Global Centre of Rail Excellence
The Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) will be a world class rail and energy innovation facility currently being developed at the northern end of the Dulais Valley in Neath Port Talbot.
GCRE will provide unique-to-Europe research, development and showcasing capabilities for the rail and green mobility industry including testing of rolling stock, infrastructure and cutting-edge new sustainable transport technologies. It will also provide world class R&D infrastructure to support renewable energy generation and innovation.
GCRE is located on a 700-hectare site – equivalent to the size of Gibraltar – and will be the UK’s first net zero in operation railway. The facility will feature two 7km electrified rail test loops for continuous testing of rolling stock and infrastructure, helping to speed up the development of new rail and mobility products and exports. GCRE will be critical in the development and testing of new innovations that can support decarbonisation and the path to net zero not just here in the UK, but across Europe, the Middle East and beyond.
