A £3.1million research grant will underpin a radical overhaul of the performance of the UK’s railway track system.

The research programme, Track21, brings together academics from The University of Nottingham, the University of Southampton, and The University of Birmingham with key industrial partners.

With funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) the aim is to develop a comprehensive understanding of the engineering, economic and environmental performance of railway track that will provide the science needed to bring about a step-change improvement in techniques for track design, construction and maintenance.

The Nottingham research will be led by Prof Glenn McDowell in the Faculty of Engineering’s Centre for Geomechanics.

Prof McDowell said: “At Nottingham we have a lot of experience and expertise in research of the micro mechanics of particulate materials, and we are at the forefront of numerical modelling of aggregates of irregular-shaped particles.

“Our fundamental scientific approach to looking at ballast behaviour will enable us to produce a step-change in the design of railway track. This is a unique and exciting collaborative opportunity which will allow us to make a real impact in railway engineering.”

This team of experts will be studying the ground beneath the track; ballast, sleepers and alternative methods of rail support; noise and vibration and economic and energy costs. The programme has been developed in consultation with industry partners.

Prof William Powrie, of the University of Southampton, said: “This is a unique and exciting opportunity to make a real difference to the railway system.

“The railway industry is constantly making gradual improvements, but what we’re doing is something different. We’re interested in high-quality science. Working with our industry partners, we want to create the new knowledge that will inform not just incremental advances but a fundamental shift in the way the existing network is maintained and new lines are designed and built.

“The implications will be far-reaching; reduced costs, increased capacity and improved reliability would make an appreciable difference to all rail users.”