Atkins creates HSR chair and plans test track bed
7 October 2013Consultant Atkins has appointed Peter Woodward as its first chairman of high-speed rail engineering for the UK. Woodward is professor of railway geotechnical engineering and head of the Institute for Infrastructure an Environment at Heriot-Watt University.
Douglas McCormick, managing director of Atkins' rail business segment said: "The requirement for high speed rail is growing at pace - with projects worldwide expected to be worth USD 100s of billions in just the next 15 years. The combined efforts of Atkins and Peter Woodward offer a real opportunity to develop solutions in the UK that will overcome global challenges.
"As we also face an ongoing skills shortage in our sector I believe that, together, we have a great opportunity to develop students and produce world-class engineers who can solve the problems of tomorrow."
Woodward, said, "High and ultra-speed railways are our future, they have the capacity to transform the economic prosperity of nations and our challenge is to develop the technology to underpin their successful implementation and cost effectiveness across the world.
"Heriot-Watt already has the UK's biggest purpose-built laboratory test track bed (GRAFT II) which can predict the effects of high speed trains and simulate the effects of decades of operation on major lines. With the support of Atkins we plan to construct the world's most advanced railway test track facility (GRAFT III) and to develop the world's premier railway testing organisation for high-speed."
