The British Rail Research Division was created by the British Railways Board, in 1964, in order to improve railway reliability and efficiency, while reducing costs and improving revenue. The department moved to propose built facilities, called the Railway Technical Centre, in Derby. While it became famous for the Advanced Passenger Train (APT), its activities extended into every area of railway operation. When British Rail was sold into private ownership, the Research Division was bought by AEA Technology plc in 1996. The resulting business, "AEA Technology Rail", was subsequently sold in 2006 and became DeltaRail Group Limited.