Unipart Rail wins First of a Kind competition encouraging innovation in the rail industry

22 June 2020 | Unipart Rail

Unipart Rail has been announced as a winner in a national competition funded by The Department for Transport and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK, which is awarding funding to innovative projects that will make railways cleaner, greener and more passenger-friendly.

The competition has awarded 25 pioneering projects a share of £9.4 million in the 2020 First of a Kind (FOAK) competition, which encourages innovation in the rail industry.

We have been selected as a winner in the Environmental sustainability category for development of the industry changing ‘TRT-e’ - a zero emissions Trac Rail Transposer that is being developed in conjunction with McCulloch Rail, Hyperbat, Williams Advanced Engineering and Advanced Electric Machines.

Using the base McCulloch Rail TRT machines, the safest, most versatile, rail handling machine on the rail infrastructure, Unipart Rail and our partners will work together to remove the current diesel power unit and develop an electric motor, battery power pack and electronic control system with remote condition monitoring to produce a zero-emissions machine.

This will enable it to be worked more extensively on the rail infrastructure where diesel emissions and noise pollution are a particular problem, for example, in underground systems, tunnels and enclosed stations.

The output of this project will be a full working prototype, performance-tested, certified and ready to be worked on the UK rail network by McCulloch Rail and demonstrated to potential customers worldwide.

This First of a Kind competition has provided Unipart Rail with the opportunity to work with world-leading experts in the field of electric-powered vehicles to develop a zero-emissions demonstrator of the already successful and proven TRT which will enhance the working environment and experience of contractors working with the machines.

Noel Travers, Managing Director Unipart Rail and Unipart Manufacturing Group said “Our partnership with McCulloch Rail is one I am very proud of - their technology is transforming rail handling methods, and this is an example of how joint innovative thinking drives massive value for the rail industry. I am very excited to see this development happen and look forward to the product launch in 2021, when I expect it to have a strong uptake with our customers.”

Billy McCulloch, Engineering Director McCulloch Rail said “The TRT is already a great product - the development of the fully electric version will be a big step forward in the world of lifting and handling, and we are excited to develop this first-of-its-kind technology for the rail industry.”

Notes to Editors

1. More Information about the TRT
The TRT (Trac Rail Transposer) is a rubber-tracked machine suitable for use on rail infrastructures, underground track and light rail networks. The TRT is 2.3 metres long, 1.8 metres in width and 1.6 metres in height making it a compact and easily transportable unit for limited access locations. The TRT can remove and install all profiles of rail including Bull Head, Flat Bottom Rail and Conductor Rail.

The TRT can be used to re-position any length of plain line rail from 6m (20ft) up to 425m (1418ft) and can also be utilised to transport, remove and install any length of switches and crossings (S&C) associated iron work.

  • The TRT is fully approved to work under live Overhead Line Equipment.
  • Removes, installs and repositions rail in a safe controlled manner.
  • Ideal for use on single line track layouts.
  • Can easily cross multiple tracks including areas with conductor rails.
  • Capable of threading rail past lineside equipment/masts etc from one track to another

The TRT was developed by McCulloch Rail is manufactured at the Unipart Rail Crewe site and distributed by Unipart Rail internationally.

About Unipart Rail
Unipart Rail is the leading specialist provider of technology and supply chain solutions to the rail industry. With a growing international presence and extensive expertise in infrastructure, signalling and traction and rolling stock products, Unipart Rail is a major partner to the rail
industry. Unipart Rail is part of the multinational Unipart Group, with headquarters in the United Kingdom and operations in more than 100 countries. Unipart Rail companies also include:

  • Unipart Dorman - LED signalling and indication innovators and manufacturers
  • Park Signalling - signalling design and consultancy specialists
  • Instrumentel - remote condition monitoring specialists for high performance engines and rail applications
  • Key Fasteners - vending and software solutions to supply and track fasteners from the manufacturer to the train
  • Samuel James Engineering - suppliers of LV switchgear and control gear systems for the Rail Industry
  • Westcode – a UK and US company with an extensive range of air supply equipment.


McCulloch Rail
Founded in 1992, McCulloch Rail has established itself as a leading player in the UK rail Industry designing, developing and operating unique rail and railway component handling equipment with a commitment for continuous improvement and innovation being at the forefront of the Company’s Strategy.

About Unipart Group
The Unipart Group employs thousands of personnel worldwide and has an annual turnover of approximately £750 million. It is one of Europe’s leading logistics companies and a widely-recognised pioneer in the field of Lean implementation. Unipart Group is a leading UK manufacturer, full service logistics provider and consultant in operational excellence. O perating across a range of market sectors, including automotive, manufacturing, mobile telecoms, rail, retail and technology, Unipart offers a breadth of services from third party logistics to expert consultancy.

The company, which has its headquarters in Oxford, provides services to a growing range of blue chip clients including Jaguar Land Rover, Vodafone, Sky, Sainsburys and many other household names. All Unipart sites operate according to the Group’s proprietary version of Lean known as The Unipart Way. This is a philosophy of working underpinned by tools and techniques that inspires efficiency, flexibility and outstanding customer service in any process. Unipart also offers expert consultancy in implementing Lean principles and in supply chain management across a variety of industry sectors.