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Through a partnership among Australia's government, rail industry and several universities, more than 150 researchers are creating a national repository of modeling and simulation tools for railroad operations.
Australian rail research firm The Cooperative Research Centre for Railway Engineering and Technologies (Rail CRC) is heading the development of a 'model' railway, which will cost an estimated $56 million.
Researchers are calibrating computers to support national derailment investigations, train health cards, real-time wear monitoring and anti-congestion scheduling.
With 26 projects under way and more than 12 planned for 2003, the research team also is trying to develop national software standards for container transfers, crew rosters, locomotive fleet assignment and track access — everything from ballast beneath tracks to trucks above.
"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," said Rail CRC Chief Executive Officer Professor Dudley Roach in a prepared statement.