UKPOL.CO.UK

Category: Press Releases

  • PRESS RELEASE : Welsh Conservative Armistice Day statement [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Welsh Conservative Armistice Day statement [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the Welsh Conservatives on 11 November 2022.

    Commenting, Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies MS said:

    “Today and Sunday, people across our country will gather to pay tribute to all those who served, fought, volunteered, and died to enable future generations to enjoy freedom from tyranny and oppression.

    “Despite all the tragedy associated with wars of the past, I am glad that remembrance continues to play such an integral part in our society. After all, today marks the armistice that formally ended the First World War, but here we are commemorating the legacy of those who fought for King and country.

    “We not only use this time to reflect on the sacrifice of all those who fought, but those who continue to do so, especially when we see the cost of Russian aggression in Ukraine every day. Beyond them, we also mark the work done on their behalf, by charities like the Royal British Legion and Help for Heroes

    “I am thankful and grateful to all those who have fought for our country and for our freedom. We will remember them.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Welsh Conservatives agree with NHS leaders – “There is a social care crisis” [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Welsh Conservatives agree with NHS leaders – “There is a social care crisis” [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the Welsh Conservatives on 10 November 2022.

    Following a statement from the Director of the Welsh NHS Confederation saying the social care “sector is already in crisis”, Welsh Conservative Shadow Social Services Minister Gareth Davies MS said:

    “There is a social care crisis. With NHS chiefs coming out like this demonstrates that the Labour Government in Cardiff Bay is failing the people of Wales.

    “Social carers work incredibly hard to help the vulnerable, and the lack of leadership from ministers puts them both groups at risk.

    “When we have hospitals who can’t discharge healthy patients, leading to bed blocking, overcrowded A&Es, and slow ambulances, it is clear the crisis in social care is not contained, and is spreading.

    “While it won’t solve everything, one thing that could be done is linking carers’ pay to NHS pay-scales at relatively little cost. The Labour Government said no before, but maybe now ministers will change their minds.”

    The news comes six weeks after a Welsh NHS Confederation survey found all NHS Wales leaders surveyed agreed there is a crisis in the social care workforce, with a subsequent impact on patient care and safety.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Why Labour have been a disaster for the Welsh economy [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Why Labour have been a disaster for the Welsh economy [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the Welsh Conservatives on 10 November 2022.

    Paul Davies MS and Shadow Minister for the Economy argues that Labour have failed the Welsh economy.

    Labour have dominated the Welsh political landscape for a quarter of a century, they have held many of the levers of power and have been responsible for the Welsh economy.

    While Wales’ resilient and dynamic economy has endured, Labour’s dereliction of duty has left us lagging behind the nations and regions of the UK on a number of measures from pay packets to employment.

    Crucially, Wales is not seeing the kind of growth required to fund the public services we desperately need to address other inadequacies, from gargantuan NHS waiting lists to poor educational outcomes.

    The Labour Government exercise a socialist philosophical approach of high tax, redistribution and state expansion. They admit themselves, that they do not know what they are doing on the economy.

    This is exemplified by their insistence on raising council tax rates in the name of reforming the tax. Be in no doubt that their plans are designed to raise more revenue by pulling those on lower incomes into higher council tax bands and subsequently raising the rates of those bands further.

    Their decision to pursue a tourism tax is another example of their backward thinking as regards to supporting the Welsh economy. They have their fingers in their ears, ignoring the will of the tourism industry and are pressing ahead with this deeply unpopular tax, despite one in seven Welsh jobs relying on the sector.

    Many in Wales might be convinced of these changes, if their revenues were to be ringfenced for the people’s priorities such as the NHS. However, Labour’s spending priorities centre around spending £100 million on more politicians in Cardiff Bay and millions more on a universal basic income fantasy project.

    Labour, in Wales are in fact the only government in the UK to have cut funding for the NHS.

    Their failure to tackle business rates, that have damaged the Welsh high street beyond recognition, is lamentable. The Welsh Conservatives have long called for reform of the tax on growth, but Labour have ignored the concerns of small businesses at every turn.

    We would also scrap the plans for a tourism tax, which could discourage visitors to Wales at a time where their input into the Welsh economy will be crucial in rejuvenating our high streets.

    The insistence of Labour on wanting to micromanage so many areas of Welsh life, spewing an endless stream of top-down diktats to that end, is unjustified.

    Their blanket rollout of 20mph zones across the country will slow Wales down and is emblematic of a Labour Government bent on denying local communities decision making powers over the issues they know how best to deal with.

    This is not to mention Labour’s penchant for waste. The 20mph rollout will cost over £32m and the sudden cancellation of all road building, as well as hindering Wales’ economic development, wasted a further £24m on unfinished projects.

    The Welsh Conservatives believe in keeping taxes low, oppose Labour’s lust for tax rises and their yearning for expanding the size and remit of the Welsh Government.

    To put this into perspective, the £100m Senedd expansion price-tag could fund over 300 new, fully qualified GPs – or could have gone some way to delivering much-needed infrastructure improvements, thereby making Wales a much richer business environment.

    On employment, Labour’s record speaks for itself. Wales has perpetually sinking job numbers despite a relatively strong performance from the UK as a whole.

    Labour have proven time and time again that they are incapable of attracting jobs and investment into Wales.

