West Midlands based SME MoniRail and its partners have secured significant funding to further aid development and commercialisation of its quantum navigation system for use on London Underground, with the ability to locate train and track faults precisely, where satellite signals can’t reach.
As part of the Government’s investment focus on quantum technology in the UK. MoniRail has been awarded a contract from Innovate UK as part of the Quantum Missions Primer Phase 2 initiative.
MoniRail’s project builds on previous Innovate UK SBRI Quantum Catalyst funding which demonstrated the Rail Quantum Inertial Navigation System (RQINS) concept and its 2025 RQINS Product Maturity Roadmap Development Project as part of Innovate UK’s Contracts for Innovation: Quantum Sensors and PNT Missions Primer. This next phase of the project focuses on the implementation of the Product Maturity Roadmap to bring the first commercial version to market and develop the second phase solution.
MoniRail leads the consortium which brings together Imperial College London, University of Sussex and their spin-out company Spectomiq Ltd, PA Consulting, Transport for London (TfL), GBRX, Durham University, and QinetiQ.
Imperial and Sussex provide the novel quantum sensors that underpin the positioning system. QinetiQ will support the project by developing advanced map-matching capabilities along with Durham University who will be embedding software in hardware. Transport for London (TfL) is the direct end-user and will support the project by providing access to testing facilities and enabling live operational trials on the London Underground network for evaluation purposes. PA Consulting will contribute technical and system integration expertise.
The project is further supported by the involvement of GBRX, the strategic technology and innovation body for Great British Railways, which is working with the consortium to ensure the system is designed for application on the UK heavy rail networks.
Peter Ainsworth, CEO of MoniRail commented: “Understanding train-position with high degrees of accuracy is critical for the ongoing safety of the railway. It means that a detected fault can be located and fixed quickly, reducing potential delays.
“The funding awarded as part of the Government’s investment in quantum technologies provides the key next step in the ongoing development and commercialisation of the RQINS concept and will help us to take it from proven concept to a commercially viable product that can be used on a live railway.
Collaboration is always at the heart of our work at MoniRail and this project could not take place without our consortium partners, who each bring different expertise to the table. Working alongside TfL and GBRX from the outset will ensure the product is something that the railway can use.”
Toufic Machnouk, managing director of GBRX added: “Quantum navigation is a highly consequential strategic technology for network systems like railways. The world’s first mainline test earlier this year was an important step in understanding how quantum navigation performs in the operating environment. This next phase will help us understand what it will take to engineer the technology for operational application, and to help us see how we can accelerate that development.”
As part of the Government release, Science, Innovation and Investment Minister Chris McDonald commented: “Quantum has long been an exciting technology, but now real world applications are within our grasp.
“UK innovators are showing us what these breakthroughs could mean for our lives in the near future, from cutting down on train delays, to earlier appointments at in-demand areas of the NHS, to keeping our armed forces safe and connected as they protect our country.
“We’re backing teams across the UK to turn bright ideas into products that make a real difference, growing the economy, creating new jobs, and ensuring we can be leaders in Quantum technology for decades to come.”
Image credit: iStockphoto.com/Travel_Motion
