We go behind the scenes of the Intermodal Terminal Company’s multi-million dollar facility in the heart of Melbourne. PAGE 14
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ISSUE 2 - MAR 2025
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The beginning of 2025 is already off to a flying start. The rail industry continues to impress me, and I am astonished by the sheer volume of work that has been carried out.
In the final run into Christmas last year, I believe some momentous milestones in the Australian rail industry were lost a little.
As a proud Melburnian, I have always lauded the city, but I can’t overlook the work being completed in New South Wales – the state has a rail network that can rival any city in the world, and it is not done yet.
With Parramatta Light Rail up and running, the city is improving connections for those across the capital and extensions will continue with the Bankstown Line expected to come online this year. Construction of the Western Sydney Airport rail line will also continue.
I believe New South Wales is a shining example of what bipartisan support can do for a city. The current and former governments have worked together to help deliver Sydney Metro, and it is having a marked effect on how people travel.
I implore states across the country to follow suit and strive to work together to help the movement of people nationwide.
It has been a lot of fun putting together this month’s edition of Rail Express, which features some engaging stories.
Our cover story dives into the Intermodal Terminal Company’s new state-of-the-art
facility in Somerton and how it will support the movement of freight across the country. We last provided an update on the project in April 2024 and it’s impressive just how much the ITC has achieved in the year since.
We also chat with Siemens Mobility and unpack the need for improved signalling in Australia. The organisation wants to see the rollout of new technology to ensure our country is ready sooner rather than later.
We take a look at what Martinus has been doing in Queensland and learn more about the team and its aspirations for the future.
There’s also more on the world’s first allfemale tunnel boring machine team currently working on the Suburban Rail Loop. Rail is truly at the forefront of diversity, equity and inclusion and the team should be proud of its work.
When it comes to the year ahead, we take a look at what’s in store as Australia and New Zealand prepare for a big 2025.
This month also includes comments from the Australasian Railway Association about the need to build a skilled workforce for the future.
And I’d like to introduce you to the new editor of Rail Express, Kayla Walsh. Feel free to reach out to Kayla for any editorial inquiries.
Thanks for reading!
kayla.walsh@primecreative.com.au
MAXIMISED NETWORK CAPACITY
At Siemens Mobility, we are pursuing technologies and solutions for more sustainable, comfortable, and cost-effective rail transport to shape the future of mobility and #transformtheeveryday for a better tomorrow.
Inland Rail has removed barriers to allow the flow of traffic and pedestrians over the rail line for the first time since January 2024.
In a statement, Inland Rail thanked the residents of Wangaratta, Victoria for their patience and understanding while works were taking place on the bridge.
The project took place to replace the bridge and lower the railway tracks, in order to create the required clearances for the safe passage of double-stacked freight trains.
The tracks were realigned and lowered by 2.8 metres, and the central pier of the old bridge was removed, with the new bridge built in the same location.
Ed Walker, Inland Rail Delivery Director Beveridge to Albury, said the opening of the Green Street bridge is another step forward for the Inland Rail project.
“Thank you to the people of Wangaratta for their patience and understanding as we carried out the work,” he said.
“We’ve had great support from the local council, businesses and residents.
“We look forward to finishing the rest of the railway station precinct next year.”
The connecting pedestrian pathway to Roy Street East will remain closed for further work early this year. The bridge structure is made up of two 50-tonne main
Site investigations are underway at Ruthven Street, Macleod as part of work to remove the dangerous and congested level crossing.
The rail line will be elevated over the road, permanently separating vehicles and trains, which will improve safety and ease local congestion.
As of January 13, the Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP) team has been working around Somers Avenue to investigate ground conditions and equipment in the rail corridor and locate underground services.
The LXRP team will also undertake environmental and cultural heritage
girders, 15 three tonne cross girders and 50 concrete transfloor sections, and was assembled onsite and lifted into place in September.
investigations over the coming months. Information from these site investigations will inform the concept designs for the new rail bridge.
To allow crews to work safely there will be ongoing lane closures on local roads from January 13, with access to local homes and businesses maintained at all times.
About 12,600 drivers travel through the Ruthven Street crossing each day. The boom gates are down for up to 29 minutes of the morning peak, when up to 28 trains travel through the level crossing.
The project builds on the second stage of the Hurstbridge Line Duplication, which delivered more train services, and removing this level crossing will prevent even more boom gate downtime in the future.
It follows level crossing removals at Grange Road, Alphington and Lower Plenty Road, Rosanna, creating more benefits for local communities and a better transport network for all Victorians.
The level crossing at Ruthven Street will be gone for good and the new rail bridge open in 2027.
Perth’s first east-west line connection, the METRONET Thornlie-Cockburn Link, and the Victoria Park-Canning Level Crossing Removal Project have reached a major milestone, with the first test train running on January 20.
The event marked the start of an extensive testing and commissioning program, which will ensure all infrastructure and systems are operating effectively and trains are running safely, efficiently, and smoothly.
The 17.5-kilometre METRONET ThornlieCockburn Link project includes two new stations, at Nicholson Road and Ranford Road, and upgrades to the Thornlie and Cockburn Central stations.
Connecting the Mandurah and Armadale lines through the Thornlie-Cockburn Link will support growth and accessibility across the south-eastern suburbs of Perth by providing access to employment, unlock long-term housing development opportunities in Canning Vale, and provide a direct line for Mandurah Line passengers to Perth Stadium Station for the first time.
Premier Roger Cook attended the first testing on the new line.
“METRONET is powering ahead across Perth – transforming our suburbs, opening up housing opportunities, creating jobs,
slashing congestion, and providing affordable transport for Western Australian families,” he said.
“The METRONET Thornlie-Cockburn Link delivers a whole new way of moving around our suburbs, and, as a Kwinana local, I can’t wait for train rides straight to Optus Stadium.
“Once opened, the new METRONET lines will provide some of the most affordable public transport in the country, delivering real cost-of-living support to commuters and families across the south-eastern suburbs.”
When passenger services commence later this year, commuters will have a 26-minute journey to Perth from Nicholson Road Station and a 29-minute journey from Ranford Road Station, as well as some of the most affordable public transport anywhere in the country.
Meanwhile, construction on the new elevated Armadale Line continues to surge ahead, with works well-progressed on all seven new stations and delivery of the new seven-kilometre-long linear park underneath the elevated rail underway.
‘Long Park’ will provide six hectares of new public open space for the community and help facilitate new urban housing opportunities along the corridor.
Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said Perth’s first east-west line connection will be a game-changer for thousands of people living in the south-eastern suburbs who have never had access to the world-class train network.
“That’s what METRONET is delivering – a better-connected city where more people can access the affordable public transport being provided by our WA Government,” she said.
“METRONET is reshaping Perth, providing great new amenities for the community and delivering the transport infrastructure needed to keep our city moving and growing.”
The parkland will have 14 new community spaces with a range of amenities including:
• four new playgrounds;
• two nature trail/play spaces;
• two youth plazas including basketball, futsal, and netball courts;
• three skate parks;
• two fitness parks with exercise equipment;
• two dog parks;
• an extensive path network for bike riding and walking; and
• new spaces for pop-up cafes and community events.
The METRONET Thornlie-Cockburn Link and elevated Armadale Line are scheduled to open in mid-2025.
ITC is unlocking the future of rail freight to empower a stronger supply-chain, sustain a better environment and give you greater value in logistics
Avoid congestion:
Located in the heart of Melbourne’s northern industrial zone only 20kms away from the CBD
Next-level equipment:
Fully electric rail mounted gantry cranes and reach stackers designed to safely and efficiently process your freight
Great Value:
A compelling alternative to trucking to/from the port or interstate
Open Access:
Designed to enable the whole supply-chain to utilise and benefit
Australian owned and operated: ITC is 100% owned by Aware Super and its 1.1 million members
Multi-purpose facility:
Interstate intermodal and IMEX (port shuttle) operations combined with a co-located industrial and logistics precinct
Easily accessible:
Direct access to major rail (standard and broad gauge) and road transport networks (e.g. Hume Freeway)
Significant scale:
>30 hectares of terminal hardstands and ability to process 1,800-m double-stacked freight trains
Efficient De-Hire
An empty container park with facilities to clean, fumigate and repair shipping containers
Coming Soon: Operations to commence in late 2025
The Victorian Government’s Metro Tunnel project has completed its biggest trial yet, with trains running a further 35,000 kilometres and taking more than 2600 trips across 10 days, as the project powers towards opening later this year – one year ahead of schedule.
Acting Premier Ben Carroll and Acting Minister for Transport Infrastructure Melissa Horne visited Anzac Station to announce that crews have completed 160 hours of “dress rehearsal” works, as part of the project’s trial operations phase.
Trains travelled between Hawksburn and West Footscray through the new tunnels along the Sunbury and Cranbourne/Pakenham lines at a frequency of between eight and 12 per hour. This frequency is expected to increase in the coming months as operators refine the new technology inside the tunnels and stations.
“Our test trains have travelled further than the distance to London and back in 10 days, passing their biggest test yet before the project opens this year – one year ahead of schedule,” Carroll said.
The 10-day blitz of operations was an opportunity for Metro Trains staff to become more familiar with the project, with another 46 train drivers readied to operate the new High Capacity Metro Trains – taking the total number of trained drivers to around 200.
Trial operations will continue throughout the year as the team runs through more than 100 ‘real life scenario’ exercises to ensure the project’s complex systems and technology are ready for passengers later this year.
This will range from manual opening and closing of the platform screen doors in the event of a failure, to intruder detection and mass station and train evacuation exercises.
Horne said thousands of Victorians will use this tunnel every day and the government is powering ahead, training staff and testing advanced technology that has never been used on the rail network before.
Crews are also making progress to complete construction on the remaining two stations, Town Hall and State Library, which sit directly underneath
The South Australian Government has hit a major milestone in its journey towards sustainability, with 50 hybrid-diesel railcars now in operation across Adelaide Metro’s rail network.
With the completion of the final hybrid conversion and its entry into service today, Adelaide Metro’s non-electrified Outer Harbor, Grange, Belair and Port Dock lines are now serviced entirely by hybrid-diesel railcars.
The distinctive green rail fleet is fully fitted with a hybrid system designed to reduce emissions, lower fuel consumption and enhance passenger experience.