    Welsh workers have consistently had the smallest pay packets in the UK. At over £3,000 a year less than our UK counterparts, this is Labour’s hidden tax on hard working people.

    The fact that nearly a third of Welsh people, in employment, are earning less than the real living wage is a shocking indictment of Labour’s failure here in Wales.

    The Labour Government should shift focus away from creating more high paying jobs for politicians and instead deliver high paying jobs for the Welsh people.

    Wales is a nation with so much to offer, packed full of innovators with a wealth of entrepreneurial spirit. We do not need to be at such a competitive disadvantage, there is another path, a pro-growth path to strengthen Wales’ position as a dynamic economy.

    The Welsh Conservatives believe that Wales deserves so much better than this. We say no to new taxes, no to never-ending diktats, no to Labour’s serial mismanagement of the Welsh economy.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Union influence is unwelcome in Welsh schools [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Union influence is unwelcome in Welsh schools [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the Welsh Conservatives on 10 November 2022.

    A fair and free education system is a right of every young person in Britain. But here in Wales, and under Labour, that right is in jeopardy. Trade Unions are being given unprecedented influence over the curriculum. The ‘Unions and the World of Work’ pilot will compromise the Welsh education system’s impartiality by inviting trade union representatives into our schools to give talks and spread their ideology.

    This is not just old-fashioned union-bashing. This criticism is borne of us not wanting to see Labour politicising the classroom with their union paymasters ‘educating’ our children. Labour are also are pushing ahead with schools being used as polling stations, having already given 16 year olds the right to vote. Now with their plan is revealed. How to guarantee your grip on power in Wales: expand the franchise and giving Labour supporting groups special access to a huge cohort of voters.

    Labour govern in Wales and are many unions are clearly and closely affiliated with them, including via financial support. We should not be allowing organisations with political affiliations into our schools to deliver lessons. Parents will not and must not accept this kind of overreach.

    This is particularly the case given the unions’ role in grinding Wales and the UK to a holt with their disruptive behaviour, making it more difficult for pupils and teachers to attend school. For months, militant unions have flexed their muscles, ramping up pressure on governments across the UK. This has highlighted the clear differences in approach between Labour and the Conservatives.

    There is constructive dialogue and negotiation from the UK Government and abject surrender from Labour. This pilot is emblematic of Labour’s habitual appeasement. The Welsh Conservatives are not opposed to teaching pupils their employment rights. This is an important addition to the new curriculum. These elements will help provide some readiness to young people in the world of work. But we do believe that this topic should be well-rounded. Aspiration and the value of hard work should be promoted so that they can get on in life.

    Labour’s record on education is atrocious. For a quarter of a century, they have let the young people of Wales down. Mark Drakeford and Jeremy Miles’ new curriculum has been widely criticised for its rapid implementation, leaving schools unprepared. Schools already have a tough task ahead of them in dealing with the fallout from Labour’s longer, harsher lockdowns. Pupils missed a shocking 66 days of schooling, more than any other nation in the UK.

    Parents have been consistently let down by a Labour Government intent on ignoring their wishes and shutting them out of the decision making process. They have made complaints about the new Relationships and Sexual Education (RSE) curriculum, based on a lack of consultation and their legitimate concerns being brushed aside. They are concerned that they still do not know what their children are being taught. They are not convinced that the content is age appropriate; they have been denied the ability to withdraw their children.

    The Welsh Conservatives believe in parental choice. We trust parents and respect the fact that they know what is best for their own children. Labour thinks the state knows best how to run our lives. To them, parents are a mere afterthought when it comes to their children’s education. I fear that a similar situation is developing with this decision, with unions being given substantial influence without that vital parental consent.

    My concern is that trade unions will not only provide little in the way of educational benefit to students, but that they will be a detriment to them. They will encourage a culture of industrial strife from an early age. Parents expect classrooms to be places of learning and teachers to provide impartial information and advice. Any notion that visiting trade union ideologues will act in this way is nonsense.

    As of now, this is just another of Labour’s taxpayer-money-wasting pilot schemes, like their pilot of a universal basic income. Be in no doubt, however, that this is part of a larger scheme to reshape Wales into Mark Drakeford’s Corbyn-style socialist utopia. The fact that this announcement was made via a joint written statement from the Education Minister and Deputy Minister for Social Partnership, is telling. This is indicative of Labour’s plan to further integrate unions into Government, the public sector, and every possible part of our lives.

    Moreover, they have already expressed their hope for the pilot to ‘prove successful’ without publishing any parameters to measure said success. This is typical. In government, they waste time and resources on pilot schemes and consultations for projects that they intend to push ahead with regardless. Labour’s penchant for cronyism is also renowned. They have a track record of packing their advisory bodies, Commissioner roles and likely their upcoming Social Partnership Council with union-affiliated supporters of their party. Expanding their influence to schools would be a giant step beyond reason and a colossal misuse of their power. We cannot stand by and let this lurch toward dystopia go forward without opposition.

    Labour have proven time and again how out of touch they are, piling excessive workloads onto teaching staff while simultaneously under-staffing and under-resourcing them. We have lost 4,000 teachers but gained 7,000 pupils in 10 years. Those pupils are missing out on £1,000 per head in funding as Wales receives £1.20 for every £1 spent in England, an additional amount that the Labour are failing to funnel into education delivery.

