The Future of Rail Innovation

The UK’s first net zero railway

The Global Centre of Rail Excellence will be a purpose built site for world class research, testing and certification of rolling stock, infrastructure and innovative new rail technologies that will fill a gap, not just in UK rail, but across Europe. GCRE will help to rebuild local prosperity, make transport better, pioneer a Net Zero railway and renew an amazing place.

A more affordable rail network for tomorrow

The Global Centre of Rail Excellence being constructed in South Wales is one of the most critical and creative infrastructure projects happening anywhere in European rail.

With benefits for the industry and for government; for our natural environment and for the local and national economies, the project is unique in its vision and the multiple benefits it will bring.

As a site for world class rail innovation GCRE will bring people and ideas together, supporting the design and development of imaginative new technologies and concepts that can be the backbone of the stronger, greener, and more affordable rail network of tomorrow.

The project

The facility will include two electrified test loops, one a 7km high speed rolling stock track with a maximum speed of around 177km/h (potential for 201km/h under review) and another, infrastructure test track.

Facilities will include a dual-platform test environment, rolling stock storage and maintenance facilities, operations room, staff accommodation and connections to the main line. There will be state of the art visitor and conference facilities, a business park and a hotel.

GCRE was established in 2021 with a commitment of £50 million from the Welsh Government. The UK Government has provided £20m and a further £7.4m is being provided through Innovate UK for Research and Development.

Spanning the former Nant Helen opencast site and Onllwyn Washery, the site straddles the Neath Port Talbot and Powys local authority areas.

Missions:

Underpinning the GCRE vision lay four central missions

Rebuild Local Prosperity:

GCRE will create long-term jobs and prosperity in a community impacted by more than four decades of de-industrialisation, rebuilding hope identity and pride for this and future generations.

Make Transport Better:

GCRE will become an internationally unique facility for innovation in rail and sustainable mobility supporting the development of stronger greener and more affordable transport systems right across the world.

Pioneer a Net Zero railway:

By building the U.K.’s first net zero railway powered from on-site renewables and largely constructed from reused or recycled materials, GCRE will break new ground in the development of more sustainable infrastructure.

Renew an amazing place:

GCRE will regenerate a former coalfield site and enhance biodiversity to help establish an attractive destination for the community and visitors in a way that links its history with its bright future.

Overview

The Global Centre of Rail Excellence is one of the most important developments in UK and European rail innovation.

For the rail industry

GCRE will fill a strategic gap as a place to undertake world class testing, research and certification of new rolling stock, infrastructure, technology and ideas, helping speed up innovation and bring new products to market faster.

For governments across the UK and Europe

GCRE will support better value for money and greater cost control by testing new ideas and innovations before they are deployed in major projects, helping develop the transport systems of tomorrow faster and more efficiently.

For future generations

GCRE will support our urgent, collective need to tackle the climate crisis and reach net zero by helping develop new rail and transport technologies that can be deployed faster to reduce carbon emissions and encourage more people onto our railways.

And for the Economy

GCRE will generate long-term, high-quality jobs and support the creation of new skills for young people in an area impacted by four decades of deindustrialisation, becoming a magnet project that can draw in other, high-quality investments.

Economic Impact

Independent economic analysis has shown that GCRE will:

Create 1,100 jobs

Contribute £300m of GVA uplift to the economy.

Ensure that for every £1 spent on the GCRE facility will deliver £15 of wider benefits.

Our Ambition

Our ambition is to establish the Global Centre of Rail Excellence as Europe’s premier site for rail innovation. It will become a one stop shop for the industry, providing world class research, testing and certification of new technologies and new ideas that can become the backbone of tomorrow’s stronger, greener and more affordable railway.

To achieve this, GCRE will seek out a leadership role in our industry, contributing the vision, and providing the platform, from which to transform and accelerate rail innovation so that we can, together, tackle the collective challenges we face – including supporting our path to net zero, contributing to a fairer economy and creating new green jobs for this and future generations.

The Global Centre of Rail Excellence will help to rebuild local prosperity, make transport better, pioneer a Net Zero railway and renew an amazing place.