The new Energy Storage and Recovery System works by storing kinetic energy generated during braking in the train’s onboard batteries and converting it into electrical energy to power normal operations, decreasing stress on the engine and fuel consumption by more than 20 per cent.
The system also powers auxiliary functions like lighting and air conditioning, allowing trains to remain engine-free within Adelaide Railway Station for up to 20 minutes –significantly reducing noise and air pollution within the station.
The project has been a major focus of the government.
2400 tonnes of CO₂ annually and reduce fuel consumption by between 700,000 and one million litres of diesel each year.
entered service in October 2023, ahead of a progressive rollout of the remaining railcars.
The final diesel-only trains ran their final service on 31 December 2024.
Melbourne’s Central Business District. The Metro Tunnel is the biggest upgrade of Melbourne’s train network since 1981 –freeing up capacity on the City Loop to deliver more trains more often and better connecting Victorians to jobs, health and education.
This $11.4 million investment into creating a cleaner, greener and more efficient transport network is a critical step in achieving the State Government’s net-zero emissions target by 2050. Adelaide Metro will continue to explore and implement advanced technologies to further reduce emissions and improve service efficiency.
Meanwhile, the return of Adelaide Metro rail operations to State Government operations
Australian Rail Commissioner, which allows the legislation. To obtain ONRSR accreditation for the South Australian Rail Commissioner, the department was required to submit a thorough safety case to demonstrate all required systems and resources will be in place to safely operate the rail system.
The return of train services to public operation is part of the Government’s election commitment to return rail operations to the public.
Queensland Rail recently announced that Lindum and Morningside stations have reopened to customers.
Lindum Station opened just before Christmas on December 23 2024, while Morningside Station welcomed the return of passengers on December 31, just in time for New Year’s Eve celebrations.
The stations are back in action after an 11-month closure for major construction works as part of the Station Accessibility Upgrade Program.
While trains are already stopping at the stations, construction on additional upgrade features and finishing touches will continue in early 2025.
Due to inclement weather conditions and the added impact of the complex site
geography, Banyo station’s reopening was been postponed to early 2025. Heavy rain impacted construction, with South East Queensland experiencing its wettest December in nearly 15 years.
Buranda Station will also reopen mid2025, as planned.
Queensland Rail thanked its customers
for their patience while the accessibility improvements at Lindum, Morningside, Banyo and Buranda stations go on.
The association said upgrading the rail network continues to make a big difference in the lives of customers – so they can travel on Queensland Rail trains safely and without barriers.
Works on the Albury to Illabo (A2I) section of Inland Rail have begun in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, with the establishment of a site compound by Railway Street.
On January 6, Inland Rail’s construction contractor, Martinus Rail, started establishing the site compound, which will provide office space, laydown areas, staff amenities and vehicle parking.
In addition to setting up the site, the works will include surveying and environmental sampling, site clearing and earthworks,
Malcolm Clark, Inland Rail Project Director, Albury to Illabo, said this is the first step on the journey to enhance the rail line through Wagga Wagga to enable the use of doublestacked freight trains.
“The establishment of the site compound will enable contractor Martinus Rail to carry out some important early works, ahead of more significant work later in the year,” he said.
“We will do our best to minimise disruption for residents in this area and
Residents can expect to see light vehicles, heavy vehicles and plant in the area, and nearby residents may hear some constructionrelated noise. Water carts will be on site as required to control dust that would be generated by site works.
Works will only take place during the planned hours of 7am to 6pm Monday to Saturday. In the unusual event that works are required outside these construction hours, impacted neighbours will be notified in advance.
40km/h speed limit will be in place to ensure
Queensland Rail’s major train-wash upgrade has been completed and is making its own mark on the Inner City Bypass.
Queensland Rail’s Acting Head of South East Queensland Scott Cornish said the recently upgraded train-wash was equipped with state-of-the-art brushes and washing gear to tackle even the toughest grime.
“Our trains cover more than 800 kilometres of track in South East Queensland, and those kinds of trips rack up plenty of dust, dirt and other material which can sometimes leave an unsightly stain,” Cornish said.
“With half a dozen brushes weighing a tonne each and spanning up to five metres combined with high-powered jet soakers, we’re able to clean up to five trains a day, returning them to service in around 10
minutes. The trains are rinsed, which prepares them for maintenance, then acid-washed and rinsed again with a demineralising solution to leave them sparkling. As part of the upgrade, we also spruced up the staff facilities and enhanced security around the precinct.”
Cornish said the upgrade was completed with minimal disruptions to regular train operations across the 18-month period.
“The train-wash can now continue its role as one of Queensland Rail’s quietest achievers, keeping our fleet in the state our customers deserve,” he said.
While the bulk of the upgrade occurred inside the train-wash, the exterior also sports a freshen-up of its own, with a colourful mural
KiwiRail is putting the finishing touches on its summer rail upgrades, which means Wellington rail services (excluding the Wairarapa Line) are back up and running, as KiwiRail delivers an ambitious work program across the Wellington region.
Each year KiwiRail takes advantage of the quieter holiday period to temporarily close the rail network and undertake a program of critical maintenance and upgrades (known as a block of line).
KiwiRail’s Chief Capital Planning and Asset Development Officer, David Gordon, said the new year saw a successful block of line, with works so far completed to schedule.
“It has been a smooth holiday period despite the rough weather, and while we have tight deadlines to get a large amount of work done safely, we have managed to complete all the projects we set out to do, including re-signalling the entry to Wellington Railway Station,” Gordon said.
“I would like to extend my sincere thanks to our staff and contractors who give up time during the summer holiday period to get the
job done. Our thanks also extend to the people of the Wellington region – to commuters and to rail corridor neighbours – for their patience while we undertake this necessary work.”
Major works have been carried out at 17 different sites around Wellington and the Wairarapa, including new signalling and track configuration at Wellington Railway Station, upgrades at Linden and Porirua stations, track replacement between Tawa and Lindon, and Crofton Downs to Wadestown. This is in addition to bridge repairs and extensive rail maintenance work across the network.
“Meanwhile work continues on the Wairarapa Line, as we work around the clock to renew almost nine kilometres of ballast, sleepers, and rail in the Remutaka Tunnel,” added Gordon.
Metlink Acting Group Manager, Bonnie Parfitt, thanked passengers for their patience over the festive period.
“KiwiRail’s summer projects are part of the bigger picture of ongoing improvements to the rail network to improve resilience, reliability, and pave the way for future services,” Parfitt said.
“We couldn’t let the train wash have an internal overhaul but have no glow-up to show the public, so Vans the Omega’s mural ‘Step by Step’ was the perfect solution,” Cornish said.
“The artwork is unmissable on the Inner City Bypass and we hope the picturesque addition brightens the day of anyone travelling past in peak hour traffic.”
Artist Joel V Moore, also known as Vans the Omega, said the artwork paid tribute to the local area.
“I have taken a topographical view of the Normanby area and mirrored colours from the lizards and wildlife I spotted, native plants and the shape and colour of the rock formations,” Moore said.
“The line work and the details are the cross sections of the roads, the natural waterways, pathways, the train line and nearby parklands.
“I never knew trains got washed like a regular car wash – it blows my mind! To have my artwork along the side of such a unique facility is pretty wild and I hope the public enjoy all the artwork’s elements.”
The mural aims to foster community pride as part of Queensland Rail’s ongoing Positive pARTnerships Program.
“The switch from manual to computer-based signalling at Wellington Station is a big change that has gone well.
“KiwiRail train control and Metlink staff are doing a great job of working with a new system, and while we continue to monitor things over coming days, passengers are encouraged to plan ahead and keep an eye on the Metlink website or app for any updates.”
Wairarapa Line rail services resumed on February 10.
By numbers – Wellington Station Resignalling Project over Christmas:
• Up to 180 workers on site per shift at Wellington Station
• More than 20,000 hours of labour
• More than 1800 cubic metres of formation (the small stones that form the track bed)
• 6 x turnouts installed (where trains move from one track to another)
• More than 400 metres of new rail track and 200 metres of overhead line wiring
• 89-year-old signal box and control system ends – replaced with new control system.
The West Australian Government is supporting the future growth of the Bunbury and Peel region, announcing an $80 million investment to purchase two additional Australind trains.
The investment was allocated in the last Mid-year Review and will include two additional three-car Australind railcar sets.
The addition of two extra trains will provide a significant uplift in the reliability of services, as well as supporting an increase in train frequency in the future.
Premier Roger Cook spoke about the importance of this investment.
“The Bunbury and Peel region is growing strongly, and with that growth projected to continue, this is an opportune moment for us to secure the future of the Australind service,” he said.
“This investment will not only add to the reliability of the Australind service, it gives us significant scope to increase services in the future, giving residents in Peel and Bunbury more flexible travel options to and from Perth.”
Reliability of the previous Australind service was a critical issue, with replacement coaches regularly brought into service due to disruptions and maintenance issues with the ageing trains.
With the Bunbury and Peel population continuing to grow, the addition of two further trains will also allow for an increase in services in the future.
Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said with new Australind trains being built, this was an opportune moment to secure the future of this service and meet the growing need for more transport options into the South West region.
“The previous Australind service had critical issues with reliability, and these new trains will help to address that, as well as support an increase in services in the future,” she said.
Travelling through a range of Peel and
TasRail’s Locomotive Life Extension Project (LLEP) is overhauling eight 2050 and 2000 class legacy locomotives in Launceston to prolong operational life and improve service reliability and safety.
The LLEP was made possible through a $15 million investment from the Tasmanian Government. Treasurer Guy Barnett said the project is a win-win.
“Through this investment we have secured highly skilled, well-paying jobs in Northern Tasmania while also setting ourselves up for future success,” he said.
“The team at TasRail has done a fantastic job and these freshly overhauled trains now have new engines, better driver facilities and improvements to major components.”
The dedicated LLEP team completed overhaul works on two of the 2050 class locomotives in late 2024. Both have now
re-entered service to provide invaluable haulage power across the network, with a third 2050-class expected to join them by mid-2025.
“The program is enabling these locomotives to continue freighting Tasmania’s agricultural, mining and forestry products for years to come as TasRail plans ahead to transition to an even lower-emissions fleet in the future,” Barnett said.