    Labour should abandon these ludicrous plans. Instead, they should focus their energy on ensuring students have their basic needs met instead. They must get Wales off the bottom of the PISA rankings in the UK, instead of politicising the classroom and stuffing it with their union friends.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Welsh Conservative comment on The Grange Report [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Welsh Conservative comment on The Grange Report [November 2022]

    The press release issued by Welsh Conservatives on 10 November 2022.

    Healthcare Inspectorate Wales have published a report on The Grange Hospital in Cwmbran, detailing how it’s A&E department is putting patients at risk due to excessive waiting times, uncomfortable conditions and significant overcrowding.

    Following the RCN’s decision to strike across six health boards, The Grange will be the only major hospital in Wales staffed by nurses on days when they will picketing elsewhere in Wales.

    Commenting, Welsh Conservative Shadow Health Minister Russell George MS said:

    “Since opening two years ago, The Grange has been fraught with problems and this report, sadly, further confirms that people across South-East Wales are being let down by the Labour Government in Cardiff Bay.

    “Some of the findings of this report make me extremely concerned for patient and staff safety, and it is extremely frustrating to find problems with the facilities when we remember it is the newest hospital in Wales.

    “With the local health board being the only one that won’t have a nurses strike this winter, I am worried that the hospital could become overwhelmed while issues highlighted in this report are unresolved.

    “Wales has the longest treatment waiting times, worst A&E waits, and slowest ambulance response times in Britain, so the last thing we want to read are reports like this – which why Labour ministers should listen to our proposals for surgical hubs and winter war rooms.”

    Staff told inspectors they could not always deliver the standard of care they wanted to, due to increasing pressures and demand on the department.

    Inspectors said some patients had been waiting on uncomfortable chairs and in the back of ambulances for more than 15 hours and described the waiting area as “very small, cramped and unfit for purpose”.

    The inspection also exposed out-of-date medicines being found, resuscitation equipment not being checked daily, and a risk of cross-contamination in an area known as the ‘Covid corridor’. They also found a lack of security around substances which could be harmful to patients.

    The news comes shortly after an inspection of Cardiff’s University Hospital of Wales found patients sitting on bins in waiting areas.

  • PRESS RELEASE : NHS waiting lists hiding 400,000 Welsh patients in need of follow-up care [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : NHS waiting lists hiding 400,000 Welsh patients in need of follow-up care [November 2022]

    The press release issued by Welsh Conservatives on 9 November 2022.

    Over 400,000 people are on “hidden” waiting lists for NHS care in Wales, Welsh Conservative research has found.

    The equivalent of 1-in-5 people in Wales are on an NHS waiting list, which includes those who have been referred by GPs for hospital treatment such as cataract or hip and knee surgery.

    However, freedom of information responses to the Welsh Conservatives, released by health boards, found 401,342 further patients in need of follow-up care –– up from a still significant 383,890 in March 2020 when coronavirus struck.

    Commenting, Welsh Conservative Shadow Health Minister Russell George MS said:

    “The fact that 1-in-5 people in Wales are on a waiting list, with 1-in-4 of those waiting over a year for NHS treatment is already shocking enough – now we discover that 400,000 are waiting for follow-up care, greater than the population Cardiff, with 96% of that number accounted for before Covid.

    “We regularly get excuses from the Labour Government about how difficult tackling the backlog is, but while this is certainly a challenge, we have seen two-year waits eliminated in England and Scotland but number tens of thousands here.

    “It is becoming clearer by the day, with every shocking story of someone’s dreadful experience in A&E, in the back of ambulance, or on a waiting list that the failure to prepare for the aftermath of the pandemic has come at a great cost to the well-being of both patients and healthcare.

    “Labour need to get a grip on the NHS, stop breaking all the wrong records, and end the cost-of-pain crisis.”

    Swansea Bay Health Board (HB) has 138,330 people on its secondary waiting lists, more than any other part of Wales. North Wales’ beleaguered Betsi Cadwaladr HB saw the largest increase since Covid hit the UK, with an increase of 24% in that time (from 46,767 to 57,769).

    Cardiff & Vale HB was the only one to manage a reduction in their secondary waiting list numbers, although it still has the third longest secondary list. Hywel Dda HB, covering the three counties of Dyfed, and Powys HB failed to provide any figures.

    1-in-4 patients in Wales on an NHS waiting list are waiting over a treatment, and there are enormous doubts that the Labour Government will end one-year waits by the end of the year. 59,000 patients are waiting over two years in Wales but have been eliminated in England and Scotland.

  • PRESS RELEASE : British shipyard awarded £4.2 billion to build Royal Navy ships [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : British shipyard awarded £4.2 billion to build Royal Navy ships [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 15 November 2022.

    A British shipyard has been awarded a £4.2 billion contract to build the second batch of Type 26 frigates for the Royal Navy.

    Delivering on ambitions laid out in the National Shipbuilding Strategy Refresh earlier this year, the contract awarded to BAE Systems will support 1,700 British jobs over the next decade at BAE Systems sites in Govan and Scotstoun, Glasgow.

    As part of the contract, BAE Systems has committed to invest £1.2 billion in the UK supply chain, supporting a further 2,300 jobs with more than 120 suppliers all over the UK.

    Leading the Royal Navy’s anti-submarine warfare surface fleet, the five new City-class ships – HMS Birmingham, HMS Sheffield, HMS Newcastle, HMS Edinburgh and HMS London – will join the first three T26s already in build at Govan – HMS Glasgow, HMS Cardiff and HMS Belfast.

