The UK Department for Transport (DfT), in partnership with Innovate Uk, has made £5m in funding available to winning projects as part of the First of a Kind (FOAK) competition, offering grant funding for projects to be tested on the railway.
FOAK opened 7 April 2025, with the aim of giving projects a better chance at being bought by train operators, freight companies and Network Rail.
DfT states that FOAK projects will help to deliver better services for passengers, encouraging more people to take the train and supporting growth as part of the government’s Plan for Change.
DfT reports that this year’s competition will be funding projects that focus on:
- Passenger experience, particularly improving safety through reporting tools that could help reduce violence against women and girls and anti-social behaviour
- Accessibility, including level boarding
- artificial intelligence (AI) and data collection, for example, prevention and recovery of rail bridge crash incidents
- Greener railways, using AI to drive sustainability and reduce waste
Over the eight years it has run, FOAK has provided £58m of funding to 179 successful projects, with this year’s edition offering £5m of government funding.
Organisations have until 28 May to submit their applications to: platform train interface, personal safety, bridge strikes or AI for complex processes.
Rail minister Lord Peter Hendy said: “This competition addresses the biggest challenges facing the rail industry, taking cutting-edge technology and bringing it onto the railways by turning ideas into reality.
“This funding builds a platform for boosting innovation on the railway, giving new technologies a chance to succeed, supporting economic growth as part of the Plan for Change.
“We are creating a railway that works better for the people who use it and making lasting progress for passengers and freight by improving accessibility, safety and reliability to prevent disruption before it happens.”
Achievements and innovations in sustainable public transport will be recognised and celebrated at the fourth annual CiTTi Awards on 25 November 2025 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector!