“Through our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future we’re always looking to support and enhance our key industries – this project is a great example.”
Infrastructure Minister Kerry Vincent said that Tasmania’s rail network was a vital part of the state’s transport infrastructure.
“TasRail provides a vital, low emissions and cost-effective alternative to road transport for Tasmanian industry,” Vincent said.
South West towns, including Pinjarra, Waroona, Harvey and Bunbury, an increase in Australind services would support regional communities through more flexible and frequent services to Perth.
It would also help to boost local tourism and economies, with greater opportunity for Perth residents to take day trips into Peel and the South West.
The new Australind trains are scheduled to commence services in line with the reopening of the Armadale Train Line.
“Last year TasRail delivered over 510 million net tonne kilometres, an increase of over 25 per cent in 10 years, while maintaining a strong record of on-time service delivery.
“If we didn’t have rail in Tasmania, there would be approximately 150,000 additional large truck movements on our roads each year. That’s over 400 trucks per day. This reduces road maintenance requirements and improves safety for motorists and other road users.”
The comprehensive overhauls involve:
• Installing new engines to improve performance and reliability.
• Revamping major components such as traction motors, generators braking and control systems and locomotive wiring.
• Enhancing driver’s cabins, in consultation with TasRail’s operational team, to improve efficiency and comfort.
A new shelter, digital screen and critical security features will be installed in a $2 million upgrade of Marino Railway Station, boosting passenger safety and comfort.
Work will begin in early 2025 and include the installation of CCTV and a digital information kiosk with a 24-hour emergency help phone for passenger security.
The interactive platform screen will provide live timetable updates and visual and audio announcements designed to help passengers with visual or hearing impairments.
Tactile paving to guide people safely along the train platform will also improve accessibility at the southern stop, making it easier for everyone to catch public transport.
Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Tom Koutsantonis spoke about the project.
“More than 32,000 train trips are taken from Marino Railway Station every year, and it is absolutely crucial that passengers feel safe and comfortable when catching public transport,” he said.
“We have already upgraded lighting at the station but now, following advocacy from the community and new MP for Black Alex
“It’s so important that people feel comfortable using public transport and this upgrade will help achieve that for the thousands of passengers who use Marino station.
“Both as a community member and during my recent by-election campaign, I have heard strong feedback from residents and businesses about the station’s safety and overall appeal – and I want to again acknowledge the work of the Marino and Kingston Park Neighbourhood Watch committee for its campaign, which was instrumental in helping bring about this important outcome for our community.”
Other projects include upgrades to Ethelton Railway Station on the Outer Harbor line, with close to $10 million spent improving passenger safety and experience, while northern commuters are benefitting from a $15 million refurbishment of Ovingham Railway Station on the Gawler Line. The upgraded stations feature new platforms, shelters, security and seating.
A $4.5 million facelift of Woodlands Park Railway Station and improvements to the access ramp at Clarence Park Railway
The Intermodal Terminal Company’s new facility will bring a host of benefits to future customers in both the Victorian and national supply chains.
The recent Covid pandemic and associated constraints in global and domestic supply chains, and the related cost of living crisis, have placed a spotlight on the need for Australia to enhance the productivity and cost efficiency of its freight and logistics networks, operations and facilities.
In a boost to both the Victorian and national supply chains, the Intermodal Terminal Company (ITC), backed by Aware Super, is investing $400 million to deliver a state-of-the-art intermodal terminal and IMEX facility in the heart of Melbourne’s northern industrial zone.
Aware Real Estate, in partnership with global asset management firm Barings, is also investing $600 million to develop a major integrated industrial and logistics precinct to surround ITC’s terminal. In doing so, for the first time in Victoria, it will give tenants the benefits of co-location.
In total, this equates to a $1 billion privately-funded investment in the Victorian freight and logistics sector – one of the largest in recent history.
ITC Chair and industry leader John Fullerton said the intermodal terminal
being constructed in Melbourne’s north is progressing well, with interstate intermodal and IMEX (port shuttle) operations due to commence in late 2025.
Fullerton said intermodal terminals play a critical role in the efficient consolidation, storage and transfer of freight between rail, road and shipping, resulting in improved productivity and cost efficiency for customers in the supply chain.
“Intermodal terminal capacity that’s located where the freight is can reduce traffic congestion and road damage and improve road safety, while offering customers cost efficiency and reduced emissions,” he said.
warehousing.
The ITC intermodal terminal will be open to all third-party customers –including above-rail freight operators, freight forwarders, and regional shippers – in accordance with a best practice open access regime.
Fullerton said this is a great example of the private sector directly responding to industry and government needs in a timely and efficient manner.
“Better still, this major development for both the Victorian and national supply chains is being undertaken at no cost to either state or federal taxpayers,” he said.
Fullerton added that the future ITC terminal at Somerton is ideally located to bring Inland Rail into the heart of an existing large industrial and logistics precinct in Melbourne.
“As someone who has been deeply involved in rail freight networks and operations for decades, I’m a firm believer
that a large part of the success of the future Melbourne-Brisbane Inland Rail will depend on utilising ITC’s intermodal terminal at Somerton,” he said.
“A key premise of the future Inland Rail is to connect freight demand and volumes where they are concentrated.”
ITC Chief Executive Officer Mishkel Maharaj said the company had achieved major construction and commercial milestones in 2024, including completion of 70 per cent of the entire project, of which 85 per cent of the future Inner Terminal is now built.
“The Inner Terminal features approximately 15 hectares of terminal hardstand and six rail sidings – two standard and four dual gauges (standard and broad) – to seamlessly provide ITC customers with the flexibility to transfer freight volumes between the Victorian and Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) rail networks,” he said.
Once construction of the 45-hectare intermodal is complete, there will be more than 30 hectares of concrete terminal hardstands (equivalent to 14 Melbourne Cricket Ground AFL fields), including 15 hectares at the Outer Terminal.
“The terminal is being built to the highest quality to ensure excellence in safety, reliability and next-level efficiency in both operations and emissions,” Maharaj said.
Installation of Konecrane rail-mounted gantry cranes – which are fully electric and can regenerate energy while lifting and loading containers – at the Inner Terminal is due to start in May 2025. Electric-powered Kalmar reach stackers and specialised empty container handlers will arrive in the same month.
Workshops to service and maintain the gantry cranes and reach stackers have already been built.
Maharaj said that on the commercial front, ITC was delighted to have received
strong interest from tier one organisations. It recently entered into an agreement with respected and experienced rail freight operator Southern Shorthaul Railroad (SSR) for the provision of interstate, regional and port shuttle haulage services at the future terminal in Somerton.
“Over the past two decades, SSR has developed a strong reputation with customers in the intermodal and bulk freight sectors for safe, cost-efficient and reliable above-rail haulage operations,” he said.
Maharaj added that the future ITC terminal at Somerton is perfectly positioned in the Victorian and national supply chains, including providing future customers such as freight forwarders and regional shippers with direct access to major rail and road freight transport connections.
“The terminal’s ability to bring containers via rail directly from Port of Melbourne into the heart of an existing large industrial and logistics zone allows customers to save costs, avoid traffic congestion and lower their emissions,” he said.
Earlier this year, rail turnouts were installed, linking the intermodal terminal to the ARTC standard-gauge network which helps to service the port.
Maharaj said the intermodal terminal at Somerton provides future ITC customers with
ARTC’s vast 7500-kilometre standard-gauge interstate network and Victoria’s standardand broad-gauge metropolitan (including the dual-gauge Port Rail Shuttle Network) and regional branch lines.
“Customers can ‘pull’ imports from the port on rail, then repack and ‘push’ them back out across the country, also on rail,” he said.
“Additionally, primary producers can use the terminal as a staging area in preparation for exporting their goods and commodities to global markets via the Port of Melbourne.”
Maharaj said Victoria’s road infrastructure upgrades will enable Somerton to be a terminal for “all of Melbourne”. The Western (M80) Ring Road will connect freight from Melbourne’s west to Somerton, while the future North East Link will seamlessly connect the south east to the terminal. Somerton also enjoys direct connections to the key road freight corridors of the Hume Freeway and Craigieburn Bypass.
“This means ITC freight customers will be able to easily access the intermodal terminal by road from every direction in the Greater Melbourne Area,” he said.
Maharaj said that with freight volumes in Victoria expected to grow from 360 million tonnes a year in 2014 to nearly 900 million tonnes by 2051 – including metropolitan freight volumes that are expected to grow at an average annual rate of 2.6 per cent over the same period — the future intermodal
terminal at Somerton plugs a critical capacity gap in the state’s supply chain.
“Once operational, the ITC intermodal terminal will also provide a significant and long-term capacity boost to the Victorian rail freight network.”
CUSTOMER BENEFITS
ITC Chief Commercial Officer Julian Zeltinger said about 20 per cent of Melbourne’s containerised freight volumes – and growing – are currently delivered to the northern freight catchment, which features large-scale distribution centres, warehouses and business parks.
“Customers of the ITC will benefit from co-located warehousing at the adjacent Somerton industrial and logistics precinct, customs-bonded storage, an empty container park, and on-site facilities to wash, fumigate and repair shipping containers,” he said.
Zeltinger said ITC customers at Somerton will have the ability to co-locate with the terminal via electric transfer vehicles if they opt to be part of the new logistics precinct development.
“The terminal development is the first of its kind in Victoria, enabling the efficiencies of rail to be experienced at full potential for both importers and exporters.
“Customers say they want to use rail and this terminal gives them the ability to experience rail at its best. Within the
ITC intermodal terminal there are a total of nine rail sidings under construction to facilitate the future decoupling and loading/unloading of 600-metre port shuttle services and 1500- and 1800-metre interstate freight trains.”
Beyond the immediate terminal precinct, it is estimated there is about three million square metres of warehousing capacity already located within a seven-kilometre radius of the intermodal terminal.
ITC Chief Operating Officer Brendan Gibson said future ITC freight customers will also benefit from the environmental and social credentials of the new intermodal terminal, including helping to reduce Scope 3 emissions for end customers in the supply chain such as supermarket chains and retail businesses.
“ITC estimates the future intermodal will help remove the equivalent of 500,000 truck trips each year off already heavily congested Melbourne streets, roads, and motorways, notably in inner city suburbs surrounding the Dynon and Docklands precincts,” he said.