    Construction of all eight frigates is expected to be completed by the mid-2030s, with the first, HMS Glasgow, entering service by the end of 2028.

    Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

    “We are investing in our fleet to ensure our Royal Navy maintains its world-leading capability to protect and defend our nation at sea. This design has already been successfully exported to Australia and Canada, its already proved itself as a world-class maritime capability, securing thousands of UK jobs and strengthening alliances with our allies.

    Supporting thousands of high-skilled jobs in Scotland, and more across the wider UK supply chain, this contract will continue to boost our British shipbuilding industry, galvanising the very best of British engineering, manufacturing and design.”

    Replacing the bulk of the retiring Type 23 fleet, the Type 26 frigates will be flexible and advanced warships with the primary purpose of anti-submarine warfare, protecting the UK’s continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent and Maritime Strike Group.

    At just under 150m long – around the length of three Olympic swimming pools – and with a top speed of more than 26 knots and a range of more than 7,000 nautical miles, the vessels will be capable of countering piracy and delivering humanitarian aid and disaster relief.

    Carrying the Sea Ceptor missile defence system – able to destroy airborne and sea surface targets – the vessels will also carry a five-inch medium calibre gun, an embarked helicopter for specific operations, radar and sonar for expert navigation and tracking adversaries.

    A flexible mission bay means the vessels could also be adapted to carry specific Armed Forces and equipment tailored for operations. The Mk.41 vertical launch silo will be fitted to enable rapid-fire missile launches.

    BAE Systems Chief Executive Officer, Charles Woodburn, said:

    “This contract secures a critical UK industry and allows us to build on our long history of shipbuilding on the Clyde as we continue to deliver cutting-edge equipment to the Royal Navy into the next decade. It underpins the ongoing investments we’re making in the skills, infrastructure and technologies needed to stay at the forefront of the maritime sector and to support the UK Government’s National Shipbuilding Strategy.”

    Improving build efficiency, BAE Systems has submitted a planning application for a new 175 metre long, 85 metre wide Shipbuilding Hall at Govan, which will allow two frigates to be built simultaneously under cover. This investment will be a major factor in the final five City-class ships costing less and being delivered faster than previous vessels.

    In the manufacturing supply chain, £248 million worth of work has been committed to Scotland, with £16 million to Wales and £749 million to England.

    Vice Admiral Paul Marshall, DE&S Director General Ships, said:

    “The award of the T26 Batch 2 manufacture contract is another key milestone in the United Kingdom’s shipbuilding programme, reaffirming our commitment, alongside our industrial partners, to deliver a highly effective anti-submarine frigate fleet for the Royal Navy.”

    The vessels are designed to reduce environmental impacts, and are fitted with features – including a hydrodynamically designed hull – to optimise fuel efficiency and a diesel engine emissions abatement, which reduces nitrogen oxide exhaust.

    Steel will be cut on the first of the next five vessels, HMS Birmingham, this winter, marking the start of the Batch 2 build phase.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Cleaner, greener, self-charging trains of tomorrow to revolutionise British rail travel [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Cleaner, greener, self-charging trains of tomorrow to revolutionise British rail travel [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 15 November 2022.

    Self-charging trains could make their way onto Britain’s railways, transforming the future of transport after receiving government funding.

    Top innovators and inventers have won prize money to bring their innovations to life, as part of the First of a Kind 2022 competition. This year’s competition, in partnership with Innovate UK, focused on new concepts that will transform rail travel for passengers and decarbonising the network.

    FOAK 2022 saw 24 innovators receive a share of more than £5 million with grants of up to £400,000 each. From technology making our railways greener than ever before by removing harmful emissions from train exhausts to research into powering our railways with renewable energy, this year’s successful bidders will revolutionise the future of train travel for generations to come.

    Transport Secretary, Mark Harper said:

    The UK has a long history of leading the way in railway innovation and the First of a Kind competition is getting the great brains of today to create the trains of tomorrow.

    Through millions of pounds worth of government funding, we are breathing life into ideas that will revolutionise our railways and make them greener than ever before.

    This is just the beginning and, as Transport Secretary, I am determined to support British innovation and create a cutting edge, green rail industry that delivers even more benefits for passengers and freight.

    Mike Biddle, Executive Director for Net Zero at Innovate UK, said:

    The innovations funded through this competition will help to deliver a greener, lower-emissions railway carrying increasingly higher proportions of the UK’s freight.

    Delivered by Innovate UK, on behalf of the Department for Transport through the Small Business Research Initiative, it seeks the best and brightest ideas.

    Companies from all over the UK have demonstrated the quality of their innovations in previous rounds of this scheme. Now we will support even more innovations to help deliver a greener railway that benefits passengers, employees and customers for rail freight.

    This year’s winners include:

    Varamis who, working closely with DHL and Fedex, are revolutionising parcel delivery in the UK by repurposing former passenger carriages and putting rail right at the heart of the online shopping boom to create high-speed, non-letter delivery services.

    Echion Technologies, another successful bidder, is developing batteries that will charge from overhead wires and use that charge to ‘leapfrog’ across unelectrified section of track and, effectively, create self-charging trains – truly, ‘the first of a kind’.

