2022 Ash Athukoralalage and Adrianne Ho
Young Railway Engineer 2022
THE JOINT RECIPIENTS OF THE 2022 RTSA YOUNG RAILWAY ENGINEER AWARD ARE ASH ATHUKORALALAGE AND ADRIANNE HO
Dr. Ash Athukoralalage
Dr. Ash Athukoralalage is nominated as the co-winner of the RTSA Young Railway Engineer Award for 2022. As the Wheel Rail Interface Engineer of Speno Rail Maintenance Australia, he is responsible for ensuring the quality assurance process of the rail grinding and provides technical advisory support for the grinding crew. Dr. Athukoralalage is a chartered mechanical engineer with a PhD in wheel-rail contact fatigue and material wear. During his research, he has enhanced understanding of contact mechanics, damage mechanisms and maintenance of railway tracks to develop new approaches for the controlling and condition monitoring of the damage mechanism in track material. Dr. Athukoralalage is now concentrating on making a positive contribution to the rail industry in the areas of wheel- rail interface management, rail grinding, condition-based monitoring techniques and improving the reliability and safety of Australian rail infrastructure. Within the space of 8 years, Dr. Athukoralalage has contributed to more than 15 publications and presentations across Australia, Italy, United States and Turkey.
Dr. Ash Athukoralalage accepting the 2022 Young Railway Engineer in Melbourne, June 2022 at CORE2023 (also pictured Roy Unny, National Executive Chair of the RTSA and Amy Lezala-Zahr, Chief Engineer, Victoria Department of Transport and Panning)
Adrianne Ho
Adriane Ho is nominated as the co-winner of the RTSA Young Railway Engineer Award for 2022. Adrianne is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer with 12 years’ experience in rolling stock and rail operations on networks and projects throughout Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. Adriane’s experience is equally vast in terms of technical application having worked through projects involving all periods of the asset lifecycle, from planning studies, to procurements, testing commissioning, maintenance optimization and depot interface related projects as well as life extension and decommissioning. She has excelled in the application of her rolling stock eminence with almost all forms of rolling stock – suburban passenger trains, metro, light rail/tram, regional and intercity trains (including high speed), locomotive as well as track maintenance, plant and engineering vehicles. Adriane is currently working as a Lead Engineer, Rolling Stock at Aurecon leading a team of over 15 professionals ensuring technical excellence is delivered to a variety of clients on rolling stock projects at different stages of asset life cycle.
Further to rolling stock technical expertise, Adriane’s has a vast interest in railway asset management and rail operations planning. She has obtained a certificate level on ISO55000 and adopted the principles of ISO55000 on various asset management projects. She has prepared and published technical papers in this topic and delivered training sessions.
Adriane is a mentor and active promotor for railway engineering and women in engineering. She volunteered her time to support Institution of Mechanical Engineer and Institution of Engineering and Technology in particular the young members and female students