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Riding the rails

The existence of an institute for railway technology is testament to the fact that the humble train is as much a part of national development today as it was a century ago. SUE McALISTER reports.

There are two things that are remarkable about Monash University's BHP Institute of Railway Technology.

The first is its very existence, which reflects the fact that rail transportation ­ a hallmark of the 19th century ­ is enjoying a worldwide boom in the 21st century. The second is its international reputation for excellence, with a growing list of both Australian and overseas customers.

According to the institute's business development manager, Mr Ravi Ravitharan, people everywhere are waking up to the fact that rail is, overall, the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly form of land transportation.

And Monash research is making it even more cost-effective. For instance, Hong Kong's MTR Corporation claims the institute's research and advice on how to better manage and maintain its rail network was responsible for a 50 per cent reduction in rail replacement costs between 1992 and 2000, saving it HK$5 million (A$1.2 million).

In addition to urban mass transit systems, the institute undertakes applied railway research for heavy haul, general passenger and freight operations. The disciplines involved range from civil, mechanical and material engineering, metallurgy and instrumentation to computer science and economics.

Information is gathered on site and then, depending on what is required to produce solutions for a customer, analysis and testing are carried out either on site or in the institute's laboratories and other facilities.

This process produced the means by which MTR halved its rail replacement costs, in particular, by reducing the amount of stress on its rails and train wheels. Stress levels are crucial to railway performance.

According to Mr Ravitharan, a reduction in stresses decreases the chances of defect growth within the rail and/or wheel material, as well as the development of uneven surfaces (corrugations) on the rails.

"Rail defects not only reduce the efficiency and profitability of train networks, they can also cause progressive rail failure," he says. "If undetected, they may ultimately lead to catastrophic failure. For example, a cracked or weakened rail can suddenly break under a train, sending it off the tracks."

The institute, part of Monash's Faculty of Engineering, is a recognised world leader in solving wheel­rail interaction issues, with its recommendations being implemented around the globe. Institute research and advice helped reduce stress at the wheel­rail interface throughout the MTR network by making the shape of its rails and train wheels match each other as closely as possible ­ the rails were ground and wheels machined to modified specifications supplied by the institute.

It also provided MTR with long-term rail management and maintenance strategies, including advice on the optimum time intervals between maintenance work.

MTR approached the institute after learning of its expertise through an international railway technology conference. A subsequent conference paper by MTR on the institute's work in Hong Kong immediately resulted in a call from Singapore's MRT Ltd, seeking advice on rail maintenance, according to Mr Ravitharan.

"Next, as a result of our work in Singapore, the institute was able to assist Malaysia's STAR railway with its light rail project. We've also worked with clients in Canada and Mauritania," he said.

The Australian Government is so impressed with the institute it has designated Monash a major partner in its Co-operative Research Centre for Railway Engineering and Technologies and is funding its participation for seven years. The CRC aims to advance railway technology by pooling expertise and equipment from a number of industry and academic sources.

Mr Ravitharan says the institute will introduce teaching programs in the future ­ a very important development because of a predicted shortfall in railway engineers not only in Australia but also worldwide.

The institute already brings in significant revenue for Monash and enhances the university's reputation as a world-class centre for technological research and development within the railway industry.

Its Australian customers include railway authorities in most states. In Victoria, it is undertaking track assessment for the regional fast rail link project ­ the largest rail infrastructure scheme in the state.

As its name implies, the institute was established by BHP in 1972, but a restructuring of the company in early 2000 provided the opportunity for Monash to set up the institute and its research staff within the Engineering faculty's Department of Mechanical Engineering.

BHP Billiton continues to be a major customer, with the institute providing technical support in wheel­rail interaction, track structure and rolling stock for the mining giant's extensive iron ore rail transportation system.

For more information on Monash's BHP Institute of Railway Technology, contact Mr Ravi Ravitharan on +61 3 9905 1986 or at ravi.ravitharan@eng.monash.edu.au. You can visit the institue's website at www.eng.monash.edu.au/railway/

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