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Double Rail Success Keeps University of Warwick On Right Track

Dr Rachel Edwards and crack detector

Dr Rachel Edwards & crack detector
Link to print quality picture

 

The University of Warwick is celebrating a double railway success that puts it in the heart of both the future management and technology of UK railways.

On the technology front the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) have granted researchers in the University of Warwick's Department of Physics £270,000 to further their research to develop a novel non-contact method of using ultrasound to detect and measure cracks and flaws in rail track (particularly gauge corner cracking) that has the potential to simply be attached to a normal passenger or freight train traveling at high speeds. The three year research programme begins July 1st 2005 and the researchers will work in partnership with Corus, Serco Railtest Ltd, Corus UK Ltd, N D T Solutions Ltd, Network Rail Ltd, London Underground Ltd and RWL (Roger West Laboratories Ltd).

More details on that research with a picture can be found here:

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/NE1000000086570/

The EPSRC grant listing can be found here

http://gow.epsrc.ac.uk/ViewGrant.ASPx?Grant=EP/C534808/1&bannerlink=Programme%20support

On the rail management side Network Rail has commissioned the University of Warwick to provide the management training for 4000 of its staff at its new management training centre. Network Rail will work in partnership with two of the University of Warwick's leading departments to create the training programmes - Warwick Business School (one of Europe's Leading Business Schools), and Warwick Manufacturing Group (which works with
governments and companies on 5 continents in the areas of leading edge engineering technology and engineering management). The centre will deliver a programme of professional skills development including accredited leadership and management courses. The first Network Rail managers are expected to enroll for study later this year. More details here:

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/NE1000000107566/

For further information please contact:

Peter Dunn, Press and Media Relations Manager, Communications Office, University House
University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 8UW
Tel: 024 76 523708 or 07767 655860
email: p.j.dunn@warwick.ac.uk