Transport decarbonisation hub secures £46 million support
TransiT, the initiative to rapidly decarbonise transport in the UK, has secured £46 million from the UK government and over 60 partners. The University of Leeds is a key collaborator.
The TransiT Hub is a collaboration of eight universities and 67 partners including the Institute for Transport Studies at the University of Leeds.
Co-investigators at Leeds include Professor Greg Marsden, Professor Kate Pangbourne and Professor Simon Shepherd. They contribute their expertise in transport governance and transport decarbonisation policy to the hub.
TransiT has secured £20 million in funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the main funding body for engineering and physical sciences research in the UK.
Partners across the digital, energy and transport sectors are granting another £26 million in support. Contributors include transport operators, regulators, vehicle makers, technology companies and energy suppliers.
The collaboration is one of the largest transport consortiums of its kind.
Digital twins
TransiT will identify the lowest cost, least risky and most energy-efficient way to decarbonise transport through a ‘digital twin’ approach.
Digital twins are digital replicas of the physical world created with real-time data. This data is collected by sensors connected to real-world infrastructure like motorway, railway, shipping or flight monitoring systems.
The digital twin rapidly analyses the data to test different scenarios, then returns its solution for an improved process almost instantly.
For example, a digital twin could update digital road signs with information on the shortest route out of a traffic jam, based on real-time traffic data.
We have run out of time to carry out real-world transport trials
Professor Greg Marsden says, “In order to deliver on our climate obligations we have to look at better ways of managing how our transport systems work and connect with each other. Digital Twins offer the potential to continuously learn about how systems work and how people use them and, ultimately managing them in real time.
“Our work looks at where such interventions could deliver meaningful carbon benefits and, where those could be realised, what the ethical, social and institutional dilemmas are when considering handing over control to increasingly automated systems.”
Testing a future decarbonised transport system
The digital twin can help experts in the physical world decide how best to use new and improved transport systems, such as predicting transport needs for communities and industry.
Digital twinning allows researchers and industry to test ideas for transport systems and develop them quickly.
The data for the digital twins will include information from TransiT’s industry partners and transport users, from vehicle and fuel types to human travel behaviour.
Passengers and commuters will be able to find the most sustainable travel choices on local, regional and national levels, through the use of ‘digital twin assistants.’
Digital twin assistants would be part of a network of other digital twins each monitoring different transport systems – including road and rail networks – to become a reliable journey planner journey.
Government policymakers will be able to see the consequences of their policy decisions across a range of future scenarios.
Greener transport for all
TransiT’s digital twinning approach will provide a blueprint for other sectors that need transformational change.
Professor Phil Greening, joint Director of TransiT says, “Transport accounts for about a third of UK carbon emissions and, with global temperatures rapidly rising, we have run out of time to carry out real-world transport trials and learn from them.
“So, if the UK is to meet its carbon reduction commitments, we have to do our experiments digitally. We need to design the future transport system and optimise the transition to it.”
Professor David Flynn, also a joint Director of TransiT. He said: “We will explore how digital twinning can improve the design of future transport solutions, to ensure services are accessible to all.
“It’s challenging for designers and engineers today to appreciate the perspective of citizens with mobility challenges and what they experience throughout the full journey.
“If we can create and embed new design principles, we can identify equitable pathways to decarbonisation.”
Transport Minister Mike Kane said: “Digital twinning is a powerful technology that can help us integrate transport networks, improve efficiency and deliver greener transport for all.
“The launch of TransiT is an important step which will bring together academia, industry and government to research and realise the benefits of this technology for the transport sector. This is an excellent example of the work being done across government to deliver true innovation.”
Feryal Clark, Minister for AI and Digital Government, said: “We see a technology future for British people which enriches and improves their lives. The research TransiT will now carry out is a prime example of how we’re supporting cutting-edge innovations to make that vision a reality.
“On top of saving the public time and money on the journeys they take day-to-day, this project will also harness the power of transformative digital technologies to cut carbon emissions – demonstrating the incredible impact technology can have in improving our public services, tackling climate change, and beyond.”