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Staff Profile

Professor Mark Robinson

Professor of Rail Systems Engineering

Background

Technology Lead Newcastle University Centre of Excellence (NUCoRE) Mobility and Transport


Awards

2018 “UIC Lifetime Achievement Award”, presented to a person who has dedicated his life to research for the sake of innovationof the railway system. For services to rail research.

2009 Institute of Mechanical Engineers Safety Award and the Alfred Rosling Bennett/Charles S Lake Award for the following paper:

Kotsikos G, Robinson M, Zangani D and Roberts J “Investigation of the weld unzipping failure mode duringcollisions of welded aluminium vehicles”, Proceedings of the I Mech E Part F, Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit, TheJournal of Railway Engineering, 222, F1, 2008, 59-68.2009 Institute of Mechanical Engineers.


PhD – Successful completions 22

In a range of rail related subjects: materials, crashworthiness, technologies, modelling, simulation, fire properties, design,lightweighting, composite materials, freight, interchanges, electrification, rail freight economics, inspection, monitoring and subsurface visualization.


Publications – over 160 including Books, Chapters and Journal Publications 


Past - Group Lead Future Mobility


Qualifications

MPhil in Polymer Technology Loughborough University of Technology 1985
PhD in Polymer Technology Loughborough University of Technology 1991
Fellow of The Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining (FIMMM)
Chartered Engineer (CEng)
Chartered Scientist (CSci)


Previous Positions

Director of the Advanced Railway Research Centre (ARRC), University of Sheffield


Memberships

Vice Chairman of UIC International Rail Research Board (IRRB)

Member of the European Railway Research Advisory Council - Academic Permanent Advisory and Communications Group.

Past President of the European Conference of Transport Research Institutes (ECTRI) - January 2015 to January 2019


Activities of International Standing (*Ongoing)

2022* Conference Committee Member RAILWAYS 2022 - Fifth International Conference on Railway Technology: Research, Development and Maintenance August 2022, Montpellier, France.

2020 Editorial Board the International Conference on Railway Technology: Research, Development and Maintenance(Railways 2020) will take place in Palma, Mallorca, Spain, 7-10 September 2020.

2019* Member of the External Advisory Board for iRail the Portugal Centre for Doctoral Training “Innovation in Railway Systems and Technologies” a collaboration between the Universities of Porto, Minho and Sao Paolo (Brazil)

2017* Vice-Chairman of IRRB

UIC’s International Rail Research Board (IRRB) involves all major stakeholders in the field of rail research anddevelopment, at global level, providing a platform to exchange knowledge on worldwide research potential. Members benefit from synergy, cooperation, avoidance of regional duplication, a bridge for knowledge gaps between continents, and networking on resources / funding. Role focus on Global Academic Network.

2017-2021 China Foreign Experts Activity Fujian Province Governor invites high end experts to share their views on the commercialand innovation opportunities for development of Fujian Province. Meeting with Yu Weiguo, Governor of FujianProvince, Wang Ning Member of the Standing Committee and Head of Organisation Department, CPC FujianProvincial Committee, Hunag Qiyu, Vice Governor of Fujian Province and other representatives of the CPC andFujian Province.

2017 Attended the TRB Executive Committee to participate in the discussion on TRB International collaboration and partnerships. This discussion was ended by the official signature of the new ECTRI-TRB Memorandum ofUnderstanding which draws an intended common line of actions between the two organizations for a period of five years.

2014* Academic Member of the European Rail Research Advisory Council (ERRAC)

2016* Chairman of Barrow Hill Engine Shed Society – A charity  to preserve and maintain Britain's last surviving workingRoundhouse.

SCOPUS:  Click here.
Research

His main research interests include asset management, infrastructure and rail vehicle maintenance, railway technology and inspection and monitoring techniques. He is a specialist in infrastructure and rail vehicle inspection and monitoring and uses this expertise for consultancy purposes. He has won awards for vehicle joining technologies and use of composites for lightweighting of rail vehicles.


RESEARCH SPECIALISM: COMPOSITES IN TRANSPORT

Professor Robinson is a specialist in composites, investigating the replacement of metals with composite materials in the rail industry and other transport sectors. Of particular interest are fire safety, energy absorbent crashworthy composites and lightweight structures for transport applications. He is the most recent winner of the JEC AWARD for “Composites in Land Transport”. The JEC (European Composite Exhibition) Awards are the highlight of the international composites industry year. Each year a jury of international experts selects the most relevant composite solutions in terms of know-how and innovation based on the following criteria: technical excellence, performance of the partnership developed among supplier, researcher, customer and end user, and the potential for creating new market openings.

