TRL and World Bank announce transport planning model update

TRL will provide the next generation of the Highway Development and Management Model (HDM-5), an international tool for road transport planning and investment evaluation.

TRL made the announcement in partnership with the World Bank. Since its inception in 1968, “HDM has been a cornerstone analytical framework, supporting over 1,500 organisations across 100 countries”. It is used by governments, research institutions and multilateral development banks, providing tools for economic evaluation, investment planning, maintenance prioritisation and strategic road network analysis.

Financial institutions including the World Bank Group, Asian Development Bank (ADB), European Investment Bank (EIB), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), African Development Bank (AfDB) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) require HDM compliance as a prerequisite for funding transport infrastructure projects.

The past two decades have ushered in transformative changes in vehicle technology, pavement design, climate resilience and road safety. However, TRL said the upgrade to HDM-5 will be released sometime in 2027.

The new platform is being conceived as a cloud-native, modular and web-based system delivered through a Software as a Service (SaaS) model. This will ensure enhanced scalability, flexibility and ease of use across a wide range of stakeholders.

HDM-5 will also include integrated tools for assessing climate resilience and estimating carbon emissions, alongside advanced functionality to evaluate road safety impacts. The company said that by embedding these capabilities within a modern, intuitive digital framework, HDM-5 is poised to support smarter, more sustainable and forward-looking transport decisions.

“Our vision for HDM-5 is to transform it into a dynamic and accessible platform that empowers decision-makers across the globe,” said Subu Kamal, head of product at TRL Software.

“By embedding sustainability, safety, and digital flexibility at its core, we’re creating a tool that truly meets the transport challenges of tomorrow delivered with the usability and scalability expected of modern software.”

HDMGlobal is an international consortium comprising academic institutions and consultancy organisations, established to oversee the future management of HDM-4. Originally, the consortium was granted a five-year concession by Piarc in June 2005, with exclusive distribution rights for the software.

The success of HDM-4 Version 2 during this initial period led Piarc to extend the concession in 2010 and again in 2015, each time for an additional five years. Subsequently, the concession was extended further: first in December 2019 for one year, then incrementally to July 2021, July 2022, and July 2024.

In April 2024, the agreement was extended to December 2024, with a further extension announced in November 2024, prolonging the concession until 31 December 2025.

At the centre of the consortium is the Highway Management Research Group a UK-based association of the University of Birmingham, AtkinsRealis and Aecom. They operate in partnership with TRL in the UK, ARRB Transport Research from Australia, PFC and Egis from France as well as ICH of Chile.

The main partners are complemented by close links with the associate member from the Mexican Institute of Transport.

As a founding research institution of HDM with over six decades of engagement, TRL said it is “uniquely positioned to co-develop HDM-5”. TRL is a major player in transport software, innovation and research, with expertise in transport systems modelling, software engineering, user-centred design and global technical support.

Binyam Reja, global practice manager at the transport global unit of the World Bank said development of HDM-5 “marks a major step forward” in how institutions support countries to plan, prioritise and finance road investments. 

“This initiative reflects our commitment to integrating climate resilience, road safety, and sustainability into infrastructure decision making," Reja added. "We are pleased to partner with TRL whose legacy and technical leadership have shaped HDM from the beginning to bring this next-generation global public good to life.”

A steering committee chaired by the World Bank, comprising key partners such as Piarc, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, ADB, IsDB and EIB is guiding HDM-5’s development. 

The initiative is further supported by a technical committee and funded through contributions from GRSF, GFDRR, QII, and GFDT. Collaborative work with leading academic and research institutions has already advanced critical components such as gap analysis, functional updates and modelling enhancements.