Simon Blainey

Professor Simon Blainey is a Visiting Professor at the University of Southampton's Transportation Research Group (TRG), specializing in rail transport and sustainable infrastructure systems. His work integrates geographical information systems (GIS) and spatial modeling to address transport challenges. He has led major projects, including FCDO-funded research on resilient transport networks in low-income countries and Ordnance Survey-funded studies on active travel infrastructure. His research focuses on policy-relevant outputs to enhance transport efficiency and sustainability. Professor Blainey holds a PhD from TRG, an MSc from Imperial College London/University College London, and a first-class degree in Geography from the University of Oxford.

• Education:
  • PhD, Transportation Research Group (TRG), University of Southampton
  • MSc in Transport, Imperial College London/University College London
  • Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Geography, University of Oxford
• Key Roles:
  • Editor-in-Chief, Transportation Planning and Technology
  • Member of Editorial Board, Journal of Transport Geography
  • Former Secretary, Royal Geographical Society’s Transport Geography Research Group
• Research Strengths: Rail demand modeling, transport decision support systems, geospatial analysis, and infrastructure resilience.

His publications span transport policy, infrastructure sustainability, and geospatial applications. Awards include the 2009 Smeed Prize and fellowships from the Royal Geographical Society and Higher Education Academy. He advises governmental bodies like the House of Lords Built Environment Committee. Current projects include decarbonization of railway infrastructure and smart mobility solutions.

Supervises multiple PhD students in transport engineering and environmental systems, contributing to over 20 collaborative research projects funded by EPSRC, FCDO, and industry partners.