Britain’s railway has taken a major step in the development of quantum navigation technologies, with new systems designed to measure train position with extreme precision now being advanced for the national rail network.
Quantum inertial navigation uses ultra-sensitive sensors capable of detecting minute changes in motion and rotation. Unlike satellite-based navigation systems such as GPS, it does not rely on external signals, meaning it could provide highly resilient positioning even in environments where satellite signals are unavailable, including tunnels, dense infrastructure or areas affected by interference.
The technology is being developed as a potential future alternative to fixed trackside positioning infrastructure, which can be costly to install and maintain and are vulnerable to environmental disruption or equipment failures. Once developed, quantum will enable a lower cost, more reliable, more resilient system.
As part of this development programme, a Rail Quantum Inertial Navigation System (RQINS) has now been tested on a mainline railway for the first time anywhere in the world. The system was carried on a Great Northern train operated by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) between central London and Welwyn Garden City on Tuesday 3 March, providing real-world data to help understand how quantum positioning technologies perform within the operational environment of a national railway network to inform its development.
This milestone builds on work undertaken by the Ministry of Defence and on Transport for London’s network and represents the next step in developing quantum sensing technologies for use on heavy rail.
The development programme is being progressed through a specialist consortium led by MoniRail, working with Imperial College London, the University of Sussex, QinetiQ, PA Consulting and the National Physical Laboratory, with support from Innovate UK and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).
This development is convened by GBRX, the strategic innovation and technology body for Great British Railways, to accelerate the adoption of strategic technologies that improve the railway for passengers and freight.
Toufic Machnouk, managing director of GBRX, commented: “Developing new technologies within the complexity of a railway network is essential to understanding how frontier technologies can be translated into operational capability.
“Quantum sensing is one of the UK Government’s frontier technological priorities. Railways, as one of the country’s most complex operational systems, provide a powerful platform for developing and scaling these capabilities for rail and beyond.
“This programme begins the process of understanding how quantum positioning could fundamentally reshape how railways work. In the future, it could reduce reliance on costly trackside positioning systems while enabling new capabilities for signalling, improved operational performance, network planning, enhanced condition monitoring and more intelligent railway operations.
“This test represents an early but important step in that development journey and demonstrates how collaboration between government, academia and industry can accelerate the development of frontier technologies.”
Image credit: Network Rail
