LADICIM participates in the development of metropolitan transport in India
The Laboratory of the Materials Science and Engineering Division has renewed its collaboration agreement with the company Patil Rail, one of the main Indian companies specialized in the manufacture of railway components
The Laboratory of the Materials Science and Engineering Division (LADICIM) of the University of Cantabria has consolidated its international position as a reference technological partner in the development of metropolitan rail transport, particularly in India, where it currently provides advanced technical services to important companies in the sector. This collaboration has provided a significant boost to the safety and efficiency of urban transportation in some of the most populated cities in the world, such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Indore and Bangalore.
In this context, LADICIM has recently renewed its collaboration agreement with the Patil Rail company, one of the leading Indian companies specialized in manufacturing railway components, especially advanced track fastening systems. This agreement guarantees that all components manufactured by Patil Rail strictly comply with international railway safety regulations.
In addition to Patil Rail, LADICIM currently collaborates in India with other prominent companies in the railway sector such as Pandrol Rahee Technologies, present in important projects such as the Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai and Indore metros; Carbonaire Industries, specialized in global distribution of railway equipment; and Mosdorfer India Private Limited, involved in the development of the Chennai Metro. These collaborations sustained since 2022 reinforce the technical relevance of the Cantabrian laboratory in the consolidation of safe and efficient railway infrastructures in one of the regions with the greatest urban growth in the world.
The director of LADICIM, José Antonio Casado, highlights that the trust of large international companies such as Patil Rail confirms that “the knowledge generated in Cantabria can contribute decisively to the safe and sustainable development of urban and interurban rail transport in countries with enormous mobility challenges such as India.”
LADICIM’s contribution transcends laboratory tests. The University of Cantabria offers added value in the form of highly specialized technical advice, carried out by a research team with the capacity to provide comprehensive solutions to the technical challenges posed by urban rail transport. In this sense, Soraya Diego, head of the Railway Division of LADICIM, emphasizes: “What differentiates us is our ability to interpret, anticipate problems and propose technical improvements based on evidence, something fundamental when working with urban transport systems in environments as demanding as those of India.”
The international accreditation of the Laboratory, granted by the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), reinforces the trust placed by Indian companies, which especially value the advanced interpretation that LADICIM offers on the behavior of materials and their construction solutions. Isidro Carrascal, technical director of the Laboratory, specifies that “international accreditation is not only a seal of quality, it is the result of decades of technical specialization and commitment to excellence in testing and homologation of complex railway components.”
More than three decades of innovation
LADICIM’s strategic collaboration in India is the result of a solid technological and scientific trajectory built over more than three decades. The Laboratory’s first work on railway superstructure dates back to the 1990s, when they began to solve technological challenges associated with railway electrification through the design and development of insulating parts made with advanced polymers. These initial innovations served as a starting point to turn the Laboratory into a national reference in railway components.
His position was significantly strengthened with the arrival of High Speed to Spain, especially with the Madrid-Barcelona line. For a decade, LADICIM worked closely with ADIF and other key agents in the Spanish railway sector to redefine electrical fixing and insulation systems capable of supporting speeds greater than 300 km/h, achieving high technical standards. This success also meant obtaining the Prize from the Social Council of the University of Cantabria, in recognition of technological development applied to high speed.
The prestige acquired allowed, starting in 2015, LADICIM to take the international leap, participating in one of the most emblematic railway projects worldwide: the control and supervision of the railway superstructure elements of the AVE between Medina and Mecca. This experience was a decisive milestone in the consolidation of its global positioning.
The international expansion of the Laboratory is reflected in its presence in 25 countries around the world, from Canada, the United States and Mexico, to the United Arab Emirates, Türkiye, Morocco or Germany. This broad scope illustrates the ability of its researchers to adapt to diverse international technical regulations and to provide solutions adapted to the specific needs of each region.
5.1 million in the last 5 years
The international success of LADICIM is confirmed by its intense activity during the last five years, a period in which the Railway Superstructure research line has generated total income of more than 5.1 million euros. Of this volume, 1.9 million come from public research projects (national and international, competitive or in consortium) and 3.2 million correspond to technology transfer projects, including agreements, contracts and advanced technical services to companies in the railway sector.
These incomes represent 59% of LADICIM’s total economic volume in this same period, which reflects the strategic relevance of the Railway Superstructure line for the economic and technical sustainability of the Laboratory as a whole.
The research and academic dimension also plays an essential role in the growth of the Railway Superstructure Division, with more than 70 scientific articles published, participation in more than 80 international conferences and direction of nine doctoral theses, five of which are industrial doctorates carried out in close collaboration with companies in the railway sector.
Furthermore, LADICIM actively promotes specialized training, especially highlighting Master in Railway Engineering developed together with the Spanish Railway Association (MAFEX), which has a wide participation of professionals from leading companies in the sector.
The recent renewal of the agreement with Patil Rail and the growing interest in new collaborations related to conventional tracks and possible high-speed applications reflect the confidence placed in the technological and scientific potential of LADICIM and, by extension, in the international technology transfer capacity of the University of Cantabria.
