A community for the international railway industry

ABOUT

International Collaborative Research Initiative

The International Collaborative Research Initiative (ICRI) on Rolling Contact Fatigue (RCF) and Wear of Rails and Wheels is an informal collection of academics, consultants, researchers, and engineers working in, or having significant involvement with, the international railway industry. The ICRI, formed in 2013, brings together roughly 475 people from over 225 organizations in 40 countries (as of 2025) to collaborate on topics of mutual interest by leveraging current or future, already funded work.

The ICRI is currently managed by a steering committee consisting of members of the ICRI community from around the world. Eric Magel, the founding member of the ICRI is preparing for his first retirement from NRC in the fall of 2023. Since June 2023 an ICRI leadership is elected by the steering committee on a yearly basis:

  • June 2023 – June 2024: Richard Stock (of Plasser American) and Stephen Lewis (of British Steel)
  • June 2024 – June 2025: Sylvie Chenier (of NRC) and Richard Stock (of Plasser American)

 

The ICRI has been likened to a “coffee house” where people meet, share and learn what they can, and participate as much as they can for as long as they are seeing some benefit. Much of the interaction is web-based, but there have also been eight half- to full-day workshops at various locations in the United States and Europe, usually in conjunction with other international meetings or conferences.
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