    Thales Ground Transportation Systems have developed new sensors which will detect people approaching tracks, pin down their location, and give an early warning to staff – lifesaving technology that will reduce disruption and could act as suicide intervention or even stop protestors getting on the tracks.

    Other winning projects include:

    • automatic systems that detect and stop track flooding
    • cutting edge electric drivetrains that replace polluting diesel engines
    • new tech to instantly relay track information to improve and modernise rail safety

    Winners with a track record of success will have the opportunity to progress for further funding next year as projects move from concepts to realisation.

    The First of a Kind competition has already helped launch over 100 projects that are having a transformative effect across the entire industry. Previous winners have included Riding Sunbeams, which power railways with sunlight, and 4Silence’s sound bending walls which cancel out noise pollution from the railway.

    Rail Freight winners

    Decarbonising Auxiliary Load in Freight Today

    Lead organisation: G-Volution Ltd

    Project grant: £378,513

    Working with COLAS Rail, the team will demonstrate high energy-density fuel cells and a carbon neutral bio-liquid petroleum gas fuel system to power auxiliary electric power requirements which account for up to 10-15% of the total power demand on freight trains, covering engine and traction motor cooling, safety and signalling systems and locomotive control systems. This will remove the need for diesel powertrains to remain powered up or idling during dwell times, which can cause up to 20% of freight locomotive fuel consumption and emissions.

    Levelling up Freight

    Lead organisation: 3squared Ltd

    Project grant: £393,271

    Working with OpenTrainTimes, Pragmatex, Network Rail, Eddie Stobart and Solent Stevedores, an innovative freight planning solution (PathPlanner) will improve the planning process to reduce the time required to find new freight paths (slots in the timetable which can accept a freight train) into and out of their port at Southampton, thus increasing capacity and allowing the transfer of containers from HGVs to trains.

    Transforming high-speed rail logistics

    Lead organisation: Varamis Ltd

    Project grant: £396,467

    Working with Steer, Eversholt Rail, FedEx, Network Rail and DHL, the team will transform high-speed rail logistics combining a repurposed all electric passenger unit with adapted containerised consignment devices to support the conveyance of parcels, which is new to rail. This technology, offering a new approach to using space at stations to create easily accessible city-centre distribution hubs, will enable the operation of a new high-speed non-letters parcels service.

    Automating freight access rights management and spot bidding using novel and modern software to drive modal shift from road to rail

    Lead organisation: Hack Partners Ltd

    Project grant: £322,420

    Supported by Great British Railways Transition Team and Network Rail, the project will focus on giving freight teams a bespoke and novel system that will automatically calculate conflicts in access rights against the timetable and real-world operational working and enable freight operators to spot bid for access to the rail system.

    “Freight Skate” a self-powered freight bogie and platform

    Lead organisation: TDI (Europe) Ltd

    Project grant: £400,000

    Working with LB Foster, GB Freight and Eversholt Rail Group (ERG), the team will design and manufacture a self-powered semi-autonomous bogie which will improve operating flexibility as it can move 1 or 20 containers, operated by 1 person, who can then divide and track the containers to different locations, saving time, reducing noise pollution, and improve air quality both within the terminal and in the wider community.

    A rapidly deployable rail stress sensor for next generation freight monitoring

    Lead organisation: Peak to Peak Measurement Solutions Ltd

    Project grant: £264,749

    With support from the University of Sheffield, UniPart Rail, KT Precision Engineering Ltd, PCB Train, Techni Measure Ltd and Murgitroyd, European Patent & Trade Mark Attorneys, National Research Council Canada, LB Foster Rail Technologies, the team aims to further develop and demonstrate a small under-rail sensor that reports key rail and freight vehicle operating parameters with system benefits such as reducing possession duration, reducing inspection/maintenance downtime and providing rail operators with easy access to the data streams.

    Low emissions and a greener railway winners

    ECML Net Zero Traction Decarbonisation Demonstration

    Lead organisation: Siemens Mobility Ltd

    Project grant: £59,983

    Working with British Solar Renewables, University of York, Network Rail, DB Schenker, and East Coast Mainline operators, the project will provide the research, development and pilot for installation and testing of a prototype converter on the East Coast Mainline, making renewable energy compatible with powering UK railways.

    UBER – Ultra-high power Battery for low Emission Rail

    Lead organisation: Echion Technologies Ltd

    Project grant: £59,917

    Supported by Transport Design International, Horiba Mira and DB Cargo, the team aims to demonstrate its XNO battery chemistry for certain classes of battery electric trains. Specifically, it aims to demonstrate its suitability for passenger trains that can be powered by the AC overhead electrification and charge a battery from the overhead wire (or another form of ‘standard’ trackside power, for example, third rail), to then run in battery-only mode on unelectrified sections of a route.

    ZERRCI – Zero Emissions Repowering of Railway Construction Infrastructure

    Lead organisation: Eminox Ltd

    Project grant: £59,852

    Working with VoltSport, CLEC and HS2, the team’s solution covers the development of an electric motor and battery system, with controller, using commercially available products, which can be retrofitted into existing construction plant, replacing the traditional diesel engine with a quieter, cleaner, zero emissions drivetrain. These pieces of plant and equipment will be used as direct replacements for diesel machines in the construction and maintenance of railway infrastructure.

