A SOUTHAMPTON university has teamed up with a Chinese high-speed train manufacturer to set up a new centre for railway research and development.

The University of Southampton’s Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR) will work with CSR Qingdao Sifang to create the China-UK Rail Transit Technology Joint Research and Development Centre.

It follows CSR, which makes around half of China’s entire high-speed rail fleet, will work with the Southampton institute to find ways to improve comfort, vibration and noise as well as staff training and biodynamics.

The project also involves Imperial College London and the University of Birmingham and will research new materials and technologies for high-speed trains and metros.

Dr Yi Qiu, Associate Professor in ISVR, said: “The implementation and outcomes of the project will help advance our understanding of the characteristics of passenger ride vibration and acoustics to develop better solutions for reducing vibration and noise to improve ride comfort for high-speed trains.”

Two joint projects on cabin active noise control and passenger sound quality are currently ongoing.

The main focus of the new project is research into and the development of an active noise control seat to improve ride comfort and to reduce noise in the passenger’s head area.

Professor Paul White, Director of ISVR, added: “We hope this project marks the start of a long and fruitful relationship with CSR Sifang working towards solving some of the engineering challenges associated with high-speed rail travel.”