Industry Automotive Headquarters Wokingham, United Kingdom Founded 1933 | Area served Worldwide Number of employees 320 | |
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Type Private company limited by guarantee Products Various transport related items, including software, legform impactors, safety certification rigs Services Research, consultancy, testing, certification, training, software development Owner Transport Research Foundation Key people Rob Wallis (Chief Executive) Parent organization Transport Research Foundation Ltd Profiles | ||
TRL Limited, trading as the Transport Research Laboratory, is a fully independent private company offering a transport consultancy and research service to the public and private sector. Originally established in 1933 by the UK Government as the Road Research Laboratory (RRL), it was privatised in 1996.
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History
TRL was originally established in 1933 by the UK Government as the Road Research Laboratory (RRL) under the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, and later became the Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL).
During the Second World War the Laboratory contributed to the war effort. Among its contributions, under William Glanville, were research that aided the development of plastic armour, the bouncing bomb and the Disney bomb.
In the 1970s, the TRRL moved from the Department of Trade and Industry to the Department of the Environment.
At the TRRL, Frank Blackmore developed the mini-roundabout which was adopted in 1975.
With the encouragement of the UK Department of Transport, TRRL was instrumental in promoting cooperation with other European laboratories. In 1989, TRRL's initiative to create a Forum of European National Highway Research Laboratories led to its hosting of the inaugural meeting.
It became an executive agency of the UK Department for Transport in 1992 and changed its name to Transport Research Laboratory (TRL).
It was privatised in 1996, though plans were criticized at the timenotably by former Transport Minister Barbara Castle
Operations
TRL is based in Crowthorne, Berkshire, with additional offices across the UK including Scotland. Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Didcot. TRL also has offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Qatar and India, operating in 145 Countries. .
TRL's key areas of work include road, network and vehicle safety; traffic management; planning and control; investigations and risk management; transport infrastructure; and environmental assessment including work on climate change, noise and air pollution.
The extensive Crowthorne site has been substantially scaled back, with many of the original buildings disused, creating an opportunity for redevelopment. In 2012, Bracknell Council has identified the original site as a strategic area, suitable for a new mini-town of 1,000 homes.
Corporate affairs
To maintain its commercial independence and impartiality, TRL is owned by the Transport Research Foundation, a non-profit distributing foundation overseen by 80 sector members from the transport industry. TRL's profits are invested in its own research programmes, selected by the TRF to enhance knowledge in critical areas such as safety, environmental impact and sustainable development.