The overall aim of the S-CODE project is to investigate, develop, validate and initially integrate radically new concepts for switches and crossings that have the potential to lead to increases in capacity, reliability and safety while reducing investment and operating costs. The S-CODE project will identify radically different technology concepts that can be integrated together to achieve significantly improved performance for S&C based around new operating concepts (e.g. super-fast switching, self-healing switch). The project will build on existing European and national research projects (in particular, the lighthouse project In2Rail, Capacity4Rail and Innotrack) to bring together technologies and concepts that will significantly reduce the constraints associated with existing switch technologies and develop a radically different solution. The project will be divided into three phases: Phase 1: Requirements and initial design - focusing on understanding constraints and critical requirements, and developing a radically different architecture and operation that makes use of technologies from other domains; Phase 2: Technical development - undertaking detailed modelling and simulation to identify an optimal configuration to maximise performance; Phase 3: Validation and evaluation - testing (to TRL4) the design concepts and formally evaluating their performance in order that an integrated design can be presented for further development.

SYNCHRO-NET will demonstrate how a powerful and innovative SYNCHRO-modal supply chain eco-NET can catalyse the uptake of the slow steaming concept and synchro-modality, guaranteeing cost-effective robust solutions that de-stress the supply chain to reduce emissions and costs for logistics operations while simultaneously increasing reliability and service levels for logistics users. The core of the SYNCHRO-NET solution will be an integrated optimisation and simulation eco-net, incorporating: real-time synchro-modal logistics optimisation (e-Freight-enabled); slow steaming ship simulation & control systems; synchro-modal risk/benefit analysis statistical modelling; dynamic stakeholder impact assessment solution; and a synchro-operability communications and governance architecture. Perhaps the most important output of SYNCHRO-NET will be the demonstration that slow steaming, coupled with synchro-modal logistics optimisation delivers amazing benefits to all stakeholders in the supply chain: massive reduction in emissions for shipping and land-based transport due to modal shift to greener modes AND optimised planning processes leading to reduced empty kms for trucks and fewer wasted repositioning movements. This will lead to lower costs for ALL stakeholders – shipping companies and logistics operators will benefit from massive reduction in fuel usage, faster turnaround times in ports & terminals and increased resource utilisation/efficiency. Customers and end users will have greater control of their supply chain, leading to more reliable replenishment activity and therefore reduced safety stocks and expensive warehousing. Authorities and governmental organisations will benefit from a smoother, more controlled flow of goods through busy terminals, and reduction of congestion on major roads, thus maximising the utilisation of current infrastructure and making the resourcing of vital activities such as import/export control, policing and border security less costly.

European distribution networks and light-railway networks present common issues: both have been developed as independent networks, relying on the resilience and robustness of existing power supplies. However, RES progressive penetration introduced an increasing degree of uncertainty on the direction of power flows. Both networks are looking at integrated solutions targeting: i) reduction of electricity losses ii) increase the grid stability in a high local RES penetration scenario iii) accommodate the needs of new energy actors such as EVs, electrical storages and prosumers. Electrified transport networks such as light railways could act to enhance distribution grid stability providing ancillary services inter-exchanging electricity. However such potential is still unexploited. E-LOBSTER intends to capture such potential through the development of an innovative, economically viable and easily replicable electric Transport-Grid Inter-Connection System that will be able to establish synergies between power distribution networks, electrified transport networks (metro, trams, light railways etc.) and charging stations for EVs. The proposed solution encompasses the integration of high power flow Electric Storage with smart Soft Open Points providing flexible control. The system will be managed by an integrated Railway + Grid Management System which starting from the real time analysis of energy losses will be able to optimize the interexchange of electricity between the networks maximizing local RES self-consumption. The hardware and software control platform will be demonstrated at TRL 6 in one substation owned by Metro de Madrid. Business models and standardisation needs will be deeply analyzed and measures to unlock existing barriers will be promoted and in parallel the knowledge generated from the project will be further exploited for the definition of the up-scale design of a full scale E-LOBSTER system, paving the ground towards replication across the EU.

