A national hub focused on decarbonising transport in the UK has obtained £46 million in funding from the government and 67 partners.

The project will identify the lowest cost and most energy-efficient way to decarbonise transport by developing a digital twinning approach.

The TransiT Hub is a collaboration between eight UK universities and the 67 partners jointly led by Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and the University of Glasgow.

Digital twins use data collected in real time using sensors connected to infrastructure such as motorways and railways. The digital twin analyses this data to test and improve different scenarios and sends back suggestions for improvements.

The technology has various uses, such as automatically updating digital road signs with information on the shortest route out of a traffic jam, based on real-time traffic data in that location.

Heriot-Watt University, which describes the collaboration as one of the largest transport consortiums of its kind, said that digital twinning allows different transport configurations to be tested and developed much faster than real-world engineering projects, until the lowest cost pathway to net-zero carbon emissions is identified.

Around £20 million of the funding is from the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the main funding body for engineering and physical sciences research in the UK.

Another £26 million is being provided by stakeholders across the digital, energy and transport sectors including transport operators, regulators and technology companies.

Commenting on the project, professor David Flynn, a professor in cyber physical systems at the University of Glasgow and joint director of TransiT, said the technology could improve the journeys of individuals by helping them make sustainable travel choices through a personalised digital twin assistant.

This would learn a traveller’s needs and preferences similar to the way in which a Netflix or Amazon account does.

“It’s challenging for designers and engineers today to appreciate the perspective of citizens with mobility challenges and what they experience throughout the full journey,” he added. “If we can create and embed new design principles, we can identify equitable pathways to decarbonisation.”

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