Global Centre of Rail Excellence taps UAE advisory firm Contrax

The Global Centre of Rail Excellence has signed a collaboration agreement with UAE-based management consulting firm Contrax.

Established in 2021 by the government of Wales, the Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) is a major new facility that aims to become “Europe’s leading rail innovation centre”, providing world class research, testing and certification of rolling stock, infrastructure and innovative new rail technologies.

The facility (located at the head of the Dulais and Tawe valleys in South Wales) will also seek to drive sustainable mobility and green energy research, operating at the forefront of the track to net zero in the rail sector.

While the Global Centre of Rail Excellence will primarily focus on the European market, “the GCRE is a facility with genuinely worldwide potential, with the Middle East offering a significant international market opportunity,” said GCRE Chief Executive Simon Jones.

“Our facility can provide very positive support to governments, manufacturers and companies in the region as they innovate their way to net zero,” Jones continued. “The new decarbonised technologies and sustainable mobility innovations we all need to see to get to 2050 require world class facilities for testing, research and development. GCRE provides those high-quality services in one place.”

In support of its ambitions, GCRE has now formalised a partnership with Contrax, a UAE-based advisory firm with deep expertise in asset management, including in the rail and public transport domain.

Jones: “I’m delighted to finalise this agreement with Contrax who bring such significant expertise in rail and sustainable mobility. Contrax have a strong reputation of providing advice and support to companies and projects across the globe, but in particular it’s the knowledge that they bring of the Middle East that will be of most benefit to GCRE.”

Contrax is a strategic consulting, technical advisory and project management company operating in the mobility and asset intensive sectors. The specialist consulting firm works out of Dubai and serves both governments and businesses.

Rail-related projects Contrax has worked on in recent years include the Metro systems in Dubai, Riyadh and Makkah, as well as supporting the Connect 6ix consortium win the Ontario Line Metro contract.

Commenting on the partnership, Contrax partner Mark Morris said: “We at Contrax are extremely excited with the opportunity to support and partner with the GCRE. We have significant experience of delivering asset management, and rail systems solutions management across the Middle East that we can offer sustainable innovative solutions, added value and support across all aspects of the railway system.”

“This is an exciting time for rail and we are really happy to be supporting and providing our expertise to such a fantastic initiative as the GCRE.”