Rail industry searching for UK innovators to solve four key challenges

Through Future Labs, the public ownership flagship innovation programme, Britain’s train operators are seeking pioneering solutions to four of rail’s toughest challenges.

The four key issues for innovators to help solve include energy resilience and waste management, preventing trespass and improving accessibility. 

From generating cleaner energy to improving how people and resources move across the network, the goal is to turn breakthrough ideas into everyday solutions. 

The latest search for innovators is a unique opportunity for some of Britain’s greatest minds to test their ideas in one of the country’s most complex and vital industries, backed by government-owned train operators and Network Rail. 

Richard Harrison, chief financial officer of DfT Operator said: “We’re opening the doors to professionals, tinkerers, students and dreamers alike, to share their ideas.  We want input to help develop and challenge the next chapter of Britain’s railway – Great British Railways.

“The UK has some of the brightest creative and technical minds in the world, and Future Labs gives them the chance to bring that talent to one of the nation’s most vital and historic industries, tackling challenges like energy resilience, waste management, safety and accessibility to build a railway fit for the future, owned by the public, for the public” 

Rail Minister, Lord Hendy, said: “We’re committed to a railway that works every day for the people who rely on it, so delivering growth, jobs and homes across the country. By empowering innovators, we can deliver smarter, greener and more resilient passenger and freight services. Future Labs is a brilliant opportunity for innovative thinkers to make our railway work better for the future.”

When it comes to energy resilience, Future Labs is seeking new ways to generate, store and manage clean energy directly on-site. Innovators are encouraged to explore how battery systems, solar power or novel technologies could help stations become self-sufficient, resilient and low carbon, even in the face of disruption. 

At the same time, rail’s waste challenge is growing. With more than 300 million passenger journeys each year, operators are handling hundreds of tonnes of waste across their stations. Future Labs calling for ideas to automate and scale waste sorting within station recycling hubs, improving throughput, accuracy and efficiency in a space-constrained environments, to build a circular use of resources and help rail operators manage rising waste volumes more sustainably.

Safety remains another key priority. Trespass incidents on the UK network have risen 15% year-on-year, causing nearly a million minutes of delay and, tragically, claiming lives. Future Labs is searching for technology or design-based solutions that detect and deter trespass from platform ends, especially at unstaffed stations, without costly barriers or staff intervention, while maintaining safety and privacy standards. 

The final focus is accessibility. Traditional ramps between platforms and trains are heavy, slow to deploy, and take up valuable space. This is a challenge that will intensify as new timetables introduce more frequent, faster services. Future Labs wants to see designs that make ramps lighter, faster and more adaptable, ensuring the right equipment is always in the right place to assist passengers quickly and safely. 

Applications are now open for the energy resilience and trespass challenges, and innovators of all backgrounds are invited to put their ideas forward. Those interested in tackling any of these challenges can register their interest via the Government’s tender portal, joining the next wave of solutions shaping a cleaner, safer and more accessible railway.

Future Labs is an initiative supported by publicly owned operators, LNER, TransPennine Express, Northern Trains, Southeastern, South Western Railway, c2c and Greater Anglia. The programme has already proven how far a single idea can go. In 2024, Anjali Devadasan, CEO and founder of Treeva, submitted an idea for a radical concept, harnessing the turbulent wind created by passing trains to generate renewable power.  

Within months, the start-up was working with LNER and Hitachi to install three prototype turbines for live trials, supported by technical guidance from Network Rail, and the project is now helping shape how stations could one day generate their own clean energy.