Awards shortlist for rail safety partnership

A project which uses smart technology to make the country’s rail network safer has been shortlisted for a national higher education award.

Essex’s partnership with Railscape Ltd, which creates safer working conditions for railway workers and helps prevent delays for travellers, has been shortlisted in the knowledge exchange category of the 2025 Times Higher Education Awards.

The team behind the project will find out if they’ve won at the awards ceremony, in Edinburgh, on 13 November.

The partnership applies the expertise of computer scientists Dr Adrian Clark, Dr John Woods and Dr Xiaojun Zhai and plant biologist Professor Tracy Lawson to trackside vegetation. Working with KTP Associate Mahid Rob, they delivered a digital surveying system that identifies and monitors trees and undergrowth.

By combining artificial intelligence, drone imaging and remote sensing, it is replacing traditional surveying techniques which are time-consuming, labour-intensive, prone to human error and require trains to be run more slowly or even be cancelled, causing customer frustration and hitting profits.

Speaking about the nomination, Robert Schatten, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships Manager said: “Everyone involved in this project is extremely proud of what Railscape and the University achieved in working together, and the profound and lasting impact the project has had, both on the environment of innovation at Railscape and for research and teaching at Essex.

“The project exemplifies how knowledge exchange can transform businesses and create lasting value.”

Dr Zhai said: "Being shortlisted for the Knowledge Exchange/Transfer Initiative of the Year is a tremendous recognition of what can be achieved when academia and industry come together. This project has shown how innovative technology can transform railway safety, reduce delays, and make a real difference for commuters. This shortlist highlights not just the technology, but the collaborative spirit and shared vision that drive meaningful, real-world impact."

Michael Hayes, Managing Director at Railscape said: “We are honoured to be shortlisted, recognising our commitment to collaboration and innovation and the challenge of applying meaningful, UK developed technology into traditional services to improve safety, biodiversity and commercial efficiency.”

Professor Chris Greer, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Research, added: “Essex is consistently recognised as a leader in Knowledge Transfer Partnerships. Applying our research expertise to business challenges and opportunities demonstrates just how valuable and impactful universities are within society, and projects like this clearly illustrate how our academic community is directly benefitting the economy.”

In April, Essex became the first higher education institution in England to work on 50 active Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and more recently has been shortlisted in two categories for the 2025 Innovate UK KTP Awards.