ITC estimates removing this number of truck trips will help reduce emissions in the traditionally hard-to-abate national supply chain to the tune of 189,000 tonnes each year: equivalent to carbon dioxide
The future ITC terminal is located where the freight is, offering customers cost efficiency and reduced emissions.
The new intermodal terminal at Somerton will assist in shifting more freight volumes from road to rail, in the process helping to boost productivity, reduce traffic congestion, vehicle emissions, and road accidents and damage in national and state transport networks.
ITC Chief Development Officer Leigh Cook
Melbourne’s north, close to Somerton.
“Furthermore, the first phase of operations of the new intermodal will employ 60 to 70 highly trained and skilled workers, including freight train crews, terminal operators, and maintenance and administration staff.
“ITC will also establish a training school focused on locals from Melbourne’s north to ITC has big plans for its state-of-the-art facility.
MTR is leveraging its position in urban areas to grow communities around stations.
MTR is an operator of sustainable rail transport services across the globe. With over 45 years of railway project experience, the company offers end-toend expertise spanning design, planning, construction, commissioning, maintenance, and operations.
Beyond railway delivery, MTR creates communities through the seamless integration of rail, commercial, and property development. Employing over 50,000 staff, MTR serves more than 10 million passenger journeys daily across Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Australia, and Mainland China.
Its innovative Rail + Property (R+P) model drives a commitment to sustainable finance and responsible environmental stewardship and is one of the key factors of its success.
At the heart of MTR’s vision is the aspiration to keep cities moving sustainably. This strategy not only ensures long-term
financial sustainability but also plays a pivotal role in shaping vibrant, lowcarbon, and well-connected communities. By integrating rail systems with urban development, MTR enhances the quality of urban life while reducing reliance on public resources.
MTR’s successful R+P model is a unique approach that integrates property development with railway expansion. Under this model, MTR is granted development rights for land near stations or depots along railway routes.
MTR then builds the new rail line and partners with private developers –selected through a tender process – to build properties.
MTR shares in the profits from these developments. By capturing the increase
in land and property value once the new railway lines are completed, MTR generates funds to finance railway construction, as well as ongoing operations and maintenance.
This model effectively leverages the economic value of property development to bridge funding gaps for the construction and operation of new rail lines, allowing MTR to deliver efficient and reliable transportation systems while minimising the financial burden on public resources.
The model also optimises land use, transforming underutilised areas into mixed-use developments that combine residential, commercial, and recreational spaces. This holistic approach enhances quality of life while securing revenue streams for MTR to fund future railway projects and upgrades.
MTR’s R+P model has been successfully applied to several flagship projects that
demonstrate its impact on sustainable urban development, including the Kowloon Station development in Hong Kong.
Seamless connectivity, convenience and comfort are hallmarks of the landmark development – a mixed-use community with gross area of more than one million square metres.
The station was built with two underground levels providing separate platforms for the Airport Express and Tung Chung railway lines. The site is located in a prime area of Hong Kong and the highspeed rail terminus is just a short walk away, providing the fastest connections into Mainland China.
Kowloon Station has three levels of station concourses including in-town check-in facilities for airport travellers and a luxury shopping space. Passenger flow has been prioritised to maximise the efficiency of the station.
All static functions including housing, offices and hotels are accessible from the station podium level while dynamic functions, which include transportation and retail, are located beneath the podium level.
The topside development was divided into seven packages and completed phase by phase over 10 years due to the project scale, construction complexity, vertical multiplicity and property market at the time.
A total of about 6500 residential units, one super-tall skyscraper – the international
commerce centre – and two five-star hotels are all situated on top of Kowloon Station.
Another landmark project was the LOHAS (Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability) Park in Tseung Kwan O New Town, one of nine new towns in Hong Kong built mainly on reclaimed land. LOHAS Park has a gross area of 1.6 million square metres on a 33-hectare site, comprising 50 residential towers, a 45,000-square-metre shopping centre, with community facilities including schools, transport interchange, and extensive landscaped open space.
All facilities in the LOHAS design are seamlessly connected by a pedestrian
network featuring covered, sheltered, and barrier-free walkways. Residents can access all facilities within pedestrian zones without needing to cross any roads.
About 40 per cent of the land is dedicated to open spaces and green areas, with 3000 trees planted trees in the park. This lush, green site will feature a 2000 square metre Central Park, which will be developed and managed by MTR.
In addition to these two flagship projects, the Southside, with a gross area of approximately 400,000 square metres, comprises a lifestyle shopping mall and a six-phase property development located atop the MTR Wong Chuk Hang Depot and adjacent to Wong Chuk Hang Station.
Upcoming developments such as Tuen Mun South Station and the Northern Link will continue to leverage the R+P model.
Revenue from MTR’s property rental, management, and development businesses remains a critical source of funding for railway construction and maintenance, reinforcing a safe, reliable, and sustainable transport system.
“MTR’s Rail + Property model exemplifies how innovative urban planning and transport systems can work hand-in-hand to create sustainable, vibrant cities,” said Raymond Yuen, MTR’s CEO of Australian Business.
“By leveraging property development to fund railway expansion, MTR not only ensures financial sustainability but also transforms urban landscapes into thriving, low-carbon communities.
“As global cities continue to confront challenges of climate change and urbanisation, MTR’s Rail + Property model stands as a crucial driver for a smarter, greener urban development. MTR is eager to share its expertise with Australian communities and others around the world.”
The team at Siemens Mobility believes signalling needs to be upgraded now to prepare for the future.
Keeping pace with signalling technology requires investment. Even though passengers may not see it directly, they will experience the benefits in their day-to-day travels.
Thanks to the robust design of technology, there are longstanding signalling systems across rail networks in Australia and New Zealand.
While not ‘broken’, these systems require significant and complex investments of time, cost, and effort to upgrade and remain reliable, despite their age, at a time when investment budgets are shrinking.
However, early adoption and investment is necessary for managing obsolescence and interoperability, across existing networks, jurisdictions, and future infrastructure development.
In the mid-19th century, Australian railway signalling relied on basic mechanical systems such as semaphores and hand signals. Due to recurring accidents, semaphore signals were eventually replaced in the early 20th century by mechanical lever frames, which controlled the signals via cables, centralising signalling operation locally and improving safety.
As railway networks grew in complexity, electromechanical signalling systems emerged in the early to mid 20th century, followed by early electronic signalling systems.
These systems leveraged technology advancements and electrical components for remote control and automation, significantly
enhancing safety and efficiency.
From the late 20th century to the present, digital communication technologies have enabled the creation of digitalised signalling systems.
Unlike electronic interlockings with limited control distances, digital interlockings rely on Internet Protocol (IP)-based communication, allowing unlimited control distances and more modular system architectures.
This flexibility in system design, combined with real-time monitoring and preventive maintenance, improves system availability and safety across the rail network. The introduction of digital interlocking technology has further enhanced train management and interoperability between different national railway networks, all while increasing network capacity and efficiency.
Older signalling systems with ageing infrastructure and a shortage of skills and historical knowledge are critical concerns, with some signalling systems that are either outdated or nearing end of life.
Obsolescence management results in increased maintenance costs, lack of spare parts, and potential system failures, while producing risks due to not meeting safety standards.
The team at Siemens Mobility’s Port Melbourne site has dedicated experts to help maintain obsolete equipment – including a
386 computer from the 1980s – to support systems that use older technology.
The limitations of older signalling systems are becoming more apparent as the technology becomes unavailable and the people who have maintained them retire.
Safety is a priority for rail network operators and suppliers. Upgrading to modern systems with higher safety levels can ensure risks such as signal failures, train collisions, and derailments are mitigated.
Rail operators both in Australia and around the world are realising the need and benefits of implementing digital and cloud-based signalling system solutions.
Benefits can include increased capacity and efficiency, reduced costs due to centralising data and operations, adaptability and flexibility for management and optimisation – which is crucial for handling the increasing demands for rail transport. Most importantly, it assists with improving the passenger experience with real-time information that can provide more reliable services.
Siemens Mobility has supported the industry on modernising rail networks worldwide through technologies such as the European Train Control System (ETCS), Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC), Distributed Smart Safe System (DS3) and their latest innovation Signalling X, which the rail technology provider launched at Innotrans in 2024, that can produce significant benefits, potentially raising safety levels even higher and increasing efficiency.
In recent years, digitalisation has driven the advancements in signalling. By moving signalling infrastructure to the cloud, rail operators can reap benefits, including less network cabling, less equipment and reduced lifecycle costs. There are also innovative opportunities such as combining multiple interlockings into one, or potentially having one interlocking for the entire country.
An instrumental building block for making this transition possible is DS3, which stands for ‘Distributed Safe, Smart System’. It can be run on commercial off-the-shelf hardware, meaning multiple applications can be hosted on the same hardware and software can be updated remotely, providing a lean migration of existing systems.
As far as safety is concerned, rail infrastructure applications on the DS3 platform correspond to Safety Integrity Level four (SIL4), the highest level of safety integrity, while also protecting critical infrastructure from cyber threats (Security Level 3).
Data availability can be secured by geographic redundancies, ensuring that centralised signalling systems remain operational even in the event of location fallouts, hardware failures, or other disruptions.
Rail operations and networks ultimately profit from optimised safety, greater availability, Automatic Train Operation (ATO)enabled punctuality, and improved total cost of ownership.
An example of nationwide signalling system implementation is in Norway. Siemens Mobility was awarded the country-wide ETCS project for Norway as part of a broader initiative to enhance rail infrastructure.
This involves equipping new and retrofitting existing routes or sections with ETCS-level 2 across the 4,200 kilometres of track and 375 stations in Norway. The project, which will be completed in 2034, aims to increase safety, punctuality, and capacity, allowing for more efficient and reliable train operations.
One of the first lines to benefit from the new technology was the Gjøvik Line North, which began operating with the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) technology in November 2022.
This upgrade is one of the largest digitisation projects in Norway’s railway history and is expected to significantly modernise the country’s rail infrastructure.
As a leading global provider of transportation solutions, Siemens Mobility is at the forefront of developing innovative train signalling systems, bringing the future to customers now.