Current Research

CRISTAL

It is the key objective of the project CRISTAL (36 months) to increase the share of freight transport on inland water transport (IWT) by a minimum of 20% and to demonstrate on its three pilot sites (Italy, Poland and France) strategies to improve reliability by 80%. CRISTAL project will assure IWT capacity at 50% even during extreme weather events. Towards that CRISTAL will co-create, test and implement integrated, cooperative and innovative solutions in its three pilot partners’ areas identified in Italy, France and Poland. The project will include the aspects of technological innovation/development and digitalization; further advancement towards the Physical Internet, governance solution and business models, will be proposed while targeting sustainability and infrastructure resilience requirements.


Newcastle University (UNEW) are using radar from rail tunnel investigations with Network Rail which produced an effective system to collect the subsurface data 360º in the rail tunnel environment. CRISTAL is now in a position to transfer this system from a rail vehicle-mounted system (TRL7 for rail) to a inland waterway vessel mounted system through this project developing from a IWW TRL6 to TRL7 prior to demonstration. The equipment will be developed to be mounted on a vessel and used for IWW infrastructure. This inspection system will then be used for the inspection of the infrastructure in the French Pilot and Italian Pilots.

TRA2024

 The overall objective of this proposal is to support the delivery of the Transport Research Arena conference (TRA) in Ireland in 2024 (TRA2024). The proposal describes how the proposed consortium will engage with key stakeholders and policy makers to ensure the conference addresses Europe’s strategic transportation needs. A detailed approach to communication and dissemination has been developed that will maximise the conference visibility and increase impact. The consortium consists of project partners with significant international reach and experience, who will effectively promote the conference across Europe and beyond. Finally, the conference will fully integrate the Visions researcher competitions within the TRA brand. The researcher awards will be conducted to the highest standards and will offer appropriate recognition to the best in European transport related research. 

IMAGE

The Innovative Composite Mast for Green Electrification (IMAGE) project is one of 30 ground-breaking projects that have won a share of £9 million from the Department for Transport, in partnership with Innovate UK. The competition is focused on developing pioneering technology and exceptional ideas that can improve journeys for travellers, encourage passengers back onto the network and reducing the environmental impacts of rail as we build back better from Covid-19. The project was one of 30 winners of Innovate UK’s First-of-A-Kind 2021 rail competition funded by the Department for Transport.

The new mast weighs 80kg with the baseplate attached, an equivalent steel mast with a similar strength weighs 375 kg. This novel composite mast reduces transportation costs and requires a shorter pile foundation which means reduced time and costs for installation offering a greener and cheaper way to electrify the rail network.

Patents Awarded

GB Application No: 1520829.1 filed 25.11.15. Methods for forming 3D image data and

associated apparatuses.

European Patent Application Nº 10739982.6 Lightweight Self-correcting energy absorbing system.

International Patent Application WO 2012/038383 [PCT/EP2011/066252]

Lightweight compound cab structure for a rail vehicle.

UK Patent Application Nº 9300924.9

Energy Absorbing Composite Material

European Patent Application Nº 94300329 CompositeStructure

Teaching

2023 -2024

Transport Masters Module Lead for 3 Modules:

1.    CEG8410 – Road Safety

2.    CEG8417 – European Study Tour

3.    GEG9496 - MSc -Transport Engineering Project and Dissertation


Transport Masters Teaching

4.    CEG8247 – Behavioural Models for Individual Choices – 2nd Marker

5.    CEG8423 – Transport Research Methods – 2nd Marker

6.    CEG8419 – Transport Modelling and Forecasting – 2nd Marker

7.    CEG8435 – Data Collection

 

Undergraduate

1.    CEG2001 - Contribution - Design of Sustainable Engineering Systems 2

2.    CEG2004 – Design of Sustainable Engineering Systems 4

3.    MEC8095 – MSc Mechanical Engineering - 4 students

4.    MEC3098 – Mechanical Engineering Individual Project Stage 3 – Formula Student – 3 students

 

 


Publications