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Prof Dudley Roach
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November 13, 2006
Strong International Interest for Rail CRC Brake Project
RAIL Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) has attracted international
commercial interest in its newly developed innovative brake
technology – OZ-ECP Brakes.
Rail CRC, based at Rockhampton’s Central Queensland
University, was established and supported under the Australian
Government’s Cooperative Research Centres Programme. OZ-ECP
Brakes is a collaborative project between Rail CRC members Monash
University, Central Queensland University and rail industry
partners.
Recent discussions between France-based international transport
company Faiveley Transport and Rail CRC resulted in Faiveley
expressing strong interest in becoming a partner to commercialise
the new brake technology - initially in the Australian market, then
internationally.
Rail CRC CEO Prof Dudley Roach said the rail industry stood to gain
enormous benefits from adopting the new technology.
“By implementing this technology, the rail industry can
achieve enormous benefits in reduced fuel consumption, longer and
faster trains, increased capacity of rail corridors, reduced
probability of derailments and other accidents, easier training of
train drivers, and significant cost savings in wheel
maintenance,” Prof Roach said.
“Rail CRC’s OZ-ECP Brakes technology greatly reduces
the conversion costs for existing trains to install pneumatic brake
technology. The new system maintains the pneumatic system and can
be mixed with non-OZ-ECP wagons and allows a staged retrofit to
trains.
“This means the OZ-ECP Brake technology allows the conversion
to be carried out gradually with minimal “down-time”,
and the brakes can then be “turned on” when all
conversions are complete. It also offers greater safety levels, as
the conventional braking system is retained as a
“backup”.”
Prof Roach said there was also the opportunity to
“package” OZ-ECP Brakes with other Rail CRC research
outcomes such as the “Health Card” – an
innovative diagnostic tool to detect vehicle and rail track faults
at very early stages.
“With a growing global demand for resources and the supply
limited in many countries by rail network capacity, the time for
adoption of this type of new technology is just right,” Prof
Roach said.
Further discussions between Faiveley and Rail CRC will take place
later this month.
Rail CRC members are Queensland Rail, RailCorp, Pacific National,
ARTC, TMG Rail Technology, Central Queensland University,
University of Wollongong, Monash University, Queensland University
of Technology, The University of Queensland and University of South
Australia.
For more information on this and other Rail CRC projects visit
www.railinnovation.com.au