The solution to mitigating the current risks of older signalling systems and increasing reliability lies in transitioning to more advanced technology, such as digital and cloud-based signalling. The benefits of such an upgrade would be vast, offering
opportunities to improve system performance, reduce costs, improve compliance with evolving industry standards and enhance operational flexibility.
The evolution of rail signalling technology presents critical opportunities for Australia and New Zealand to modernise the rail networks. By investing in signalling systems and moving towards more advanced technological solutions, rail operators can future-proof rail networks and improve reliability and efficiency, providing maximised network capacity and system availability of up to 100 per cent across the entire rail network.
The National Rail Action Plan (NRAP) supports this focus on interoperability and digital signalling, aiming to create a unified and efficient rail system across the nation.
To support this investment, the network infrastructure to support the digitalisation of the rail industry needs to be implemented.
As an industry, Australia and New Zealand have embarked on the journey to modernise railway signalling, taking inspiration and lessons from international projects like Norway’s nationwide digital signalling project. Continued and ongoing investment is crucial. Even if passengers may not immediately notice the changes, stakeholders across the rail network will reap the benefits of advanced signalling technology that will ultimately improve system performance, reliability, and operational efficiency.
As Queensland gears up for the 2032 Olympics, Martinus plays a vital role in ensuring the state’s rail infrastructure is ready to meet growing demands.
Queensland is in the middle of a rail transformation with the Cross River Rail nearing completion, direct Sunshine Coast Line out for tender and Logan and Gold Coast Faster Rail all set to begin construction.
Along for this journey has been full-service railway infrastructure company Martinus.
Martinus crews have been hard at work installing new turnouts and track at Queensland Rail’s Mayne Yard – the main stabling and maintenance precinct in the heart of Brisbane.
These upgrades are essential for supporting the growth of the rail network for projects including the Cross River Rail.
Cross River Rail is a new 10.2 kilometre rail line that includes 5.9 kilometres of twin tunnels running under the Brisbane River
and CBD; with new underground stations at Boggo Road, Woolloongabba, Albert Street and Roma Street.
Martinus has hundreds of employees currently based in Queensland, according to General Manager of Major Projects Travis Rawling.
“We have teams delivering the Loganlea Station Relocation Project, track construction for Cross River Rail, maintenance and upgrade teams supporting Queensland Rail and Aurizon, not to mention Australia’s largest fleet of specialised rail plant is overseen from our internal plant department at Rocklea,” he said.
“Our team is growing by the day at the moment, and our national approach to making sure we get the best resources to
the right location means we have a number of the Queensland-based teams working interstate on some of the rail industry’s most significant projects.”
Martinus is well-equipped to handle major projects across South East Queensland and throughout the rest of the state.
The organisation owns and maintains its own plant and equipment out of Rocklea, south of the Brisbane CBD, allowing it to mobilise to meet the demands of largescale projects.
This capability is crucial in a city where 72 per cent of Queensland’s total population resides and rail infrastructure is becoming increasingly important.
To assist with the needs of the state moving forward, Martinus has also
Construction committed to bringing in team members with the knowledge and expertise to help the company thrive.
James Leach is the new Project Director for Queensland and has more than 30 years of experience behind him.
“I started work for British Rail in June 1988. I worked in the track renewals and then the maintenance divisions in southeast London – this gave me a solid rail background,” he said.
“From 1988 to 1995 it was an interesting time to be working for British Rail as it was the time of privatisation, as well as the introduction of a new fleet of domestic passenger trains and the new Eurostar trains onto the network in southeast London and Kent.
“After the privatisation of British Rail, I worked for numerous contractors on the rail infrastructure of the Croydon Tramlink, Dockland Light Railway, London Underground and the national network, formerly managed by British Rail. I moved to New Zealand in 2001 and spent 23 years living there – with a couple of short stints in Australia – working for various companies, where my career was split approximately 50/50 between rail and general infrastructure construction.”
Leach moved into areas including risk management, bid management and business development, which eventually led to a role as General Manager and a member of numerous Alliance Leadership Teams.
“I was approached by Martinus to assist them in becoming established in New Zealand in early 2021 – they had a few projects and were doing quite well, but they needed someone to elevate their profile at an executive and governmental level. I moved to Queensland late 2024 with a view
to winning and delivering some iconic rail projects here in the remaining 10 to 15 years of my career,” he said.
“I knew the guys that were running Martinus in New Zealand, as well as a lot of the wider staff, so it didn’t take much convincing to join the team.”
Many years in leadership have allowed Leach to hone his skills in this role, but he said the key to his leadership is to lead by example.
“I would not ask anyone to undertake a task or duty that I would not do myself,” he said.
“I have safety at the forefront of my leadership style, and I have always encouraged my people to call me out on any aspect of my behaviour or actions that could be deemed ‘below the line’.
“I am not a micro-manager – I empower my people to undertake their duties, and I
can be a hard slog, with people working long hours with stressful deadlines, so a sense of being all in it together and a sense of humour are vital for success, in my book.”
Rawling explained that bringing Leach on board to lead the Queensland team is a clear sign from Martinus that it is preparing for large-scale works in the state in the near future.
Queensland’s population is growing rapidly, with the southeast of the state forecast to grow from 3.8 million people to more than six million in the next 20 to 25 years.
These factors are driving the investment in infrastructure in the state, particularly in the southeast, providing a solid long-term pipeline of work for infrastructure companies such as Martinus.
Games provides an opportunity for a once-ina-generational investment in infrastructure for a city and the surrounding regions, providing for both the games themselves and a long-lasting legacy for the community.
From the upgrades and construction of stadiums,facilities and athlete villages to the required supporting travel and other infrastructure construction and development, we as a state have a lot to do to be ready for 2032.
“Martinus is ready to support these developments, as we are supporting Queensland’s growth through our existing projects, and we await the outcome of the new state government’s 100-day review which, amongst other things, is tasked with identifying critical transport projects that could be constructed prior to the Olympic Games to align with long-term mobility and transport strategies.”
Leach explained that his aim for Martinus is to grow the team in Queensland, and he believes the organisation has the pipeline of future work to do so.
“With our uniquely flexible offering to clients, combined with our ‘can do’ attitude and largely self-performing project ethos, Martinus has the opportunity to establish ourselves in Queensland as the premier rail construction contractor,” he said.
“We will keep delivering for our clients and always remember that you are only as good as your last job.”
Rawling echoed a similar sentiment when speaking about what the future has in store in Queensland.
“I see the future in Queensland as being an exciting time, filled with huge growth opportunity, with both clients and contractors working collaboratively to deliver critical infrastructure required to meet the needs of the growing region,” he said.
“I believe, here in Queensland, we
“While different network owners, operators and regions have their own unique attributes and qualities, they actually have a number of similarities. I suppose that’s the benefit of being exclusively rail-focused with a team of experienced rail industry experts – we understand where the opportunities and risks lie, and that enables us to continually support our clients in delivering a safe, reliable and sustainable rail network.”
While Martinus is well established in Queensland, the company is prepared to lean on the experience across the business to support the team in the state.
“Working in rail construction requires a mobile staff and the ability to move people and plant around the country, to wherever a project might be. Often the projects are not in areas with the most basic facilities,” Leach said.
“While the emphasis is currently around Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast, I have started to look further afield at opportunities further north and inland where there is also a pipeline of opportunities for a rail specialist construction contractor such as Martinus.
“Delivering projects in remote locations is obviously very different to working in an urban environment but Martinus has specialist teams currently delivering such projects in other states so we would bring that model here.”
Rawling shares the idea that the business needs to be prepared to expand its work in Queensland.
“I expect, like other previous industry boom periods I’ve seen both here and internationally, that limitations associated with the size of the available resource pool will be a challenge we need to overcome,”
“At Martinus, our hands-on leadership and corporate agility ensures decisions can happen quickly, ensuring opportunities are realised whilst the window is still open. We have the ability to mobilise teams quickly to where they are needed most, drawing on local, interstate and international capability and knowledge.”
While leaning on the whole business for its experience, the company’s understanding of working with relevant stakeholders will also be vital, according to Leach.
“The involvement of stakeholders is of vital importance to the overall success of our projects and, as such, we always seek to proactively engage with the local communities and other affected parties,” he said.
“We are partnering, and will continue to partner, with established Queensland-based businesses and help them to grow as we do, to ensure that the entire supply chain is ready to meet the needs of this rapidly growing state.”
Rawling explained that this stakeholder engagement strategy is something the business has honed over the journey.
“Developing and nurturing respectful and productive relationships with local stakeholders is key to any successful project,” he said.
“In the earlier days a number of our projects were based in more regional and remote locations, where we refined our authentic and open approach to stakeholder engagement. There’s not much time for any sugar-coating when dealing with a local land owner or an earthworks subcontractor in regional areas of northern Queensland.
“As our project portfolio has evolved to include more urban-based projects, our approach is still based on these foundational ideas.”
The West Australian Government has begun discussions to bring the state’s rail network under its management.
The Western Australian Government will commence negotiations to bring the state’s freight rail network, operated by Arc Infrastructure for the past 25 years, back into government hands.
The freight rail network was privatised in 2000, but with key Western Australian industries growing significantly in recent years, particularly record grain harvests, the demands on the network are at all-time highs.
Under the existing lease agreement, which has another 24 years to run, the Western Australian Government has little capacity to directly support key industries that make use of the state’s freight rail network or deliver important policy objectives.
Premier Roger Cook spoke about plans to bring the rail back under state control.
“This is all about supporting our plans to diversify our economy, unlock future local jobs and retain Western Australia’s economy as the strongest for future generations,” he said. “Supporting the growth
of our critical industries is a key priority for our government and bringing freight rail back into public hands is a key way we can do that. The demands on the state’s freight rail network have grown significantly and we want to make sure we’re moving as much by rail to and from our ports as possible.
“Rail is the most efficient way of moving our goods to and from the ports, and with greater control, we can ensure government investment promotes better use of the network.”