    Axle mounted motor for retrofit to diesel multiple units (DMUs) to enable zero emissions in stations

    Lead organisation: Wabtec UK Ltd

    Project grant: £59,451

    Working with the University of Nottingham, Atkins SNC Lavalin and Angel Trains, the team will provide a solution to substantially reduce emissions when diesel passenger trains are idling by developing and integrating a small, low mass, yet high peak torque and peak power, axle mounted motor, for retrofit and upgrade for passenger vehicle applications. This motor will enable kinetic energy recovery during braking and also provide power to the wheels whilst accelerating, reducing the emissions generated.

    Zero Emission Powering of Auxiliary Loads in Stations

    Lead organisation: Wabtec UK Ltd

    Project grant: £59,921

    Supported by Angel Trains, the team will provide a solution to substantially reduce emissions when diesel passenger trains are idling by externally powering ancillary loads, such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning, door control and lighting with a low-cost, automated energy supply connected to the third rail.

    ERiCS – Emissions Reductions in Closed Stations

    Lead organisation: Porterbrook Leasing Company Ltd

    Project grant: £59,549

    Working with Pendyne, Eminox and East Midland Railway, the team will develop a new exhaust gas heating solution with the capability to dramatically improve the effectiveness of the exhaust after-treatment system in covered stations. The technology is a development of an electrically heated catalyst which has been used in road applications but is entirely new to rail and could unlock the in-station benefits of after-treatment systems on diesel trains.

    25kV Battery Train Charging Station Demonstration

    Lead organisation: Siemens Mobility Ltd

    Project grant: £59,910

    Working with the University of York, Network Rail, West Coast Mainline operators and Angel Trains, the team will install a novel charging solution enabling charging fed from existing standard local power supply cables. Compatible with all overhead line equipment (OLE)-powered trains, the small, low-cost design enables the removal of diesel passenger train operation on routes without continuous electrification.

    Cost efficiency and performance priorities for a reliable railway winners

    EventGo – Intelligent Rail Service Demand Forecasting for Event-based Travel

    Lead organisation: You. Smart. Thing. Ltd

    Project grant: £249,946

    Working with Northern Trains, Leeds Rhinos Rugby League Club, West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Leeds City Council, In The Round and Avanti West Coast, the team will demonstrate a solution for accurately predicting rail demand for a series of large visitor events, generating advance insight on rail capacity, and enhancing the ability of train operating companies to optimally plan and deliver timetables and services.

    NextGen Data-Driven Timetable Performance Optimisation Tool

    Lead organisation: Artonezero Ltd

    Project grant: £157,826

    Working with Network Rail, Transport for Wales and LNER, the team will develop a timetable analysis system that will aggregate observed train movements against a line or route and compare them to typical planned timings. It will use this to calculate an “achievability score”, which will indicate what proportion of trains could be expected to run on time to that timetable and calculate the minimum headway between consecutive services such that the following service does not have to slow down.

    Protection and Resilience for OLE using Computer Vision Techniques (PROLECT)

    Lead organisation: One Big Circle Ltd

    Project grant: £247,115

    Supported by Angel Trains and Network Rail, this project will apply novel and innovative computer vision techniques to existing video footage to identify where extreme heat has affected the tension of overhead lines; and also install an ultraviolet camera to detect corona discharge as an early warning of potential electrical equipment failure caused by weather conditions. Both can then enable action to prevent assets failing and impacts on service, safety and customer experience.

    FEIDS – FOAS Enabled Intruder Detection System

    Lead organisation: Thales Ground Transportation Systems Ltd

    Project grant: £223,659

    Working with GTS, Focus Sensors and Network Rail, the team will demonstrate technology capable of delivering a persistent perimeter detection system that can detect persons approaching a site before they reach the perimeter boundary and alert railway staff to their precise location. This will support railway staff to respond effectively and reduce delay minutes, ensuring efficiency and cost benefits.

    Rail Flood Defender

    Lead organisation: University of Sheffield

    Project grant: £249,771

    Supported by Network Rail, the team will explore the use of artificial intelligence and fuzzy logic powered real-time flow control to reduce flooding and associated damage. The Rail Flood Defender system uses low-cost sensors and valves to monitor and control the flow of water inside rail drainage systems. This will provide real-time data to Network Rail, enable the storage volume in upstream pipes to be utilised to reduce downstream flood risk/volume, and enable the periodic flushing of drainage systems to remove blockages.

    Optimal Prediction of Sand for Adhesion

    Lead organisation: Govia Thameslink Railway Ltd

    Project grant: £153,228

    Working with Cranfield University and Network Rail, the team will develop an innovative algorithm to plan the route allocation of trains and schedule their maintenance, integrating a tool that can predict sand refilling (needed to aid adhesion to the track). This algorithm will be integrated into the scheduling software to plan train maintenance according to the need for replenishing sand.

    Unauthorised Cable Removal and Fault Triage (CRAFT)

    Lead organisation: Focus Sensors Ltd

    Project grant: £215,309

    Working with Thales and Network Rail, the team will develop a technology solution, using existing trackside optical fibre cables, which can be used to locate cable thefts instantly to within a metre. After a theft is reported or detected by other systems, automatic analysis will pinpoint the location of the acoustic signatures of the theft activity. The location of the theft will be instantly displayed, enabling police and security to be deployed sooner and more accurately.

