<span class="" id="parent-fieldname-description"> A new research centre, dubbed the Australasian Centre for Rail Innovation (ACRI), will replace the outgoing CRC for Rail Innovation which is due to wrap up next year. </span> <p>With the CRC due to wrap up on June 30, 2014 after seven years of operation, up until now there has been little knowledge of whether there were plans to continue a collaborative type model for rail research after this date.</p><p>CRC members were tipped off to the launch of the new research centre for rail at the CRC conference Junction 2013 last week and the Australasian Railway Association (ARA) has since published a communiqu on ACRI on its website.</p><p>According to the communiqu, the establishment of ACRI as an independent research organisation is supported by both the ARA and the CRC.</p><p>ACRI will aim to link to the best domestic and international rail research capability, achieved by a combination of strategic research partnerships and a competitive contract system.</p><p>“ACRI is to undertake or facilitate targeted, applied research to solve issues raised by rail industry participants or other entities whether with a commercial or public policy interest in the rail sector or transport sector more broadly, to improve the productivity and competitive position of the Australasian rail industry,” the communiqu states.</p><p>The communique outlines the basic aims of the ACRI, which include providing the Australasian rail industry with “timely, relevant and effective applied research to support and ensure continued improvement in productivity and sustainability to underpin the position of the industry.”</p><p>The formal announcement regarding the launch of ACRI is to be made at the 10th World Congress for Rail Research, in conjunction with AusRAILPLUS, to be held on November 26-28 this year.</p><p>The ARA declined to comment further on the ACRI at this time.</p>