Greater public control would allow for greater and more targeted government investment according to the West Australian Government, and increase usage of the freight rail network, delivering significant benefits including:
• increasing the use of the rail network to meet the demand being driven by new resource projects and growth in output from the agriculture sector, supporting future Western Australian jobs;
• improved safety on roads, by reducing the amount of trucks;
• cost savings for industry through more efficient movement of grain and commodities to and from the state’s ports, to ensure Western Australia remains globally competitive;
• ability to improve the frequency and journey times for regional rail services, like the Australind, with the government able to upgrade tracks, and build passing loops;
• greater flexibility for regional communities, who have been prohibited and limited in relation to what activities they can undertake in close proximity to rail corridors;
• greater involvement and potential partnerships with local businesses; and
• more oppor tunities for tourism investment, particularly tracks that are underutilised or under care and maintenance.
Recently the government conducted an Engineering Review Report to understand what needs to be done to bring some of the state’s Tier 3 grain lines back to operational condition after they had lay disused for a
“This is all about supporting our plans to diversify our economy, unlock future local jobs and retain WA’s economy as the strongest for future generations.”
Premier Roger Cook
number of years. Engineering assessment estimates $1 billion cost to fully restore the region’s Tier 3 rail network.
A submission to have agricultural freight transport network issues listed in Infrastructure Australia’s (IA) Priority List has been lodged. If successful, further work will be undertaken including an options analysis assessing Tier 1, 2 and 3 rail networks.
The options assessment will consider broader costs and benefits to government and industry, along with any associated private infrastructure upgrades required and the likelihood of the lines being used.
The IA submission further progresses the strategic planning that has already taken place to improve freight productivity
Agricultural Region Freight (RARF) Strategy in June, 2020.
The State Government has written to the current rail operator Arc Infrastructure to advise of the intention to enter negotiations to return the freight rail network back to public hands.
Government will progress negotiations with Arc Infrastructure and will make a final decision if it is economically and financially responsible to do so.
Arc Infrastructure declined to comment to Rail Express.
The Director General of Transport will
options, including a staged return to public ownership.
Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said some of the state’s biggest industries are seeking to increase their usage of freight rail to move goods, and the State Government wants to support that.
“Rail is critical to a more efficient freight network, and it also means less trucks on roads, which is something local communities are always calling for,” she said.
“This is not an easy process, but necessary to support future job creation and the ongoing prosperity of our state.”
Ricardo
has established itself as a major supporter of the local rail industry in Australia and is leveraging its global expertise to better support its move to decarbonise.
Australia and New Zealand to more than 750 clients across the public and private sectors. Ricardo’s team of consultants, environmental specialists, engineers and scientists have collectively been working in the rail industry for decades.
Ricardo was founded in 1915 to maximise efficiency and eliminate waste. It now serves 24 countries and has close to 3000 employees. In Australia, the team grew from 200 to 300 employees in 2025 following the recent acquisition of E3 Advisory, a leading infrastructure advisory firm.
Jorge Martin Gistau is the Manager of Sustainable Transport for Ricardo in Australia and New Zealand and has been with the organisation for seven years.
Martin Gistau grew up in Spain, studying engineering at the university in his home country and Germany before migrating to Australia in 2011. He completed an Executive MBA in 2022 at the Australian Graduate
School of Management in Chicago, US. He worked in the private sector in Australia before moving across to Sydney Trains and then Ricardo.
Martin Gistau maintains an active role in learning more about supporting rail and its decarbonisation efforts. He is a board member of the South Australian hydrogen technology cluster (SA-H2H) and was a member of the Australasian Railway Association (ARA) Young Leaders Advisory board (Y-LAB) for two years. He continues to support ARA by being a member of the Sustainability Committee and the Rolling Stock Decarbonisation Working Group.
When joining Ricardo, Martin Gistau entered the rail business unit, one of the company’s largest units.
“We are a global strategic, environmental and engineering consultancy that operates in the intersection between transport, energy and global climate agendas,” Martin
Gistau said. “We have expertise in mobility, along with energy and sustainability. For those working in the transport space we can provide a solution that they are looking for.
“We have done a lot of work in the decarbonisation of buses, heavy vehicles and even transitioning to hydrogen vehicles with the Toyota Hilux in the United Kingdom. The lessons we learn from these industries can help us in supporting the growth of the rail industry in Australia.”
Martin Gistau and the team at Ricardo have worked closely with a range of stakeholders in Australia to assist the decarbonisation journey.
In South Australia the organisation worked with the state’s Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT) to begin the renewal process of its rolling stock by understanding the viability of sustainable options such as electric, battery-electric or hydrogen fuelcell trains.
In 2022, Ricardo was chosen to prepare a detailed feasibility and technology study for the Belair, Outer Harbor and Grange rail lines. The study was used to guide the DIT’s decisions over the renewal program for the routes.
Martin Gistau explained that Ricardo looks closely at the existing train operations and then establishes which technology options the client could utilise to meet the gap they may see in their decarbonisation efforts.
“You could have more than 10 different technologies you could choose from, and it is about establishing which technology is the best fit for each application,” he said.
“From that point, we continue working on the strategic business case adding in financial and economic modelling to support these significant investments. That can particularly help governments setting up budgets and working to secure funding.
“Once funding is secured, we work with the client through the tender phase and help develop technical specifications to go to market. We work with them all the way through to testing and commissioning.”
Martin Gistau said Ricardo will often work on a project from the very early stages all the way to completion and any part in between. He went on to explain the methodology
“As a company, we are technology agnostic and therefore, we consider a range of net zero technologies such as alternative fuels, hydrogen, battery electric, and full electrification,” he said.
“Technology is evolving quickly, and we can see different trends coming up in countries around the world. It is important we do not get tied down to one form of technology so we can provide the right solution for any challenge.
“This is the benefit of a company like Ricardo that offers support across the entire value chain and is exposed to global projects and markets. We are uniquely positioned to offer comprehensive support to international clients, providing policy and regulatory advice, including insights into the environmental impacts of products and the supply chain.”
The challenge in rail, Martin Gistau explained, is that every organisation or government entity is different and faces unique challenges.
“Different entities are at different maturity levels in the sense of decarbonisation and sustainability,” he said.
“We support our clients by immersing ourselves in the organisation we are working with. For example, I recently moved to Adelaide to support a client in South Australia and on other projects we have had team members move into offices of clients to again, provide that embedded resource.”
Ricardo also leans heavily on its international experience to support the local rail sector. Martin Gistau said that often a problem that someone in Australia is currently facing has occurred overseas so the organisation can take those learnings and bring it to the local sector.
“On this project in South Australia I worked closely with the team in the United Kingdom (UK) as they had delivered similar projects in the UK and Latvia,” he said. “It is very much a strength of Ricardo, that we can lean on this vast international network that has worked on
taking every opportunity to learn and improve what is being offered to the industry.”
The company prides itself on being more than just a consulting organisation, recently expanding its hydrogen test facility at its headquarters in Shoreham-by-Sea, UK.
Delivering state-of-the-art test and advanced development capabilities in both alternative fuels and electric vehicles, the facility will increase the range of hydrogen and fuel cell services and solutions delivered to Ricardo’s global customers.
Martin Gistau is also a board member at the SA-H2H.
“Our goal at SA-H2H is to bring together the best in South Australia to accelerate the global hydrogen supply chain and to
delivery hydrogen supply chain scale in South Australia. At Ricardo, we are proud of being able to support this transition alongside other SA-H2H members.
“On a personal note, it is a privilege and an honour to be a board member of an organisation which is driving the industry towards decarbonisation. It is always rewarding when you are part of an organisation that is aligned with your personal values and motivations.”
Martin Gistau believes Australia is in a unique position to make this sustainable transition. He noted a recent report released in June by the Australasian Railway Association titled The critical path to decarbonise Australia’s rail rollingstock, which stated that 50 per cent of the rolling stock in the country will need to be replaced within the next eight to 13 years.
Martin Gistau said that as technology develops it will be ready to meet the changing needs of the industry as required.
“I believe in Australia it will not be one size fits all, it will be a combination of different technologies including hydrogen, other alternative fuels, battery-electric and electrification.
“We will continue to study the different technologies as they develop to deliver solutions for the industry.”
“We are taking every opportunity to learn and improve what is being offered to the industry.”
Martin Gistau, Manager of Sustainable Transport
The Monash Institute of Railway Technology is celebrating its 25th birthday, commemorating its relocation to Monash University.
Originally established in 1972 as BHP Melbourne Research Laboratories (MRL), the Monash Institute of Railway Technology (IRT) is Australia’s leading track and vehicle railway research centre.
The institute has an international reputation for excellence in translational railway research.
Monash IRT is known for delivering projects that have reduced operating and capital costs, lowered greenhouse emissions and decreased the carbon footprint of the railway industry.
Professor Ravi Ravitharan, Director of Institute of Railway Technology at Monash University, said his team will continue to address the evolving challenges of railways,
to ensure a sustainable and efficient railway system for generations to come.
“We’re honoured to celebrate this milestone at Monash University, where we have pioneered research, innovation and collaborations to advance the railway industry,” Professor Ravitharan said.
“We started with a team of 10 – now we have 70 railway experts who have completed over 700 projects worldwide, collaborating with over 170 railway entities.
“As Monash IRT looks to the future, we remain committed to working closely with industry, government and academic stakeholders to advance the railway industry through innovative research, education and training.”
Professor Ravitharan reflected on the past 25 years and what the institute has achieved for the industry.
“It has been rewarding to see the institute grow from a team of ten in 2000, to establishing itself as Australia’s leading track and vehicle railway research centre, with an international reputation for excellence in translational railway research,” he said.
“The Monash IRT team’s varied technical capabilities, experience, skillset, and backgrounds have enabled it to deliver innovative research and consultancies relevant to international and national railway stakeholder requirements.
“Globally recognised researchers, academics and practitioners are also collaborating as Rail Research Associates with the Monash IRT team, enabling it to provide whole of industry solutions to the expanding needs of railway advancement.”
Professor Mike Ryan, Interim Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) and Senior Vice President at Monash University, added:
“Monash IRT has led the way in developing advanced technologies and methodologies for the railway industry.
“Whether it’s implementing the worldleading Instrumented Vehicle Systems, or
working with large partners like the Hong Kong MTR Corporation, Rio Tinto and Australian Rail Track Corporation to maximise their efficiencies, Monash IRT has built strong partnerships to drive impactful change,” said Professor Ryan.
