The Cooperative Research Centre for Railway Engineering and
Technologies – Rail CRC – was established on 1 July
2001 as part of the Federal Government’s Cooperative Research
Centres Programme. The Centre commenced as an unincorporated joint
venture between six universities and six major Australian rail
companies – the first transport-related CRC in the
programme’s history.
Rail CRC was established with a vision for ‘a new era for
rail in Australia – world standard railway systems through
cooperative research’. Today, the Centre is arguably the
premier rail research centre in the nation, with the combined
expertise of more than 150 researchers working collaboratively with
industry partners to deliver valuable research, knowledge and
innovation to the railway industry.
Rail CRC received Commonwealth funding for seven years until 30
th
June 2008. In addition, Rail CRC secured cash and in-kind support
from industry and universities. With a combined resource total of
more than $57 million over seven years the Rail CRC is a
significant asset to the Australian rail industry. With
participants across freight and urban systems, rail operators and
track owners combined, Rail CRC has been charged with increasing
rail’s efficiency, reliability, safety and skills through
world-leading research for the betterment of the Australian rail
industry and the community at large.
The Current Rail CRC is in the final year of its six-year term and
was due to cease operation on June 30, 2007. After July 1,
all research outcomes including Intellectual Property from the past
six years of operation will be held by newly formed company
Rail Innovation Australia (RIA).
A newly funded CRC for the rail industry, the CRC for Rail
Innovation, was scheduled to begin operation on July 1, 2007, and
will develop a new set of research programs. It is expected that
RIA will work in close cooperation with the new CRC for Rail
Innovation.
Rail Innovation Australia aims
to deliver valuable research, knowledge and innovation to the
railway industry and its stakeholders, using a nationally and
internationally collaborative approach and with a focus on
commercialisation and technology transfer. Rail CRC's
research programs began in 2001, and have made significant headway
to develop a range of innovative rail products, processes and
technologies which are either available for implementation, or
reaching commercialisation stage.
