A key part of the renewal and sustainment of UK infrastructure is the upgrade and improvement of linear rail transportation systems and how they interact with their local environment, as can be seen from HS2 it is clear there will be a particular focus on high speed rail. SoFSI has been designed to support experimental research into embankment stability, the generation and mitigation of Rayleigh shockwaves, and how the transition to high speed rail will impact upon existing rails infrastructure and the broader rail transportation system.