Researchers behind pioneering railway advancements met Their Majesties the King and Queen today to receive the highest national institutional honour in recognition of their work.
Academics, students and senior leaders from the University of Southampton visited St James's Palace in London to collect a Queen Elizabeth Prize for Higher and Further Education.
The prize recognises over two decades of groundbreaking research that has led to billions of pounds of public money being saved and improved the resilience of the UK's ageing rail network.
The research has been driven since 2003 by William Powrie, Professor of Geotechnical Engineering and a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.
He said: "Receiving this prize is a huge moment for us. It's wonderful recognition of the work we do at Southampton. I'm extremely proud of my colleagues, and of the work we have done and continue to do to improve and safeguard railways."
Professor Powrie and colleagues' research applies fundamental science to solving real world problems.
Their work has developed better and more sustainable ways to make railway cuttings and embankments resilient to the effects of climate change. It has also led to new standards that have eliminated the need for bridge reconstruction to accommodate railway electrification and reduced the depth of foundations for support masts on overhead lines. This in turn influenced and informed the Government's decision to restart railway electrification in 2015, saving the UK economy several billion pounds.
Advances in monitoring tracks and managing climate-induced stresses on the rail network continue to be led by research in Southampton, including current work developing optical fibres for track monitoring.
Attending the prize presentation alongside Professor Powrie were Sir Ian Diamond, Chair of Council at the university, and President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark E Smith.
They were presented with a prize medal and certificate signed by the King.
Professor Smith said: "It is an enormously proud day for us as a university to receive this prize. Rail engineering research is a long-standing strength for us in Southampton, and to have that recognised by a Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education is a huge honour."
Meeting the King twice in a week
It is the second time this month that Professor Powrie has met the King, having been invested as a CBE on Tuesday 17 February at Windsor Castle. He was awarded the honour in the 2025 King's Birthday Honours for services to engineering.
Professor Powrie said: "It has been a once-in-a-lifetime week. The awards recognise the contribution of the many amazing people I have had the privilege of working with over the years, and the contribution that they, together, have made to engineering in the service of humanity."
