Abstract submission

Abstract submission will open mid February. Stay updated with our mailing list for the latest information regarding AusRAIL.

Key dates

Abstract submissions

Scholarships

Registrations

*registered delegates and AusRAIL sponsors/exhibitors

The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) invites you to submit an abstract for possible inclusion in the official AusRAIL 2026 conference program.

AusRAIL 2026 abstract submissions are now open.

Please read the following details on how to submit your abstract before submission.

Presentation formats

Abstracts can be submitted for oral presentation only.

Oral presentations

Oral presenters will be asked to make a verbal presentation at the conference including a PowerPoint presentation. The presentation will run for 20 minutes with no Q+A.

Submission guidelines

General information

All submissions must be in English. English is the official conference language, and all presentations must also be in English.
Submission titles must clearly indicate the nature of the presentation.
Submissions must not exceed 300 words, be clear and concise.
References are not required for submissions.
Abstract submissions will be considered for presentation in a the conference program. This is NOT a platform to submit marketing pitches or product updates. If you wish to provide a product update we have opportunities available in our Exhibition Theatre. Please contact sponex@ausrail.com to discuss.
To keep our program fresh and engaging, we ask you to confirm that your presentation will not be featured at any other rail-related event before AusRAIL 2026. Please note that any content presented at another rail event prior to AusRAIL 2026 will be removed from the program

Oral presentations

Submissions must not exceed 300 words, be clear and concise, highlight relevant aspects, findings and conclusions.
Incomplete abstracts or abstracts not written in English cannot be processed and will not be reviewed.
Abstracts submitted under a technical stream must also submit a full paper – details will be shared with successful authors.

Submission themes

All submissions must relate to one overall theme as indicated below.

AI in rail
Asset and lifecycle management
Customer, community and passenger experience
Digital rail, automation and innovation
Innovation in construction and infrastructure
Rolling stock – design, build & maintain
Safety, security & network resilience
Signalling (IRSE technical stream)

Sustainability, decarbonisation & climate resilience
Technical (RTSA technical stream)
Track (RTAA technical stream)
Track or electrical (PWI technical stream)
Wild card (for ideas that don’t fit into the standard themes but bring fresh, innovative or unexpected perspectives to the rail industry)
Workforce, skills & industry capability

Frequently asked questions

Please see outlined below frequently asked questions regarding abstract submissions. If you can’t find what you are looking for, please contact the Event Program Manager.

Q: How do I submit?

A: All abstract are required to be completed online through this submission portal. No emailed submissions will be accepted.

Q: Is there a template for submission?

A: No, however submissions must not exceed 300 words, be clear and concise, highlight relevant aspects, findings and conclusions.

Q: When will authors be notified of submission acceptance or otherwise?

A: Authors will be notified in writing of the acceptance or otherwise of their submission in early June 2026.

Q: What type of presentations are available?

A: Oral presentations (consisting of a 20 minute presentation and 5 minutes Q+A) are available. We will endeavour to allocate your preference but this cannot be guaranteed.

Q: When will conference registration open?

A: Registration will open in May 2026.

Q: Are presenters required to register for AusRAIL 2026?

A: Yes. As a presenter you are required to register and pay to attend the conference, however you will be entitled to a reduced registration rate. To ensure the integrity of the program, and guarantee the program will be as advertised once released, we will require all presenters to register and commit to attending the conference. Any presenters not registered for the conference will not have their presentation included in the program.

Q: What are the key dates that I need to be aware of?

A: Please note the key dates as follows:

Abstract submission close	31 March 2026
Author notifications	1 June 2026
Full paper submission deadline (technical streams only)	5 October 2026

Q: Is a full technical paper required?

A: If your abstract is accepted for presentation in either the RTAA, RTSA, IRSE or PWI technical streams, a full paper is required. Preparation guidelines will be sent to relevant authors.

Terms & Conditions

Submitting author hereby commits with the data protection and privacy policy.
Submitting author declares that the abstract/s submitted are the original work of at least one author/presenter.
All accepted presenters are required to register, pay, attend and present their material at AusRAIL 2026.
No funding is provided to presenters.
If the submission is selected, consent is provided for the presentation slides, video, audio recording and photos taken during the presentations to be used and published by the Australasian Railway Association and Rail Knowledge Bank, including being provided to delegates of AusRAIL 2026.
Submitting author must declare that their work does not conflict with any existing copyright agreements with alternate publishers.
AI generated summaries of presentations will be distributed to all registered delegates post event.
If your abstract is accepted for a technical stream (RTAA, RTSA, IRSE or PWI), you must submit a full paper which will be peer reviewed and published in Rail Knowledge Bank.

Further questions

If you have any queries about your submission or require any further information, please email program@ausrail.com