A group of state-owned UK rail operators have created a new mentorship scheme to provide guidance and support for nine technology startups focussed on customer experience and operational efficiency. 

The Future Labs scheme is described as a first of its kind project in the UK and will see Southeastern, Northern, LNER and TransPennine Express provide support during a 12-week programme. 

Richard Harrison, chief financial officer of the Department for Transport’s rail holding company DOHL, said: “Our railways are essential in connecting people across the country and play a vital role in supporting the UK's economy. 

"Working together we can find innovative solutions to drive forward growth by making the best use of technology to improve train performance, accessibility and customer experience." 

The nine companies chosen for the scheme, overseen by innovation specialist L Marks, include Chata.ai, Cleancore Intelligence, 1Huddle, iqast, Cognition24, Zing Data, Treeva, PotentialU, and Moonbility. 

The startups focus on a range of technologies including Treeva’s renewable energy solution which captures energy from the turbulent airflow of passing transport, and Cognition24’s app which provides real-time travel and accessibility information for people with hidden disabilities. 

Other innovations to enter the incubator include Moonbility’s digital twin technology that predicts and simulates asset failures in the transport sector, 1Huddle’s recruitment and talent development platform, and iqast’s AI-powered automatic forecasting solution. 

The successful startups will receive unique insights and guidance from the rail operators as well as the opportunity to test their technologies in real-world environments with access to industry data to support their development. 

The Future Labs scheme adds to the UK government’s own funding schemes for innovative companies in the rail industry, including its First of a Kind competition which granted £5.3m ($6.6m) to 17 projects last year.