The journey from idea to impact
RSSB has run a DfT funded research programme for the rail industry since we were founded in 2003. There are now well over 1,000 projects in our Research Catalogue, covering subjects as varied as driving policies, seat comfort, pantograph gauging, and freight coupler strength.
We work hard to make sure the projects we carry out are relevant, cost-effective, and achieve significant positive real-world impact.
A very particular set of skills
As the industry’s independent safety and standards body, RSSB has a whole-system view of Britain’s rail network, which guides our approach to research. We don’t undertake projects that would only benefit one organisation alone. Instead, we focus on areas that can help the entire industry and its users.
Very often these are complex and need significant co-ordination to navigate – and this is where our experience in bringing industry together through cross-industry groups stands us in good stead. We’re also uniquely positioned to undertake research that will require implementation through new or updated standards, or that require a sound understanding of safety implications.
And with some of rail’s leading technical and research experts working at RSSB, we can be sure that projects will be specified and managed efficiently.
Guided by the industry’s needs
All of RSSB’s research and innovation is tethered very firmly to the real world.
Each project begins with a challenge or opportunity that comes from the industry itself. This ensures that our starting point is always relevant to rail’s needs, maximising the likelihood of a strong return from research.
Industry involvement doesn’t stop there. Once we’ve assessed the case for research, we make sure that each project has an experienced industry sponsor to champion it. We ensure that it receives support from the right cross-industry group, and from at least two relevant industry organisations. During delivery, we set up an industry steering group to guide progress and review outputs. The result? Industry can always stay in touch with the project’s progress, and everyone involved can ensure it continues to meet the industry’s needs.
Of course, things don’t stop once the research has been completed. We present the results to those in industry that can take them forward, and make them publicly available. When appropriate we also encourage their adoption, by incorporating them into standards, and actively supporting first adopters.
Driving implementation
Within the broad range of our research projects delivered over the past 20 years, some have an immediate practical impact, while others require a multi-year journey towards full implementation. We track their progress, and gather insights which highlight fantastic success stories that support further promotion of uptake. This process also helps us to identify when valuable outputs are not advancing as expected, so we can earmark them for additional support.
To date, over 65% of significant outputs from our research projects have been implemented by the rail industry, from initial implementation in selected organizations to full take-up. Find out how RSSB’s research programme is helping keep Britain moving with safer, smarter rail.
