- Movement of trains (60)
- Operation of road-rail interfaces including level crossings (45)
- Operational Safety (33)
- Other - Operations (33)
- Revenue and ticketing (9)
- Security management (39)
- Stations management and passenger flow (31)
- Traffic supervision and management (44)
-
People Behaviour and Health
- Attitudes and behaviour (128)
- Culture (56)
- Education and competence (9)
- Equipment workplace and environmental design (36)
- Health and wellbeing (89)
- Human Factors in event reporting (1)
- Human performance (55)
- Human reliability (44)
- Job design (42)
- Selection and training (48)
- Trespass (1)
- Other - People behaviour and health (20)
- Policy and Decision Making
-
Rolling stock
- Braking systems (43)
- On board power supplies and monitoring (8)
- Rolling stock asset management (29)
- Rolling stock condition monitoring and inspection (28)
- Rolling stock fire performance (9)
- Rolling stock interiors (5)
- Rolling stock maintenance (44)
- Rolling stock passenger comfort (29)
- Rolling stock testing (33)
- Train design - Components (94)
- Train design - Structure and crashworthiness (50)
- Other - Rolling stock (37)
- Safety and Risk
Programme
Date
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Research Project
T023
End Date: 2002
Complete
This short piece of work was commissioned in the wake of the Hatfield accident to identify the state of rolling contact fatigue (RCF) knowledge at the… Read More
Research Project
T024
End Date: 2002
Complete
This project identified various vigilance devices and technologies and evaluated their suitability for use in monitoring and maintaining train driver… Read More
Research Project
T054
End Date: 2002
Complete
This project conducted an independent review of a prototype railhead cleaning system called 'Laserthor', which uses lasers to remove railhead… Read More
Research Project
T060n
End Date: 2002
Complete
The criteria against which wheelsets are managed have been established over very many years, some going back 50 years. This research conducts a review… Read More
Research Project
T060k
End Date: 2002
Complete
Automatic vehicle identification (AVI) systems could enhance the value of condition monitoring equipment now employed extensively on the GB railway.… Read More
Research Project
T060h
End Date: 2002
Complete
Safe and cost-effective operation of the railway system requires that vehicles do not impart excessive vertical forces to the track. This research… Read More
Research Project
T060f
End Date: 2002
Complete
This project reviewed the recommendations from previous ARUP/Transport Technology Center Inc research regarding hollow wear limits and false flange… Read More
Research Project
T040
End Date: 2002
Complete
Registered
Railway crime - industry perceptions (T040)
Research Project
T039
End Date: 2002
Complete
Registered
Reducing assaults on railway staff (T039)
Research Project
T042
End Date: 2002
Complete
This project assessed the feasibility of using global positioning systems for train control. Deployment of this technology is a significantly cheaper… Read More
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Risk models (x)
Wheel-rail interface (x)
Attitudes and behaviour (x)
Sustainable development (x)
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Infrastructure asset management (x)
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Whole system design and modelling (x)
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Track design and components (x)
Operation of road-rail interfaces including level crossings (x)
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Selection and training (x)
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Adaptation to climate change (x)
Other - Energy and electrification (x)
Rolling stock maintenance (x)
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Other - Control command and communication (x)
Structures (x)
Job design (x)
Traffic supervision and management (x)
Security management (x)
Human reliability (x)
Equipment workplace and environmental design (x)
Braking systems (x)
Stations management and passenger flow (x)
Railways Interoperability (x)
Power supply (x)
Other - Rolling stock (x)
Operational Safety (x)
Other - Operations (x)
Rolling stock testing (x)
Social dynamics of transport (x)
Value from data (x)
Rolling stock asset management (x)
Rolling stock passenger comfort (x)
Rolling stock condition monitoring and inspection (x)
Other - Infrastructure (x)
Future technologies (x)
Control and display systems (x)
Other - People behaviour and health (x)
Aerodynamics (x)
Overhead line equipment (x)
Movement authorities and signalling systems (x)
Energy collection systems (x)
Safety data analysis (x)
Other - Interfaces (x)
Safety decision support (x)
Safety data collection (x)
Accident investigation and learning (x)
Rail Standardisation (x)
Education and competence (x)
Rolling stock fire performance (x)
Rolling stock interiors (x)
Signalling - Train detection systems (x)
CCC asset management (x)
Electrical safety (x)
Signalling - Train protection systems (x)
On board power supplies and monitoring (x)
Revenue and ticketing (x)
CCC system integration and life cycle management (x)
Smart grids and energy harvesting (x)
Derailment (x)
Keeping on-track staff safe (x)
Signalling - People protection and warning systems including level crossings (x)
Gauging (x)
Trespass (x)
Human Factors in event reporting (x)
Energy metering and billing (x)
ADHERE (x)
PERFORM (x)
DECARB (x)
FREIGHT (x)
CLEAR (x)
FUTURE RISK (x)
RESILIENT (x)
Clear date filter (x)
Status
Topics
-
Control Command and Communication
- CCC asset management (4)
