TreQ, Qruise, Q-CTRL, Oxford Ionics, and Rigetti are collaborating to create an open-architecture quantum computing testbed. This project unites industry leaders to develop a modular, extensible system for integrating and evaluating quantum components and processors across the supply chain, serving the global market from the UK. A key innovation of this project is its flexible design, offering 8 unique configurations by combining two quantum processors, two control systems, and two quantum software stacks. This capital-efficient approach maximises value by enabling extensibility and upgrades, ensuring this taxpayer investment supports long-term advancements in a rapidly evolving field. The testbed also strengthens the quantum supply chain by enabling collaboration among specialised component providers, especially those in the UK ecosystem. Just as classical computing evolved from fully vertically integrated systems to ecosystems of specialised suppliers, this project fosters a similar shift in the quantum computing landscape. TreQ, as a high-level manufacturer and quantum systems engineering company, is at the forefront of this evolution, driving innovation and creating skilled jobs in the UK. In addition to advancing hardware, the project will deliver an open specification for quantum workflows, creating a common interface between quantum software and hardware. This will enhance collaboration across the industry and accelerate the development of cost-effective solutions to address global challenges in finance, energy, and healthcare. This initiative represents a critical step toward realizing the full potential of quantum computing, fostering innovation, and strengthening the UK's leadership in quantum technologies.

Planning and operation of public rail transport networks involves a complex balance of passenger service, infrastructure management for feasible and safe operations, and network resilience to disruption. To effectively meet these objectives, fast and high-quality optimisations are needed. Mathematical optimisation is integral to strategic, tactical, and operational decisions; this includes line planning of train routes and frequencies, planning schedules that are feasible and robust with available infrastructure, crew management, and train timetable rescheduling in response to delays. Typically these optimisation problems are intractable for exact solvers on the scale of practical networks; approximate optimisers are used to provide faster solutions but with lower solution quality. Using quantum computers, Q-CTRL aims to improve the quality of solutions obtained rapidly; a few percent improvement in quality can correspond to substantial improvements in transit time, robustness to delays, and reductions in operating costs and emissions. Q-CTRL is working with the Department for Transport (DfT) and Network Rail to address train schedule optimisation both for large-scale rail networks, and for detailed station routing. Q-CTRL will design and deploy a quantum algorithm to perform train schedule optimisation on Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC) quantum computers. The combination of Q-CTRL's world-leading expertise in quantum solution design and infrastructure software to maximise hardware performance, together with OQC's state-of-the-art quantum computers, will provide prototype train scheduling solutions, and provide an accelerated roadmap to deliver enhanced solutions from quantum computers.

Quantum optimised train schedules Planning and operation of public rail transport networks involves a complex balance of passenger service, infrastructure management for feasible and safe operations, and network resilience to disruption. To effectively meet these objectives, fast and high-quality optimisations are needed. Optimisation supports strategic, tactical, and operational decisions; this includes line planning of train routes and frequencies, planning schedules that are feasible and robust with available infrastructure, crew management, and train timetable rescheduling in response to delays. Typically these optimisation problems are intractable for exact solvers on the scale of practical networks; approximate optimisers are used to provide faster solutions at the cost of lower solution quality. Using quantum computers, Q-CTRL expects to improve the quality of solutions obtained rapidly; a few percent improvement in quality can correspond to substantial improvements in transit time, robustness to delays, and reductions in operating costs and emissions. Q-CTRL will work with the Department for Transport (DfT) and Network Rail to address key use cases such as train schedule optimisation subject to infrastructure capacity, and disruption response management. Q-CTRL will design and deploy a quantum algorithm to perform train schedule optimisation on OQC quantum computers. The combination of Q-CTRL's world-leading expertise in quantum solution design and infrastructure software to maximise hardware performance, together with OQC's state-of-the-art quantum computers, will provide a clear picture of current quantum computing performance for this high-priority application, and an accelerated roadmap to deliver enhanced solutions from quantum computers.

Quantum optimised train schedules Planning and operation of public rail transport networks involves a complex balance of passenger service, infrastructure management for feasible and safe operations, and network resilience to disruption. To effectively meet these objectives, fast and high-quality optimisations are needed. Optimisation supports strategic, tactical, and operational decisions; this includes line planning of train routes and frequencies, planning schedules that are feasible and robust with available infrastructure, crew management, and train timetable rescheduling in response to delays. Typically these optimisation problems are intractable for exact solvers on the scale of practical networks; approximate optimisers are used to provide faster solutions at the cost of lower solution quality. Using quantum computers, Q-CTRL expects to improve the quality of solutions obtained rapidly; a few percent improvement in quality can correspond to substantial improvements in transit time, robustness to delays, and reductions in operating costs and emissions. Q-CTRL will work with the Department for Transport (DfT) and Network Rail to address key use cases such as train schedule optimisation subject to infrastructure capacity, and disruption response management. Q-CTRL will design and deploy a quantum algorithm to perform train schedule optimisation on OQC quantum computers. The combination of Q-CTRL's world-leading expertise in quantum solution design and infrastructure software to maximise hardware performance, together with OQC's state-of-the-art quantum computers, will provide a clear picture of current quantum computing performance for this high-priority application, and an accelerated roadmap to deliver enhanced solutions from quantum computers.