Institute of Railway Research (IRR)
Welcome
The Institute of Railway Research (IRR) within the School of Computing and Engineering at The University of Huddersfield is a world leading centre in the field of railway engineering and risk.
Our research has helped to improve the knowledge of the way in which railway vehicles interact with the track including key performance aspects such as suspension performance, wheel-rail contact, traction and braking. In partnership with industry and academic partners, this work has led to a number of tools and techniques being developed which are now used to predict deterioration of railway wheels and rails, to optimise the vehicle track interface, to increase safety and reliability levels, reduce cost and improve performance of the railway system.
Education of the next generation of railway engineers is of vital importance and as well as supporting our PhD students the IRR plays its role by running summer schools in railway engineering and participating in national and international activities. In 2013 our students won the IMechE Railway Challenge competition.
Simon Iwnicki
Director
Find out more about the IRR
The IRR is an internationally recognised centre of excellence in railway research. Read our impact statement to learn more about what we do.
Mission statement
The Institute of Railway Research (IRR) aims to become a world leading centre of railway engineering research
Downloads
Download our Manchester wheel-rail contact benchmark files here
Contact Us
If you would like to know more about our areas of expertise or wish to discuss research opportunities with the Institute of Railway Research then please contact us on the details below:
General enquiries
Institute of Railway Research
University of Huddersfield
Queensgate
Huddersfield
HD1 3DH
Tel: +44 (0)1484 472030
Email: irr.info@hud.ac.uk
Director of the IRR
Where to find us
For directions to the University campus see Campus maps and Directions
On Campus
The Institute of Railway Research is located in corridor T5 of the Technology Building which is in the centre of the below map.
Impact statement
The IRR is an internationally recognised centre of excellence in railway research in the field of the interaction between railway vehicles and track. This has resulted in improved understanding of the wheel rail contact and led to the development of a number of tools and techniques which are being used to predict deterioration of railway wheels and rails. This knowledge allows railway engineers to control and optimise maintenance intervals on wheel and track in order to optimise the life-cycle cost of their assets.
The benefits to the railway industry are reduced track maintenance costs, increased safety levels and resistance to derailment and the putting in place of methods that allow modal shift from road to rail and improved charging methods to promote fairer reallocation of costs between vehicle operators and infrastructure managers.
Work on the interaction between vehicles and novel track systems has resulted in a better understanding of the design alternatives to conventional ballasted track, increasing the scientific knowledge base supporting the choice of track systems for future high speed and suburban railways. Shortcomings and failure of existing track systems and fixing mechanisms have also been demonstrated to help infrastructure owner decide on retrofitting actions or future commissioning design specifications.
The IRR has developed extensive expertise in the field of vehicle dynamics, the wheel-rail interface, switches and crossings and asset management within the light rail and metro sectors. It has supported the HMRI and the Office of Rail Regulation in developing standardised wheel-rail profiles and industry guidelines to enhance the safety of UK systems. It has also supported the development of new light-rail and metro systems within the UK and overseas by providing design assurance for all aspects of the wheel-rail interface. The IRR runs industry short courses for UK operators, to widen the understanding of the fundamentals of derailment risk and asset life optimisation.
Mission statement
The Institute of Railway Research (IRR) aims to become a world leading centre of railway engineering research with the following key values:
- Research Excellence – carrying out research into focused and strategically important railway challenges of the future.
- Industrial Impact – supporting the railway industry through the development of innovative tools and solutions to tackle current and emerging engineering requirements.
- Education – facilitating the education of current and future railway engineers at all stages of their career.
- Visibility – the work of the IRR will be highly visible to stakeholders in the railway industry, in academia and to the wider public. The IRR will have a clear identity within and outside the University both nationally and internationally.
- Financial Sustainability– the IRR will support its activities through external funding from UK and overseas research funders and from Industry partners.