- CCC system integration and life cycle management (3)
- Control and display systems (16)
- Data and communications systems (41)
- Movement authorities and signalling systems (14)
- Other - Control command and communication (35)
- Signalling - People protection and warning systems including level crossings (2)
- Signalling - Train detection systems (5)
- Signalling - Train protection systems (4)
- Energy and Electrification
- Infrastructure
- Interfaces
-
Operations
- Customer services for freight (35)
- Customer services for passengers (71)
- Keeping on-track staff safe (2)
- Movement of trains (55)
- Operation of road-rail interfaces including level crossings (43)
- Operational Safety (27)
- Other - Operations (26)
- Revenue and ticketing (3)
- Security management (32)
- Stations management and passenger flow (29)
- Traffic supervision and management (32)
-
People Behaviour and Health
- Attitudes and behaviour (100)
- Culture (43)
- Education and competence (7)
- Equipment workplace and environmental design (31)
- Health and wellbeing (64)
- Human Factors in event reporting (1)
- Human performance (48)
- Human reliability (32)
- Job design (33)
- Selection and training (42)
- Trespass (1)
- Other - People behaviour and health (16)
- Policy and Decision Making
-
Rolling stock
- Braking systems (30)
- On board power supplies and monitoring (3)
- Rolling stock asset management (23)
- Rolling stock condition monitoring and inspection (22)
- Rolling stock fire performance (7)
- Rolling stock interiors (5)
- Rolling stock maintenance (35)
- Rolling stock passenger comfort (23)
- Rolling stock testing (26)
- Train design - Components (77)
- Train design - Structure and crashworthiness (43)
- Other - Rolling stock (28)
- Safety and Risk
Programme
Date
From: To:
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Results per page:
Research Project
T424
End Date: 2007
Complete
This work will identify the performance requirements for windows, given the conflict between the need for them to contain passengers during accidents,… Read More
Research Project
T609
End Date: 2007
Complete
Registered
Inspection and correction of low speed maximum lateral track alignment exceedances (T609)
Research Project
T527
End Date: 2007
Complete
The research is to capture research ideas raised at recent level crossing conferences and will rank them in order of priority. Read More
Research Project
T675
End Date: 2007
Complete
This work has identified existing research on sustainable development relating to the rail industry, its key research outputs, and reviewed the… Read More
Research Project
T314
End Date: 2007
Complete
This project defined specifications for effective emergency lighting on rail vehicles to encourage appropriate behaviour from passengers and… Read More
Research Project
T632
End Date: 2007
Complete
Registered
Understanding multi-SPAD signals and the effects of line identifiers on driver behaviour (T632)
Research Project
T631
End Date: 2007
Complete
To evaluate whether the ‘Check AWS’ signs used by Arriva Trains Wales have a beneficial impact on driver behaviour at stations where a start-away SPAD… Read More
Research Project
T328
End Date: 2007
Complete
Registered
Human factors of CCTV monitoring (T328)
Research Project
T336
End Date: 2007
Complete
Understanding the roadside and railside economics of crossings. Developing an economic model for making business cases for crossing closures or… Read More
Research Project
T524
End Date: 2007
Complete
Assessing the benefits of various risk models and risk assessments for level crossings used by railway administrations in Great Britain, Ireland and… Read More
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Overhead line equipment (x)
Other - Control command and communication (x)
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Train design - Structure and crashworthiness (x)
Other - Policy and decision making (x)
Whole system design and modelling (x)
Railways Interoperability (x)
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Operation of road-rail interfaces including level crossings (x)
Rolling stock interiors (x)
Other - Operations (x)
Signalling - Train detection systems (x)
Safety decision support (x)
Safety data analysis (x)
CCC asset management (x)
Control and display systems (x)
Signalling - People protection and warning systems including level crossings (x)
Rolling stock maintenance (x)
CCC system integration and life cycle management (x)
Security management (x)
Stations management and passenger flow (x)
Social dynamics of transport (x)
Gauging (x)
Electrical safety (x)
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Structures (x)
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Trespass (x)
Other - People behaviour and health (x)
Other - Safety and risk (x)
Station design (x)
Accident investigation and learning (x)
Human Factors in event reporting (x)
Equipment workplace and environmental design (x)
Operational Safety (x)
Rolling stock condition monitoring and inspection (x)
Rolling stock fire performance (x)
Rail Standardisation (x)
Other - Interfaces (x)
Energy metering and billing (x)
Safety data collection (x)
DECARB (x)
ADHERE (x)
PERFORM (x)
RESILIENT (x)
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FREIGHT (x)
Clear date filter (x)
Status
Topics
- Control Command and Communication
- Energy and Electrification
- Infrastructure
- Interfaces
- Operations
- People Behaviour and Health
- Policy and Decision Making
- Rolling stock
Programme
Date
From: To:
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Innovation Project
I01-CLR-06
End Date: 2023
Complete
Registered
