26/04/2007 - Eurotunnel to lead major railway infrastructure research project*.

As project leader for the new Track Train System Availability project, Eurotunnel today hosted the launch meeting at its terminal in Coquelles, France.

With a budget of €6 million attributed to the project via the Nord Pas de Calais / Picardie world centre for excellence in surface transport and logistics, the TTSA project brings together experienced and innovative industry specialists, operators and researchers. It will focus on developing major technological advances in rail quality, welding, points design and fault detection and will look at opportunities for progress and economy.

Today’s launch in Coquelles brought together the representatives of the principal partners: i-Trans, Corus, RailTech, Sculfort, Outreau Technologies, RFF, the Ecole des Mines de Douai, and INSA-Lyon.

Over the coming three years new products and analysis systems will be perfected and tested on the Eurotunnel network. In return, the company will, for the first time, receive a subsidy from the Fonds Interministériel de Compétitivité ^(1).

Jacques Gounon, Chairman and Chief Executive said, “The role entrusted to Eurotunnel within the centre for excellence constitutes at the same time recognition of our expertise and for the first time an access to public funds. To work together with other industries from the region is directly in line with the economic development that Eurotunnel has always encouraged”.

*Part of the Nord Pas de Calais / Picardie world centre for excellence in surface transport and logistics.

⁽¹⁾ The Fonds Interministériel de Compétitivité is a French Government fund managed jointly by the Ministries for the Interior and Development; Defence; Economy, Finance and Industry; Transport and Equipment, Tourism and the Sea; Health and Solidarity, Agriculture and Fish and the ministry delegated to Higher Teaching and Research.
Through this fund, the Government announced, at the end of March, a state subsidy for 100 research and development projects, including TTSA, with a total budget of €153  million.

Information published on 26 April 2007