{"id":197391,"date":"2025-04-08T20:25:21","date_gmt":"2025-04-08T10:25:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/railuk.com\/?p=176226"},"modified":"2025-04-08T20:25:21","modified_gmt":"2025-04-08T10:25:21","slug":"5-million-government-competition-launches-to-transform-rail-passenger-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=197391","title":{"rendered":"\u00a35 Million Government Competition Launches to Transform Rail Passenger Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The government has launched a \u00a35 million competition to support pioneering technologies aimed at transforming the passenger experience on Britain\u2019s railways.<\/p>\n

Delivered by Innovate UK in partnership with the Department for Transport, the First of a Kind (FOAK) competition<\/strong> is now open for applications. The programme offers grant funding to help bring new ideas to life on the railway network, encouraging adoption by train operators, freight companies, and Network Rail.<\/p>\n

Now in its eighth year, FOAK has already awarded more than \u00a358 million to 179 projects, driving innovation across the sector. This year\u2019s competition will focus on passenger-first solutions, in line with the government\u2019s Plan for Change to improve services, boost accessibility, enhance safety, and cut carbon.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s themes, shaped in consultation with industry, target four key areas. Projects improving passenger experience and safety are particularly encouraged, including tools to report anti-social behaviour and help reduce violence against women and girls. Another priority is accessibility, especially technologies that enable level boarding, allowing disabled passengers to travel independently.<\/p>\n

The competition also seeks AI and data-driven solutions for smarter rail operations, such as detecting infrastructure faults and improving incident response. In addition, greener technologies that reduce waste and emissions will be supported, helping to make the railway more sustainable.<\/p>\n

Blake Richmond, Chief Operating Officer at Resonate commented:<\/strong> \u201cThe railway industry is at a pivotal moment, with growing demand for smarter, more accessible, and more sustainable travel, and it\u2019s a welcome sight to see this year\u2019s \u2018First of a Kind\u2019 competition placing such clear emphasis on transforming the passenger experience through innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGovernment support plays a crucial role in unlocking the potential of new technologies to give ambitious ideas the chance to be tested, refined, and adopted across the network. From accessibility and passenger safety to AI and sustainability, the focus areas for this year\u2019s competition are well aligned with the real needs of the UK\u2019s railway.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMeaningful change comes from close collaboration between the public sector, industry leaders, and innovators, and we look forward to engaging with the FOAK programme and helping to build a rail system that works better for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Image credit: iStockphoto.com \/ Nigel Harris<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The government has launched a \u00a35 million competition to support pioneering technologies aimed at transforming the passenger experience on Britain\u2019s railways. Delivered by Innovate UK in partnership with the Department for Transport, the\u00a0First of a Kind (FOAK) competition\u00a0is now open for applications. The programme offers grant funding to help bring new ideas to life on [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":1,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16017,47,913,85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-197391","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry-news","category-rail-news","category-travel","category-uk"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t