    Trains with Brains(R)

    Lead organisation: JR Dynamics Ltd

    Project grant: £248,047

    Working with Transmission Dynamics Poland and supported by Angel Trains, Network Rail and West Midlands Trains, the team aims to integrate data from a range of Transmission Dynamics’ existing remote condition monitoring sensor solutions into Network Rail’s monitoring and planning systems/processes, to enable more informed planning of infrastructure maintenance during possessions.

    SBRI – FOAK 2022 Optimising Railway Possessions

    Lead organisation: Frazer-Nash Consultancy Ltd

    Project grant: £232,226

    Working with eviFile and Network Rail, the team will develop a product that will use optimisation and machine learning algorithms to identify potential optimal plans for possessions. Using wide-ranging railway possessions data, the team will research and adapt algorithms that will consider (for example) multiple scenarios, locations and types of work, and optimise and efficiently manage resources to ensure minimal impact to infrastructure traffic and capacity.

    Portable Track Geometry Measurement System

    Lead organisation: Monirail Ltd

    Project grant: £249,261

    Working with the University of Birmingham, Eurostar, Network Rail (NRHS) and Analog Devices, the team aims to overcome delays to line reopening or removal of speed restrictions by providing track engineers with the first ever portable dynamic track geometry measurement system. They will modify a permanent solution into a portable one that can be temporarily fixed to vehicles along with a lineside sensor array that can provide additional safety critical track information to the engineer. This solution will provide immediate track information to support informed decisions about the safety of the track and to what extent speed restrictions can be lifted or lines re-opened.

    State of the Railway Compiler Data Solution (SORC-lite): open access real-time signalling data.

    Lead organisation: Park Signalling Ltd

    Project grant: £217,128

    Working with Instrumental, Network Rail and Northern Trains, the team will provide standardised signalling asset sensor data to Network Rail in near real-time within an open commercial model, so that Network Rail will have ownership of the data, enabling them to implement new measures, identify bottlenecks within the network and target unexplained delay minutes in a way not currently possible. Data will also be available for use by train operators and the wider data analytics supply chain, removing some of the systemic blockers around access to data.

  • PRESS RELEASE : 3,000 hectares of spectacular Lake District landscape becomes a new National Nature Reserve [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : 3,000 hectares of spectacular Lake District landscape becomes a new National Nature Reserve [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 15 November 2022.

    A new National Nature Reserve is being formally created today (15 November) by Natural England in Ennerdale, West Cumbria. It will be the largest nature reserve in the county and the 9th largest in England.

    The new ‘Wild Ennerdale National Nature Reserve’ will cover over 3000 hectares of landscape comprising water, forests and mountains.  This formal declaration is among the first ‘Super NNR’s’ in England. Super NNRs are recognised for their landscape-scale approach to partnership working.

    The Wild Ennerdale Partnership began 20 years ago and has a vision to allow natural processes to shape the ecology and landscapes within the valley.  It brings together four organisations: Forestry England, National Trust, United Utilities and Natural England.

    Work over almost two decades has significantly improved nature recovery in the Ennerdale landscape and sustainable grazing has been promoted across grasslands, forests and open fells.

    Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural England, said:

    Wild Ennerdale is a diverse and varied landscape which supports some of our most unique and precious wildlife, including Red Squirrels, the Freshwater Pearl Mussels that dwell in the river there and which can live for 100 years, and the Arctic Charr – a fish that has hung on in the valley since the last Ice Age.

    We have been working with partners for some years to improve this already amazing place and its declaration as a National Nature Reserve will enhance the spectacular landscape, wildlife and habitats, safeguarding them for the future while providing space for people to get close to wild Nature. National Nature Reserves are at the very centre of our ambition to create a vibrant national Nature Recovery Network comprised of bigger and better places for both wildlife and people. The Ennerdale partnership is a great example of what we have in mind and shows how working together can achieve that aim.

    Environment Minister Trudy Harrison said:

    Ennerdale Valley is a haven for fish, birds and insects and provides much treasured access to green space for local people. The declaration today strengthens our commitment to nature’s recovery and our ambitions under the 25 Year Environment Plan to leave the natural world in a better state than we found it.

    Support from local communities is essential for the success of National Nature Reserves, and it’s vital that we work together to protect the future of these wildlife habitats. I hope the partnership will continue to build strong relationships with local landowners, communities and farmers – who are custodians of the countryside – to develop sustainable uses for these sites.

    Ennerdale Water in the valley is home to the Arctic Charr – a fish that has survived here since the ice age – and the River Ehen, which flows out of the lake, hosts the biggest population of freshwater mussels in England.

    The valley is encased by woodlands of Atlantic oakwood, rich with bryophytes, lichens, and conifers which are a vital habitat for red squirrels. As altitude increases out of the valley, woodlands are replaced by montane heath where nationally rare plants such as shrubby cinquefoil and alpine saw-wort can be spotted.

    National Nature Reserves (NNRs) were established to protect some of England’s most important habitats, species and geology, provide ‘outdoor laboratories’ for research and offer opportunities to the public, volunteers, schools and specialist interest groups to experience wildlife and nature first-hand, along with learning more about nature conservation and benefits for nature and society.

    Rachel Oakley on behalf of the Wild Ennerdale Partnership said:

    We’re delighted to achieve NNR status for this beautiful Lake District valley. We are constantly reminded of the nature and climate crisis we face now and for the future and this announcement (today) shows how working together and prioritising nature can reap rewards for us all”.

