Southampton establishes rail link with China

The University of Southampton has signed an agreement with Chinese high-speed train manufacturer CSR Qingdao Sifang (CSR Sifang) to establish a new centre for railway research and development.

The ‘China-UK Rail Transit Technology Joint Research and Development Centre’, which also involves Imperial College London and the University of Birmingham, will undertake research to develop new technologies, materials and manufacturing processes for high-speed trains and metros.

The University of Southampton’s Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR) is collaborating with CSR, which has manufactured around half of China’s entire high-speed rail fleet, on research and development into biodynamics and ride comfort, vibration and noise reduction, human factors and staff training.