Assisted VSTP (I01-CLR-06)
Innovation Project
SC04-POT-17
End Date: 2021
Underway
Registered
Powertrain: Dual fuel technology for improving operating costs and emissions from DMU (SC04-POT-17)
Innovation Project
I01-CLR-05
End Date: 2021
Complete
Registered
Pathfinder (I01-CLR-05)
Innovation Project
I01-CLR-04
End Date: 2021
Complete
Identification of unused train paths for use by freight services as part of the Very Short-Term Planning (VSTP) system. Read More
Innovation Project
SC04-VLR-01
End Date: 2021
Underway
Construction of a hybrid powered very light rail demonstrator vehicle. Read More
Innovation Project
I12-TCV-02
End Date: 2020
Complete
Registered
Trainserv (I12-TCV-02)
Innovation Project
SC04-POB-13
End Date: 2020
Complete
The project will create an advanced braking control system which optimises the braking performance of the existing friction and dynamic braking. It… Read More
Innovation Project
SC12-TCF-14
End Date: 2019
Complete
There are opportunities to improve the customer experience through improved tracking of passenger numbers. Read More
Innovation Project
SC12-TCX-04
End Date: 2019
Complete
Registered
Intelligent Gatelines (SC12-TCX-04)
Innovation Project
SC04-POB-16
End Date: 2019
Complete
A robust, simple and low-cost solution to deliver improvements in adhesion by delivering a small amount of water to the rails in front of the train in… Read More
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Value from data (x)
Vehicle track dynamics (x)
Risk models (x)
Adhesion (x)
Equipment workplace and environmental design (x)
Operational Safety (x)
Rolling stock testing (x)
Energy collection systems (x)
Human performance (x)
Customer services for freight (x)
Other - People behaviour and health (x)
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Overhead line equipment (x)
Whole system design and modelling (x)
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Operation of road-rail interfaces including level crossings (x)
Selection and training (x)
Other - Energy and electrification (x)
Revenue and ticketing (x)
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Data and communications systems (x)
Electrical safety (x)
Aerodynamics (x)
Rolling stock fire performance (x)
Rail Standardisation (x)
Other - Interfaces (x)
Safety data collection (x)
Movement authorities and signalling systems (x)
Safety data analysis (x)
Movement of trains (x)
Rolling stock interiors (x)
Derailment (x)
Signalling - Train detection systems (x)
On board power supplies and monitoring (x)
Safety decision support (x)
Keeping on-track staff safe (x)
CCC asset management (x)
Control and display systems (x)
Signalling - People protection and warning systems including level crossings (x)
CCC system integration and life cycle management (x)
Gauging (x)
Signalling - Train protection systems (x)
Trespass (x)
Human Factors in event reporting (x)
Other - Control command and communication (x)
Energy metering and billing (x)
ADHERE (x)
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FUTURE RISK (x)
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Status
Objectives
Topics
- Control Command and Communication
- Energy and Electrification
- Infrastructure
- Interfaces
-
Operations
- Customer services for freight (4)
- Customer services for passengers (18)
- Movement of trains (1)
- Operation of road-rail interfaces including level crossings (2)
- Operational Safety (5)
- Other - Operations (7)
- Revenue and ticketing (2)
- Security management (7)
- Stations management and passenger flow (2)
- Traffic supervision and management (6)
- People Behaviour and Health
- Policy and Decision Making
-
Rolling stock
- Braking systems (6)
- Rolling stock asset management (6)
- Rolling stock condition monitoring and inspection (6)
- Rolling stock fire performance (2)
- Rolling stock maintenance (9)
- Rolling stock passenger comfort (6)
- Rolling stock testing (4)
- Train design - Components (10)
- Train design - Structure and crashworthiness (6)
- Other - Rolling stock (8)
- Safety and Risk
Programme
Date
From: To:
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Knowledge Search
S234
End Date: 2015
Complete
What work has been done on the distances trains can coast and are models of train coasting (speed reduction, gradient and distance) available? Read More
Knowledge Search
S226
End Date: 2015
Complete
How are Safety Management Systems (SMS) used in alliances between different organisations and what are the implications? Read More
Knowledge Search
S199
End Date: 2015
Complete
What opportunities do robotics and autonomous systems hold for rail asset management and maintenance, and autonomous vehicles and transport systems? Read More
Knowledge Search
S204
End Date: 2015
Complete
What alternative fuel and energy sources could replace diesel over the next 30 years for independently powered trains? Read More
Knowledge Search
S208
End Date: 2015
Complete
Registered
Station Revenue (S208)
Knowledge Search
S216
End Date: 2015
Complete
Registered
Driverless Cars (S216)
Knowledge Search
S220
End Date: 2015
Complete
What are the documented effects of fasting on train drivers’ fitness for duty, and what advice is available for drivers and their employers? Read More
Knowledge Search
S228
End Date: 2015
Complete
What methods can be used to keep torqued bolts of rail wheelset axle bearings tight, particularly when they are subject to harsh vibrational… Read More
Knowledge Search
S231
End Date: 2015
Complete
What are the expected benefits and measured benefits of more standardised and interoperable rail networks? Read More
Knowledge Search
S235
End Date: 2015
Complete
Registered