“This reflects what Monash does so well: partnering with industry, community and governments, nationally and internationally, to enable us to produce exceptional, responsible research with real-world impact.”
Professor Ravitharan went on to explain the importance of the research institute, saying that it offers railway operators, and others in the supply chain, opportunities to directly engage with subject matter experts.
“Monash IRT offers a unique position for the railway industry, where dedicated railway researchers in a top-tier, publiclyowned tertiary institution work closely with industry partners to identify and develop opportunities for improvements across a broad range of railway disciplines,” he said.
“Monash IRT also offers the railway industry education and training opportunities to build knowledge and overall skillsets on advanced technologies. The nature of engagement between Monash IRT and railway industry partners is varied,
providing confidential and discrete support, to embedding novel technologies and processes developed by IRT within their railway operations.
“Monash IRT is leading the way in multidisciplinary research around Australia’s ageing population and reduced mobility on railways. World class experts from the broader Monash University academic and research community are developing potential solutions for operators to make improvements to accessibility on public transport.”
Professor Ravitharan said the institute is now looking to the future.
In addition to its industry partners and government collaborations, Monash IRT has initiated a new network where five universities actively involved in railway research in Australia will work together. The aim is to identify and deliver critical railway research and innovation necessary for the future of Australia’s railways, and to advance an associated national rail manufacturing sector.
Professor Ravitharan said research to support operators and governments to improve rail safety at level crossings is now ongoing. This will include a low-cost non-
visibility and behaviour when approaching railway level crossings.
Other research is focusing on the use of high-strength recycled plastics in railways, such as repurposed rail sleepers and tram stops, diverting millions of tons of waste plastics from landfill into reusable sustainable products for railways.
Monash IRT also supports Federal and State Government initiatives including the National Rail Action Plan, the National Rail Manufacturing Plan and high-speed rail.
Australia faces a challenge around a lack of interoperability between rail networks. It’s a challenge the industry is working towards
believes Monash IRT can support.
“Improvements achieved through a national approach to interoperability will ensure greater consistency across railway operations, which is essential for the digitalisation and modernisation of the rail system,” he said.
“It will enable greater flexibility in operations, increase passenger and freight capacity, up-scale rolling stock manufacturing and procurement, and support, through research, development and innovation, seamless type approvals for new and improved railway products and the associated training required for advanced railway system.
transportation to become more seamless and provide significant economic benefits to the nation.
“Vehicle-track interactions is one of the key considerations to achieve seamless interoperability, particularly when new railway infrastructure is built and/or new rolling stock is purchased.”
Monash IRT experts have contributed to national standards development and the improvements made across various railway disciplines. The research outcomes have influenced and enabled the development of current standards related to various railway components and practices.
A tunnel boring machine (TBM) team unique to Melbourne, and the world, will set the precedent for diversifying the construction industry moving forward.
The Victorian Government will make history by recruiting the first ever all-female tunnel boring machine (TBM) team during construction of the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL).
The transport and urban planning project will set the scene for the world-first team which will be led by the first female TBM pilot in the world, Isolde Piet, SRL East Tunnels South Construction Manager.
It has been 26 years since Piet found her way into the construction industry, beginning her career as a civil engineer in the Netherlands.
Almost three decades later, after working in a multitude of roles across multiple million-dollar projects in several different countries, she said she’s looking forward to helping this group of women begin their own stories. “I hope that we leave a legacy at the end of this project, where they can
transition into other projects that will have a lasting legacy on their careers,” Piet said.
There is capacity for about 25 highly skilled roles on the team, including the TBM operator, gantry and segment crane operators, grouters and support roles. It will be one of eight crews operating four TBMs digging the SRL East twin tunnels between Melbourne suburbs Cheltenham and Glen Waverley.
SRL is a 90-kilometre orbital rail line that will help transform the way Melbourne grows, improving travel efficiency for more than 80 per cent of Melburnians by taking more than 600,000 cars off the roads every day.
With the TBMs launching in 2026, Piet said there is plenty of time to run a thorough recruitment
process and find the best of the best for the demanding roles.
“It will be a very physical job, so we need to look for the right people for the right roles, because above anything else we want them to succeed,” Piet said.
“We want to give them the opportunity to present themselves, and the best way to get in to the team is to show your drive for the industry.”
Her advice to other women looking to break into the industry is to, first and foremost, stay true to personal passions, which will be clear to recruiters.
“When applying for any job, it needs to be something that you want to be doing on a day-to-day basis.
“The fact that it’s an industry that doesn’t have a lot of women in it should not be a barrier for women. I believe that females are just as capable as males in that space, they should just go for it and don’t think too much on the ‘what if’ scenarios.”
Piet said regardless of gender, everybody in the TBM crew will have to prove themselves equally due to the demanding nature of roles.
“Contenders are always going to have to prove themselves and demonstrate they can do the role, I wouldn’t say it is different for males and females,” she said.
“However, I would say there is some bias within the industry with the existing crew, where you do feel like you have something to prove. Because ultimately, they do see you as different.
“But that is something that will change over time.”
The all-female TBM team is a necessary step forward in
diversifying the construction industry, which Piet said would help to accelerate change.
“When I started 26 years ago, the balance was the same as it is today, which proves that the process is moving very slowly,” she said.
“Developing this concept is fast-tracking the diversification process because it will create a platform for females to enter the industry.
‘If you want to hire for experience, there is not much out there. By giving women a platform to succeed, we’re also diversifying and strengthening the employment pool.”
The team will focus on on-the-job training and equipping women with transferrable skills that they can use throughout the industry.
Piet said this would create a group of females with differing levels
of experience and seniority who will be able to walk away at the end of the project to continue in other projects.
“If we get this group out there, we hope that moving forward the process of getting a better balance will move faster,” she said.
“This experience should take away the barrier for others to enter the industry and show that it is actually better for everyone to have a mixed gender workforce.”
This will be Piet’s first time with an all-female TBM crew; however, it will not be her first time working with TBMs.
Piet’s prior job titles have included Junior Engineer, Senior Engineer, Project Manager, Construction Manager and TBM Pilot. She recently contributed to early works for the North East Link in Melbourne, where she worked with micro TBMs for pipe jacking
and trenching. Overseas, Piet has a wide range of civil engineering experience including in the Netherlands and Turkey.
It was back in Holland, during high school, that Piet discovered she was interested in pursuing a civil engineering career.
“The whole concept of building big things that are going to be there for the next 50 or 100 years or more and having the ability to improve your living environment was appealing to me,” she said.
Years later during a study trip to Japan, Piet visited an underground site for the first time, reinforcing her passion for construction.
“Before that, I didn’t really have a concept of what tunnelling would look like,” she said.
“Having different disciplines and groups of people with differing backgrounds working together to deliver one common goal to build one thing is what attracted me.
“So ever since then, I’ve been following jobs where I can do some of those works.”
In Holland, Piet worked on a range of sites demonstrating conventional cut and cover techniques, TBM tunnelling and precast
segments for tunnelling. Landing her first gig as a TBM pilot on the high-speed rail tunnel in Holland was a combination of persistence, courage and knowledge.
“I was already working on the project as a site engineer where I worked on the launch shaft,” she said.
“I then transitioned to an office-based role for the tunnelling team, where I gained experience by learning on the ground for close to a year.
“This gives a person an understanding of how the machines work, as well as the intrinsic knowledge about all the concepts to build a tunnel.”
It was at this stage where Piet had two options for her next move – she could either be a shift boss or TBM pilot.
“I saw other engineers moving around and going on the ground and I was still stuck in the office,” she said.
“It took a bit of talking and convincing –I pushed really hard at that point to show that I really wanted to do it.”
Although the managers displayed some hesitance with her being the only female on
the ground, reassurance from Piet landed her the role to be trained as a pilot.
“We discussed potential barriers and how we would address them, once that was sorted, someone trained me for a few weeks and then I was thrown into the deep end by myself,” she said.
Although this transitional period displayed its challenges and was a steep learning curve, Piet said it was the best experience. “I quickly learnt the importance of being on a team who works together,” she said. “You are going to hit roadblocks, you’re going to get into some issues, you have to sort them out together.”
Piet admitted the first couple of weeks were “a bit scary” and she was definitely feeling the pressure.
“I felt like I was under a magnifying glass, and everyone was expecting me to stuff up.
“I felt like I had to work three times as hard to get the same amount of recognition at that point.
“But, further down the line everybody accepted that I was there and that I was doing a good job at it, and they were happy.”
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There have been calls to reopen a passenger line in Brisbane that was closed in June 2011.
ever since. It connects the Beenleigh and Ipswich lines, with one station in Tennyson.
During times of disruption in the inner south of Brisbane, certain services have been maintained by running through this line.
For example, if there was a disruption at South Brisbane, Gold Coast services could be maintained by travelling along the line via the Ipswich line to Corinda, then via this line to Yeerongpilly, and then south as per normal along the Beenleigh/Gold Coast line.
The line is a major freight corridor, being the main connection between western Queensland freight lines, the Port of Brisbane and the marshalling yards at Moolabin, Clapham and Acacia Ridge. It has continued to be used for empty/non-
part of a line connecting the Ipswich line to the Brisbane River wharves at Stanley Street, South Brisbane, to provide a connection for coal mines exporting and/or refuelling ships at the port.
When the Beenleigh line was built south from Yeerongpilly, that became the main line and the line to Corinda became the connecting link. The line was duplicated in 1916 and electrified in 1982.
Member for Maiwar Michael Berkman has renewed calls he made in 2021 for the line to be reopened to improve road congestion and upgrade public transport ahead of the 2032 Olympic Games.
Indooroopilly at peak hour, you know there’s a traffic problem getting from the south to west
improve congestion.
“Instead, it would just shift the bottleneck, creating two new congestion points at Westminster/Lambert Road in Indooroopilly and another further south on Oxley Road and Sherwood Road,” he said.
“I think there’s a better solution: improving local public transport. As well as better buses and bike lanes in Sherwood and Corinda, we should investigate reopening the old Tennyson Train Line between Corinda and Yeerongpilly.
“Translink introduced the 104 and 105 buses to replace train services, but they’re slow, unreliable and infrequent.”
Berkman believes there would be a number of benefits to reopening the line.