Rapid transformation of Power Networks is only possible if industry can recruit highly trained individuals with the skills to engage in R&D that will drive innovation. The EPSRC CDT in Power Networks at the University of Manchester will educate and train high quality PhD students with the technical, scientific, managerial and personal skills needed by the Power Networks sector. Prof. Peter Crossley, whose experience includes leadership of the Joule Centre, will lead the CDT. This CDT is multidisciplinary with PhD students located in the Faculties of Engineering & Physical Science and Humanities. All students will first register on a "Power Networks" Postgraduate Diploma; when successfully completed, students will transfer to a PhD degree and their research will be undertaken in one or more Schools within these Faculties. During their PhD studies, students will also be required to expand their knowledge in topics related to the management, design and operation of power networks. Using the support of our industrial partners, students will engage in policy debates, deliver research presentations, undertake outreach activities and further their career development via internships. The CDT will deliver world class research and training, focused on the UK's need to transform conventional power networks into flexible smart grids that reliably, efficiently and economically transport low-carbon electrical energy from generators to consumers. Specific areas of research are: - Electrical power network design, operation and management The rapidly increasing need to integrate renewable energy into power networks poses numerous challenges, particularly cyclical and stochastic intermittency. This is further complicated by future proof buildings, decarbonisation of heat and transport, and other innovations that will change electrical demand. Existing Power Networks include a mixture of old and new plant, some of which is beyond design life. This may not be a problem at historical loading levels, but future visions involve increased power densities and changes in primary and secondary substation topology. Research on asset management and life-time extension is required to provide economical and reliable solutions to these issues. Integration of DC interties and Power Electronics within networks has been identified as key enabling technologies. Therefore projects on HVDC, power electronics, intermittent generation, energy storage, dynamic demand, intelligent protection and control and the use of data provided by smart meters and local/wide-area monitoring systems are required. - Power Network Operation, Planning and Governance Transmission and Distribution Operating Companies need projects on planning processes that co-ordinates land-use with other infrastructures. Projects include planning uncertainty and complexity, integration of modelling with geographical information systems, stakeholder behaviour, decision modelling and the impact of resource allocation and operating lifecycles. Projects on smart operational control strategies can simplify network planning and reduce the cost of implementing: demand response; combined heat and power; and district heating. - Changes to the pattern of energy demands and their effect on the power network Climate change will have an adverse effect on network reliability and projects are required to help network companies economically manage the electrification of heating, cooling and transport. Projects are also required on the interaction between energy vectors and network infrastructure with multiple uncertainties. - Cross cutting technologies Research in Mathematics and Management on stochastic dynamic optimisation techniques can be used to underpin projects on heat and electrical energy storage under uncertain price and supply conditions. Projects using a cognitive lens to uncover how large infrastructure projects can be delivered through meta-organisations are also required.

Railway safety risk analysis is a very complicated subject where safety is determined by numerous factors including human error. Many railway safety risk assessment techniques currently used are comparatively mature tools. However, in many circumstances, the application of these tools may not give satisfactory results due to the lack of safety risk data or the high level of uncertainty involved in the safety risk data available. It is therefore essential to develop new safety risk analysis methods to identify major hazards and assess the associated risks in an acceptable way in various environments where such mature tools cannot be effectively or efficiently applied. this project study will identify current railway safety risk assessment tools and generic problems to achieving safety risk assessment, and highlight possible ways of overcoming them (i.e. using fuzzy reasoning approach to deal with data and information incomplete and/or inconsistent). The most important problem to achieving railway safety risk assessment has been identified as the decision-making process. The proposed research will also therefore explore the complex issues surrounding the problems at the time of decision-making and develop systematic synthesis method such as analytical hierarchy process (AHP) techniques. This systematic synthesis method will facilitate decision-making in railway operation and maintenance which will be made available to train operators, maintenance engineers and managers, and decision-makers at the earliest stages, which will also further help to promote safety risk thinking within railway industrial companies. The purpose of this proposal is to develop railway safety risk assessment models and a soft computing tool to support railway safety risk analysis in order to show compliance with safety targets and to make maintenance and future investment decisions. This research project will investigate in depth the principal railway safety risk issues and test the proposed safety risk assessment models and tool in a real environment with the industrial partners for appraising operation and maintenance schedules, also diagnosing, using fuzzy reasoning approach (FRA) and analytical hierarchy process (AHP) techniques, which will establish the railway safety risk assessment methodology as an excelenet national, and indeed intational, level. This will provide railway safety risk analysts, operators and engineers and managers with a method and tool to improve their safety management and set safety standards.