Australia will have one of the world’s biggest and best ‘model’ railway sets in a few years.

More than 150 researchers have started building what will become a national repository of modeling and simulation tools for all sorts of trains, tracks and situations around the country.

Computers are being calibrated to support national derailment investigations, train ‘health’ cards, real-time wear monitoring, anti-congestion scheduling and driver advice systems.

National software standards are being prepared for container transfers, crew rosters, locomotive fleet assignment, track access and customer bookings.

Everything from the ballast beneath the tracks to the bogies above them is being modeled and optimised for Australian conditions.

The organisation chosen as Australia’s peak rail research body is the Rail CRC, the Cooperative Research Centre for Railway Engineering and Technologies.

Rail CRC chief executive officer Professor Dudley Roach said Australia finally had a truly national focus for rail research and consultancy services.

He said the $56 million partnership between the Commonwealth Government, rail industry and universities was forging ahead, with 26 projects under way across Australia, and half a dozen more due for approval early in 2003.

“We will end up with one of the world’s most efficient rail networks, as well as technology and intellectual property that can add to the existing railway technology export industry,” he said. Professor Roach said it was ironic that Rail CRC was headquartered at Central Queensland University in Rockhampton – a city better known as Australia’s beef capital. This was due to CQU and Queensland Rail’s original lead efforts in establishing the CRC and the reputation of CQU Rockhampton Campus for quality rail research. ENDS For details call Dudley Roach on 0419 651 623 or via 07 4930 9597