The work of Rail CRC will not finish with the recent closing of the Centre, which has been headquartered at CQU Rockhampton for the past 6 years.

Rail Innovation Australia Pty Ltd - the company created to hold the Intellectual Property developed within Rail CRC - has commenced with a significant asset base and will commercialise key technologies and grow this business going forward.

Dr Anna Thomas

A 2-year project to progress the world-standard OZ-ECP brake project will form the basis of initial commercialisation activities for Rail Innovation Australia into the future.

Rockhampton is cementing its reputation as the rail capital of Australia with the formation of the new company in the regional city to develop and commercialise railway technologies for the national and international railway market.

Created as a result of the success of the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Rail which was based at Central Queensland University prior to its conclusion at the end of October, the new company holds the Intellectual Property for a number of innovative railway technologies which could save the rail industry tens of millions of dollars per annum upon commercialisation.

According to new General Manager of Rail Innovation Australia, Dr Anna Thomas, the Company was created as a spin-off to the Rail CRC, whose 6-year funding concluded on June 30 this year.

"Due to the success of Rail CRC researchers based at universities around Australia over the past 6 years, we now have the potential to develop rail technologies worth millions of dollars in savings to the rail industry each year through this new start-up company," Dr Thomas said.

"The first project we will be focusing on is the further development of new braking technology which could assist the rail industry better cope with the booming resources industry by allowing trains to travel faster more safely and stop in shorter distances than is now possible with conventional brakes," she said.

"The OZ-ECP brakes as they are known could replace the air brakes used on the majority of Australian trains to provide for a safer electronic braking system, with a fail-safe air brake back-up at all times."

"QR is so strongly supportive of this technology they have committed substantial funds to work with Rail Innovation Australia and France-based international transport company Faiveley Transport to fast-track this new brake product so it could be used on Queensland trains by 2009/2010."

Rail Innovation Australia is based at Central Queensland University in Rockhampton, and has the difficult task of succeeding as a start-up technology company in a cut-throat commercialisation market.

"However, the asset base our company has started with includes excellent technologies such as the OZ-ECP brake product, a cost-saving Rail Noise and Wear Assessment Tool currently being successfully trialled by 3 of Australia's major rail operators and the ‘Health Card' which could assist greatly reduce the risk of derailments, particularly of long-haul freight trains," Dr Thomas said.

In the long-term, Rail Innovation Australia Pty Ltd will position itself as a facilitator and leader in the development of new products and technologies, the transfer of intellectual property and corporate venturing.

For further information:

Dr Anna Thomas, Rail Innovation Australia Pty Ltd, (07) 4923 2029