Project description
The next generation of railway transition zones
Transition zones are a part of rail infrastructure that needs to be paid special attention to because their maintenance requires a more extensive effort in comparison to open tracks. The EU-funded IN2ZONE project will introduce a prototype next-generation transition zone solution that makes a turnaround change in track support conditions, drastically reducing maintenance interventions. Bringing together the most recent transition solutions with the latest advances in material science, IN2ZONE aims to optimise the track superstructure and substructure designs, increase lifespan and ensure that the benefits are realised in minimal time. Moreover, the project will provide an advanced resilience-based monitoring specification for transition zones to ensure just-in-time maintenance of the system.
Objective
IN2ZONE will design and test a prototype next generation transition zone solution that provides a step-change in track support conditions, resulting in a reduction in maintenance interventions. The new solution will combine the newest existing transition solutions with technological advances from other sectors, including recent advances in material science. This interdisciplinary approach will improve both the track super-structure and sub-structure designs, thus ensuring the whole system stiffness is optimised. To increase lifespan, advanced automatic irregularity correcting sleepers will be designed, that are synthetic and optimised for transition zones. This will enable the transition zone solution to self-correct minor vertical track geometry irregularities/faults. Further, the solution architecture will be modular to ensure the benefits are realised in minimal time.
The new design will be optimised using the latest advances in discrete and finite element numerical simulation tools, coupled with computational fluid dynamics. The concept will then be constructed and tested at large-scale in an accelerated track testing laboratory facility. This gives a rare and valuable opportunity to develop and test the transition zone solution installation, maintenance and decommissioning, while also assessing long-term settlement behaviour.
In addition to the new design, an advanced resilience-based monitoring specification for transition zones will be developed, which will fuse data from multiple track, vehicle and satellite sensors, using edge computing and artificial intelligence to achieve an Industry 4.0 approach for just-in-time maintenance.
IN2ZONEs pan-European consortium comprises 7 stakeholders covering all areas of expertise necessary to execute the project, including three companies, two research Universities, one Infrastructure Manager and one Rail Association.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology mechanical engineering vehicle engineering aerospace engineering satellite technology
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.3.4. - SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Smart, Green And Integrated Transport
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.3.4.8.3. - Innovation Programme 3: Cost Efficient and Reliable High Capacity Infrastructure
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
RIA - Research and Innovation action
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-S2RJU-2020
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
LS2 9JT Leeds
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.