Join the RTSA and Monash Institute of Railway Technology (IRT) for an engaging afternoon exploring cutting-edge developments in rail innovation, technology, and safety. This event will feature guided tours of IRT’s world-class research and testing facilities, insights from the Monash Rail Express (MREx) student team, and two thought-provoking technical presentations focused on improving safety at level crossings and enhancing locomotive visibility.

With expert speakers from Monash IRT and opportunities to network with industry professionals, researchers, and students, this is a unique opportunity to engage with the future of rail in Australia.

We look forward to welcoming you for an informative and inspiring event.

Program Schedule

3:00 PM – Arrival and Welcome
Venue: Lecture Theatre E7, Engineering Building 72, 14 Alliance Lane, Monash University Clayton
Campus

• Registration, Foyer
• Welcome address by Professor Ravi Ravitharan, Director of IRT
• Safety induction and overview of the program
• Closed Shoe Required – No other PPE required for the Site Tour

3:15 PM – Guided Tour of Monash IRT Facilities in Small Groups

1. Rail Sustainability Innovation Lab
2. Rail Digital Twin & Modelling Lab
3. Railway Manufacturing and Testing Lab
4. Railway Manufacturing Workshop
5. Railway Metallurgical Lab

4:30 PM – Meet the Monash Rail Express (MREx) Student Team

Venue: Lecture Theatre E7, Engineering Building 72, 14 Alliance Lane
• Outline of the MREx team
• Details of the International Competition
• Next Steps
• Q&A

5:00 PM – Refreshments & Networking

Venue: Lecture Theatre E7 Foyer, Engineering Building 72, 14 Alliance Lane, Monash University
Clayton Campus
• Light refreshments served

5:30 PM – Technical Presentations
Venue: Lecture Theatre E7, Engineering Building 72, 14 Alliance Lane, Monash University Clayton
Campus
5:30 PM – Introduction by RTSA
5:35 PM – Presentation 1: ’Seeing What We’ve Been Missing: Technology-Driven Insights into
Passive Level Crossing Risk’

Synopsis:

Level crossings remain one of the highest-risk elements across the Australian rail network. With over 18,000 crossings nationwide, full grade separation is financially unfeasible. Current safety approaches rely heavily on historical accident and near-miss data, which can lead to reactive decision-making and an incomplete understanding of the underlying risk factors. This presentation explores how emerging technologies can provide deeper insight into the conditions and behaviours that drive risk at passive level crossings. By moving beyond traditional metrics, we can better evaluate the effectiveness of existing controls and support the development of scalable, cost-effective interventions that improve safety across the network.

Speaker: Dr Nithurshan Nadarajah, Deputy Director, Innovation

Nithurshan is the Deputy Director at the Monash Institute of Railway Technology, with over a decade of experience driving innovation, safety, and strategic asset management in rail. He leads cross-functional teams to deliver data-driven transformation in condition monitoring, product development, and operational and asset management strategy—achieving measurable gains throughput, safety and efficiency. Nithurshan holds a PhD in sensor technology for aircraft and is a Chartered Professional Engineer.

Speaker: Dr Kareeb Hasan, Research Engineer

Dr Kareeb Hasan is a research engineer with expertise in sensor systems, data analytics, and infrastructure monitoring. With a PhD in engineering and experience at Monash IRT, his work focuses on applying technology to improve transport safety, system performance, and operational decision-making.

6:05 PM – Presentation 2: ’Quantitative Assessment of Visibility of Locomotives’

Synopsis:

Several control measures based on locomotive-mounted lighting have been suggested to improve the front-end visibility of freight locomotives. Trials have been conducted in Australia for two of these proposed measures. These are flashing beacons on locomotives and the conversion of locomotive headlights from halogen globes to Light-Emitting Diodes. The Monash Institute of Railway Technology (IRT) at Monash University undertook an independent assessment of these trials based on scientific principles. The aim was to develop a methodology to subjectively evaluate the change in conspicuity concerning lighting and luminance scheme modifications on locomotives.

Several trials were conducted in WA and NSW to assess the efficacy of locomotive lighting in enhancing locomotive conspicuity. The visual conspicuity of a freight locomotive depends not only on its brightness or shininess (quantified by its luminance value) but also on the average luminance of the surrounding background and viewing conditions (such as observation distance and angle). The intensity and colour of the light emitted from the locomotive, along with factors like livery, cleanliness, and viewing settings, influence the luminance of the locomotive. Visibility is also affected by natural light conditions, weather, sun position, and ambient settings.

In clear daylight, visibility improvements are highly dependent on a combination of headlight state, viewing circumstances, and sunlight direction. The headlight, especially in high beam during the day, significantly enhances frontal locomotive conspicuity, particularly at greater distances. The visibility benefit diminishes when the locomotive is viewed at an angle. Findings suggest that, under clear daylight or dense vegetation conditions, adding beacon lights and side marker lights provides little to no enhancement in locomotive conspicuity. Conversely, during night-time assessments, notable improvements are observed in overall locomotive conspicuity, especially with side marker lights.

The assessment also revealed a significant difference in luminance contrast levels between daytime and night-time for the same locomotive and lighting fixtures, indicating that locomotives tend to be more visible at night. This may partly explain the substantial difference in recorded level crossing collisions during the day compared to at night.

The presentation will outline the approach and methodology used, along with the trial findings. Some recommendations and ongoing work will also be highlighted.

• Speaker: Dr. Elias Kassa, Team Leader Track Infrastructure, Co-Director Safe Sustainable Accessible Railway (S2ARail) GRIP

Elias Kassa is currently a Principal Track Engineer and Team Leader of Track Infrastructure at the Institute of Railway Technology (IRT) at Monash. He also acts as Co-director for the Safe Sustainable Accessible Railway – Graduate Research Industry Partnership, an industry doctoral program focusing on railway topics. Prior to joining IRT, he worked as a senior researcher and professor at universities in Europe, specialising in a wide range of railway track issues and teaching graduate and postgraduate courses in railway engineering.

With over 23 years of experience in the railway industry, he has developed extensive knowledge in track design, turnouts, wheel-rail interface, and optimisation these systems. He has become a recognised expert in train-track interaction and turnout dynamics. Additionally, he has led various research and consultancy projects related to level crossing safety in both Europe and Australia.

Together with his team at Monash IRT, Elias led the work on train conspicuity trial assessment, contributing to the review of the Train Lighting and Visibility Standard.

6:35 PM – Questions and Answers
6:50 PM – Closing Remarks
• Final comments and appreciation from Professor Ravi Ravitharan