    These landscapes are constantly evolving and need to be ‘fit for purpose’ to adapt and respond to the many challenges we face. Nature can thrive if given space and a helping hand and we are seeing tangible results of that in Ennerdale. We are doing this through partnership working and today is very much about acknowledging and thanking the wide range of individuals and groups locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally who have supported this journey to date. NNR status is about prioritising nature recovery and will continue to do that at scale, along with many other great projects around the county”.

    It’s fitting that Wild Ennerdale becomes the largest NNR in the county as we mark the 70th anniversary this year of the first NNR’s back in 1952”.

    The announcement today demonstrates how the Government is delivering on the Environment Act – a key target of which is to halt the decline in our wildlife populations through a legally binding target for species abundance by 2030.

    England’s first Nature Reserve was created on 19 May 1952. Wild Ennerdale is the 221st site to be formally recognised, with sites spanning more than 106,000ha across England. These ‘nature hotspots’ are key to restoring nature across England and helping to bring green spaces and wildlife to everyone, including those who live in towns and cities.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Putin’s regime will hear the chorus of global opposition to its actions [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Putin’s regime will hear the chorus of global opposition to its actions [November 2022]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 14 November 2022.

    • G20 meeting this week is the largest summit of major economies since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine
    • The UK and allies will use talks to call out Putin’s actions and their devastating, far-reaching impact on global food and energy prices
    • A new generation of British frigates will bolster the UK’s defences and sustain 4,000 UK jobs

    The Prime Minister is in Indonesia today (Tuesday) for the first meeting of the G20 in the group’s 15-year history held in the shadow of a major European war instigated by one of its members.

    The summit comes as countries grapple with the ramifications of Putin’s brutality and disregard for sovereignty, with rising costs of food and energy hitting the world’s poorest.

    Russia has acted with disregard for sovereignty and international law – pillars of the stable international system the G20 was created to preserve. At this week’s meeting, the Prime Minister and his fellow leaders will call out Putin’s callous disregard for human rights and stress that Russia’s role in the international system will never be normalised while the war in Ukraine continues.

    The UK and allies are taking steps to bolster their security in the face of increased Russian threats. Today the Prime Minister has announced the next phase in the Type 26 frigate programme, with a £4.2 billion contract awarded to BAE Systems to build five more ships for the Royal Navy – in addition to the three already under construction.

    The project will support 1,700 jobs at the BAE systems sites in Govan and Scotstoun, Glasgow, over the next decade. 2,300 additional jobs will be supported in the supply chain across the UK.

    The Prime Minister said:

    “There can be no normalisation of Putin’s behaviour, which has no place in the international community.

    “Russia’s actions put all of us at risk. As we give the Ukrainian people the support they need, we are also harnessing the breadth and depth of UK expertise to protect ourselves and our allies. This includes building the next generation of British warships.

    “Putin and his proxies will never have a legitimate seat at the table until they end their illegal war in Ukraine. At the G20, the Putin regime – which has stifled domestic dissent and fabricated a veneer of validity only through violence – will hear the chorus of global opposition to its actions.”

    The UK-pioneered Type 26 is an advanced warship with the primary purpose of anti-submarine warfare. It will work to protect the UK’s continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent and Carrier Strike Group.

    Maritime security is crucial for defending our island nation, enabling global trade, and for the ongoing operation of seabed energy and communications infrastructure. The importance and vulnerability of these connections was made clear in September when a series of explosions critically ruptured the Nord Stream pipelines, cutting off a major gas route to Europe.

    Adversaries such as Russia are continually seeking to exploit any weaknesses in this area and any gaps in our security or that of our allies put our people and economies at risk.

    Construction of all eight of the Type 26 frigates is expected to be completed by the mid-2030s. When operational, the ships can be deployed all over the world in defence of the UK and allies’ security.

    Alongside calling out Russia’s behaviour, the Prime Minister will use the G20 Summit to reiterate the UK’s staunch support for Ukraine. As Chancellor the Prime Minister committed £4.1bn in direct support to Ukraine, including £2.3bn in vital military aid. Today the Prime Minister will re-commit to matching that level of spending on military support next year.

    While Chancellor, the Prime Minister also spearheaded the UK’s contribution to a G7-wide cap on the price of Russian oil on international markets. Last week the UK introduced legislation to prevent countries using the UK’s maritime services to transport Russian oil unless it is purchased below the price cap – a hugely influential measure given the UK provides around 60% of global maritime insurance.

    President Zelenskyy is expected to virtually address the first session of the G20 today, ensuring Russia is forced to reckon first-hand with the senseless violence they are inflicting.

    The impact of this violence reaches beyond Ukraine and has forced a more difficult and dangerous future on people throughout the world. The most vulnerable people continue to be the ones who are suffering the most with rising food, energy and other costs.

    The Prime Minister will use today’s meeting to emphasise the importance of the world’s most powerful economies reducing their dependence on Russian exports and supporting others to do the same.

    We must ensure Putin’s attempt to divide the international community fails. That requires likeminded countries to end their dependence on Russian hydrocarbons and secure long-term energy supplies for our countries.

    The UK quickly legislated to ban the import of Russian coal, oil and liquified natural gas. At the G20 we will continue our work with partners to completely phase out dependence on Russian energy, shifting to more reliable and less exploitative sources.