Scottish researchers to lead 'pioneer' initiative to decarbonise UK transport systems

Scottish researchers are to lead a new "pioneer" technology hub to accelerate the decarbonisation of the UK's transport systems.

A team from the University of Glasgow and Heriot-Watt University will use digital-twin technology to unveil the most efficient way for transport systems to reach net zero.

The digital twins, which are digital replicas of the physical world, will be connected together and linked to the real world, allowing for the live collection of data. Using the information gathered researchers will then be able to test and improve on different scenarios, and later implement solutions into the transport system in real time.

The TransiT hub will receive £46m from the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and other partners, including Stagecoach and Edinburgh Trams, to carry out the project.

The hubs' joint director professor Phil Greening said: “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."

The technology will allow researchers to see “the where what and how to” decarbonise transport, Greening continued.

Heriot-Watt University will focus on logistics and freight, while Glasgow University will focus on digital twinning and cyber-physical systems.

Experts believe this technology could help motorists and cut carbon emissions, via measures such as updating digital road signs with data on the shortest route out of traffic jams.

It would also allow researchers to trial parts of future green transport systems like electric road systems and alternative fuels. 

It is also hoped the innovative technology will enhance passenger experience.

Personalised digital-twin assistants could learn individual mobility needs and journey requirements, meaning the technology could give near to real time journey options based on individual needs and budgets as well as providing information on the reliability of transport services and how resilient they are to weather changes.

Professor David Flynn, TransiT's other joint director, 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.”

Six other universities will also support the hubs, including the University of Leeds, which will focus on decarbonisation policies, and the University of Birmingham, which will focus on rail systems.

The collaboration is thought to be one of the largest transport consortiums of its kind and the hub will also work with passenger groups so that users can help researchers to model human travel behaviour and choices.

Experts claim the hub will also provide a blueprint for how digital twins could allow other sectors to make “transformational” change.