The Rail Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) has teamed up with the Australasian Railway Association (ARA) and Deakin University to develop a Smart Rail Route Map for Australia’s rail industry.
The 500,000 project, which is slated for completion by the end of this year, will identify a long term vision for technology in the rail industry over the next 30 years through the establishment of a common view of priorities, themes, timelines and actions.
“The Smart Rail Route Map will help our industry to realise the vision of a national approach to rail technology, bringing economies of scale, support interoperability and many other efficiencies,” said Danny Broad, ARA’s CEO.
Professor Douglas Creighton from Deakin’s Institute for Intelligent Systems Research and Innovation, said the University’s involvement in the project envisions providing expertise in Systems Mapping when workshopping, developing and modelling this project’s outputs.
“The project team is collaborating directly with a newly established steering committee, made up of representatives across the Australian rail industry, to define industry goals, map the key challenges for the rail sector over the next 30 years relating to technology disruption, and identify focus area objectives and initiatives,” the Professor said.
Rail Manufacturing CRC’s Dr Stuart Thomson said the Centre is responsible for identifying and funding innovative rail research that benefits the Australian rail industry.
“The Smart Rail Route Map will translate ideas and data into a meaningful direction for how the Australian rail industry can leverage technology in the coming decades,” Mr Thompson explained, adding that the project outputs will be owned by the Australian rail industry and will be used to support the introduction of new technologies and services efficiently and cost-effectively.
“The Rail Manufacturing CRC looks forward to working with the ARA and Deakin University to see tangible collaborative opportunities identified,” he concluded.
