Celebrating the partners helping us build better, more sustainable transport.
At Transport Design International and Greenway Initiative, we highly value collaboration. From concept and design through to delivery, our work relies on strong partnerships with suppliers such as TRB Lightweight Structures who share our values around quality and innovation.
Who are TRB Lightweight Structures:
TRB Lightweight Structures are part of the Kineco Global Rail group of companies that includes Semvac Sanitation and are a leading engineering-led supplier and specialist in lightweight composite structures for the rail industry, with over 60 years of experience in design, manufacture, testing and validation.
Their expertise spans a wide range of applications, including doors, interior systems and structural components, supporting major rail programmes across the UK and Europe.
Operating across the UK and Europe, TRB supports programmes across multiple sectors, delivering high-quality, sustainable transportation solutions through innovation in both material science and manufacturing processes.
TRB Lightweight Structures role in rail:
TRB plays a key role in the development and supply of composite structures for passenger rail vehicles, including doors, interior systems and structural partitions.
Their expertise in lightweight materials enables the production of components that improve overall vehicle efficiency and reduce weight, contributing to enhanced vehicle-level performance and more sustainable transport solutions. Composite technologies are increasingly important in rail, helping to optimise performance while reducing energy consumption.
What makes TRB Lightweight Structures different:
TRB combines engineering expertise with in-house manufacturing, offering a fully integrated approach from concept through to production, reducing interfaces and improving delivery confidence.
As a Tier 1 supplier, they deliver fully assembled, ready-to-install systems, helping to streamline vehicle build processes and reduce complexity for manufacturers.
Their focus on lightweight composite solutions enables improvements in efficiency, durability and manufacturability.
TRB’s technical capability and practical delivery set them apart within the rail supply industry.
Working together:
Our partnership with TRB Lightweight Structures reflects a shared commitment to the adoption of sustainable transportation solutions within the rail sector. Their expertise in advanced composite materials enhances and enables the work we do in manufacturing lightweight rail vehicles that are durable, low cost and efficient.
TRB collaborates closely with partners to develop solutions that meet both technical and operational requirements, and working with trusted suppliers like TRB helps ensure that solutions are not only innovative, but also practical and deliverable within real-world constraints.
Projects we’ve worked on:
Since 2018, TRB has worked closely with us, playing a key role in the development of the composite bodyshell design for the Revolution VLR vehicle, manufacturing the innovative modular, one-piece structural panels that form both the inner and outer walls.
This work contributed to the creation of a lightweight, efficient vehicle, contributing significantly to an overall vehicle weight reduction of around 40 per cent compared to traditional heavy rail vehicles.
The use of composite materials in this context supports the wider goal of delivering modern, sustainable rail systems.
What the future holds:
As the rail industry continues to evolve, lightweight and energy efficient design will play an increasingly important role in shaping the next generation of vehicles. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with TRB Lightweight Structures as we progress the Revolution VLR and explore further opportunities to innovate, particularly through the continued development of lightweight composite structures for next-generation rail platforms.
