GCRE Partners with Hitachi to Develop Test Centre

[LNW-GW Joint]

The Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) has signed up with Hitachi to develop the rail test centre being built at Nant Helen.
Hitachi Energy will prepare plans to provide traction power for the two circuits, and Hitachi Rail will aim to test its new products there, including rolling stock, signalling and infrastructure monitoring.
The test centre is not yet fully funded, and £300 million needs to be raised to complete it for its intended purpose.
This is the first sign of serious interest in the facility, but there's a long way to go before it is a reality.
It remains to be seen if the facility will be ready in time to test HS2 rolling stock, the only main line stock in development at the moment.

World's first rail testing centre in Wales partners with Hitachi Rail

The Welsh Government’s flagship Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) project has signed a memorandum of understanding with Hitachi Rail to test the latest rail technology. The agreement will see transport solutions provider Hitachi Rail test future rolling stock, battery technology, digital signalling and infrastructure monitoring solutions at the rail test centre in south Wales.
It will also develop digital solutions that can automate track, overhead lines and vegetation monitoring to pinpoint faults and reduce costs. GCRE chief executive Simon Jones said securing the partnership with Hitachi shows the calibre of clients the project will be working with at its facility.
He said: “The Global Centre of Rail Excellence that we are constructing in south Wales will be a site for world class rail and infrastructure innovation, somewhere that will be very well equipped to support both Hitachi Rail and Hitachi Energy in the cutting-edge work it does. This partnership is a strong, strategic fit for both parties.

 

[snowball]

That's a bizarre phrase in the heading: "World's first rail testing centre in Wales".

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

That's a bizarre phrase in the heading: "World's first rail testing centre in Wales".

With "global excellence" and "world class rail and innovation" in the small print.
While Hitachi is obviously interested in equipping the facility, there are as yet no usage contracts.
Both the UK and Welsh governments have put seed funding into the project, but financing might be a high hurdle in the current climate.
Having no new UK train orders in the pipeline (bar HS2) doesn't help.

 

[fgwrich]

I wonder how long it’ll be before Hitachi turns around and claims your tracks not as good as ours, it’s your fault our trains are cracking…

(I know they’ve used that excuse already)

 

[Snow1964]

Apparently GCRE have also partnered with Talgo

photo shows a Talgo coach being offloaded from Alleys road transporter

GCRE and Talgo To Build Long-Term Partnership on South Wales Site - Rail Professional

The Global Centre of Rail Excellence has taken delivery of […]

www.railpro.co.uk

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Looks like TfW have signed up to use GCRE, as a "premium user".
Given that the finances of this involve "funny money" transferring within WG, I'm not sure this guarantees a future for GCRE.
Also by 2025, when GCRE is supposed to be ready, what work will TfW have to put through the facility?
All its new fleets of trains should be in service by then, signed off with existing test facilities.

Major commercial agreement signed between GCRE and Transport for Wales

The Welsh Government's flagship Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) project has signed heads of terms for Transport for Wales to become a major commercial client. The world's first rail testing centre in Wales, currently being constructed at the head of the Dulais and Swansea Valleys, is a £400m research, testing and certification facility for rolling stock, infrastructure and new rail technologies.

I'd like to see a major Rosco and/or manufacturer sign up to GCRE, with a positive workload.
The Hitachi and Talgo cooperation deals don't yet amount to that.
The total lack of new UK train orders is a problem, of course (bar HS2, which has an uncertain timescale).
Some international interest would be significant, too, and justify the "global" moniker.

 

[RyanOPlasty]

GCRE is not just for rolling stock, but also infrastructure testing.
There is a recording of this year's George Ramshaw Curry Memorial lecture on the IMechE YouTube channel.
It contains a lot of detail about the GCRE. You can watch here