“Maiwar locals near Indro or Toowong stations could quickly and easily get to the southside without going through the city,” he said.
“Commuters from southside suburbs like Annerley, Moorooka and Yeerongpilly could take public transport instead of adding to traffic congestion across the river.
“Longer trips on public transport, like Ipswich to the Gold Coast, or Logan to Springfield, would be much easier.”
Queensland Rail Acting Chief Executive Officer Neil Backer said Queensland Rail stopped using the Tennyson Line for passenger revenue services in 2011 and Tennyson station was removed in 2014.
“Prior to the closure of the Tennyson Line to revenue services in 2011, the number of customers using this line and station was not significant and there are multiple bus options available to service these communities,” he said.
“It would take significant funding to re-establish the Tennyson line for regular passenger services.
“While there are no current plans to re-establish the line, Queensland Rail will continue to work with Translink to monitor patronage levels and service needs for our customers as required.”
The idea of linking between train lines is not something new for Australia. Queensland only needs to look to West Australia for an example of the benefits it could provide.
The 17.5-kilometre METRONET ThornlieCockburn Link project will connect the Mandurah and Armadale lines and includes two new stations, at Nicholson Road and Ranford Road, as well as upgrades to the Thornlie and Cockburn Central stations.
The Thornlie-Cockburn Link will support growth and accessibility across the southeastern suburbs by providing access to employment, unlock long-term housing development opportunities in Canning Vale, and provide a direct line for Mandurah Line passengers to Perth Stadium Station for the first time.
Between Thornlie Station and the Kwinana Freeway, passenger rail has been built in the existing freight corridor. This has involved relocating the freight lines to the northern half of the corridor to make room for the passenger lines in the southern half.
After a busy 2024, 2025 promises to be another jam-packed year for the rail industry in Australia and New Zealand.
Rail Express takes a look at what 2025 has in store for the rail industry, with a number of exciting projects nearing completion.
This year promises one of the largest shifts in Melbourne’s metropolitan train network since the city loop opened in 1981.
The Metro Tunnel Project, which includes twin nine-kilometre tunnels under Melbourne’s CBD with five new underground stations, will be a highlight of 2025.
The new tunnels will create an end-toend train line from Sunbury, in the west, to Cranbourne and Pakenham, in the southeast, and connect the rail network to Parkville and St Kilda Road for the first time.
The Metro Tunnel will be connected to the wider metro rail network with interchanges, including between Flinders Street Station and the new Town Hall Station and between Melbourne Central Station and the new State Library Station.
A new High-Capacity Signalling system has been installed through the tunnel and on
sections of the Cranbourne, Pakenham and Sunbury lines.
The system allows trains to travel closer together and is the first step towards a ‘metro-style’ rail network with ‘turn up and go’ train services. This will allow Melburnians to effectively turn up at a station in the new tunnel and a train’s departure will be imminent.
Upgrades across the network to maximise the benefits of the new tunnel include a new signal control centre in Sunshine, power and track upgrades, platform extensions and more train stabling.
The project has included new tram stops built at Parkville, new bike lanes on St Kilda Road near Anzac Station and a new park at the tunnel’s eastern entrance. Other work will include adding more bike parking spaces and landscaping and revamping the City Square in Melbourne’s CBD.
Major construction has finished on three of the five new underground stations, with work continuing on the two CBD stations – Town Hall and State Library.
The tunnel is expected to open in 2025, a year ahead of schedule.
Manufacturing is now underway at Dandenong for Melbourne’s brand-new nextgeneration trams, with the first expected to arrive for testing on the network in 2025.
One hundred Next Generation Trams will be delivered to Melbourne’s network alongside the establishment of a tram maintenance and stabling facility on a vacant site in Maidstone, near Highpoint Shopping Centre in Melbourne’s west.
New trams will not be the only addition to Melbourne’s rolling stock, with the state receiving 25 new X’Trapolis 2.0 trains.
These new trains are expected to boost reliability of current services and accommodate additional services in the future, driven by the pipeline of rail capital projects underway across Melbourne. New rolling stock is expected to enable the retirement of ageing trains on the network by 2030.
The new trains are expected to have a minimum 60 per cent local content
requirement and will be manufactured in Alstom’s Ballarat facility.
An upgrade to the Craigieburn Train Maintenance Facility will allow the new trains to be efficiently housed and maintained.
The X’Trapolis 2.0 is expected to enter service for Metro Trains Melbourne in mid to late 2025.
Last year was a busy one for New South Wales, with the state’s driverless metro network, which runs under the city centre, open to passengers for the first time, transforming the way people move in the state capital. New South Wales will continue this impressive rollout of infrastructure in 2025.
The T3 line from Sydenham and Bankstown was closed in 2024 to convert it to driverless metro standards. When the conversion is complete, passengers will have access to high-tech metro line with a train every four minutes during the peak, along with fully accessible stations and services.
This final section of the metro line will eventually be known as the M1 Northwest and Bankstown Line, completing the transformative 30-kilometre alignment between Bankstown and Tallawong.
Premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns, said this new line will completely reshape how people across south western Sydney
travel around the city, providing world-class public transport options that have been missing for far too long.
“New South Wales is losing twice as many young people as we’re gaining. Building new homes near public transport with major projects like this is a critical part of the solution to making housing more affordable,” he said.
“I want to thank the thousands of workers who have worked around the clock on this conversion and the many more who will deliver this converted line.”
In late 2024 Parramatta residents had the opportunity to ride the light rail network,
which better connects the western Sydney suburb to the Central Business District, for the first time. While this was a momentous milestone, the work will continue in 2025.
Stage 2 of Parramatta Light Rail will consist of 1.3 kilometres of new light rail alignment, which includes a 320-metre bridge over the Parramatta River – the first major bridge crossing the river since the Ryde Bridge was completed nearly 40 years ago. Major bridge construction starts in 2025.
The still-unnamed new public and active transport bridge will provide a much-needed link between the growing communities of Melrose Park and Wentworth Point, north
and south of the river. It will form part of 9.5 kilometres of walking and bike-riding paths once Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2 is complete.
Construction of the bridge is expected to generate 1000 jobs, with 80 per cent of those based in Western Sydney.
The Western Sydney Airport Metro Line is expected to become the backbone of transportation in Greater Western Sydney, connecting communities from St Marys to Bradfield, with the capacity to carry 7740 passengers per hour in each direction.
Construction is expected to continue in 2025.
The next stage of this project will include laying track along the entire 23-kilometre alignment.
The next decade or so promises to be a busy time for Queensland as Brisbane prepares to host the 2032 Olympics. The cornerstone of Brisbane’s work before the Olympics is Cross River Rail and it is expected the project will hit a number of milestones this year.
Cross River Rail is a new 10.2-kilometre rail line with 5.9-kilometre twin tunnels running under the Brisbane River and CBD and new underground stations at Boggo Road, Woolloongabba, Albert Street and Roma Street.
The first test train entered the twin tunnel and arrived at a new station in late 2024 and testing is expected to ramp up throughout this year.
The train’s almost four-kilometre journey, conducted over two days of testing, travelled from the Mayne Yard stabling facility to the new Roma Street underground station platform.
CPB Contractors Alliance Manager Michael McCann said that this successful journey has set the project up for success as it moves into its final testing and commissioning phase.
Another exciting prospect for the state will be the direct Sunshine Coast Rail Line project. Two new tenders were released to market in 2024 and a brand-new information and engagement centre for the community to learn more about the project and associated works was opened.
These tenders will enable Transport and Main Roads to call for detailed quotes from the construction industry in 2025 ahead of major construction in 2026.
Gold Coast light rail stage 3 will edge close to completion this year. The third stage is a 6.7-kilometre extension south of the existing tram network to link Broadbeach South and Burleigh Heads.
The METRONET program will continue charging ahead after the Ellenbrook Line opened in late 2024, with more milestones slated for 2025.
The east-west line between Thornlie and Cockburn will ramp up its testing in the first part of 2025. The 17.5-kilometre METRONET Thornlie-Cockburn Link project includes two
new stations at Nicholson Road and Ranford Road, and upgrades to the Thornlie and Cockburn Central stations.
Connecting the Mandurah and Armadale lines through the Thornlie-Cockburn Link will support growth and accessibility across the south-eastern suburbs by providing access to employment, unlock long-term housing development opportunities in Canning Vale, and for the first time provide a direct line for Mandurah Line passengers to Perth Stadium Station.
When passenger services commence later this year, commuters will have a 26-minute journey to Perth from Nicholson Road Station and a 29-minute journey from Ranford Road Station.
To support the growth of the state’s newest lines, the government committed to updating the signalling on the passenger network. A 10-year $1.6 billion contract was awarded to AD Alliance – Alstom Transport Australia Pty Ltd and DT Infrastructure Pty Ltd – to design, supply and build Perth’s High-Capacity Signalling (HCS) project.
HCS will replace and significantly upgrade the signalling and train control systems on Perth’s rail network, allowing more trains to run more often and ultimately increasing capacity by 40 per cent.
Construction will begin on upgrades to the freight rail line between the Carnamah and Mingenew section of the Midland Line in 2025. About 77 kilometres of track between Carnamah and Mingenew will be upgraded
allowing 25 per cent more grain per train to be transported. This will provide immediate operational benefits to grain growers.
The biggest milestone for South Australia this year will be the completion of the hybrid train upgrades announced in 2021.
Each railcar is fitted with an energy storage and recovery system that recovers excess energy when the train brakes and stores it in a battery for later use. The stored energy will also be used to supply power for lighting and air-conditioning at the Adelaide Railway Station train platform, reducing noise, emissions, and air pollution.
Adelaide’s light rail network improvements will include an upgrade to the Morphetville level crossing with the tram crossing to be removed and replaced with an overpass.
The project will greatly benefit the 25,600 motorists who drive through the level crossing every day, reducing lengthy delays, particularly during peak times when the boom gates are down for up to 16 minutes each hour. It will also improve road safety – 106 crashes and 40 injuries were reported within the project area between 2019 and 2023.
The Tram Grade Separation Projects (TGSP) will be undertaken by the recently appointed Tram Grade Separation Projects Alliance of McConnell Dowell, CPB Contractors, Arup,
Aurecon, together with the South Australian Department for Infrastructure and Transport.
The TGSP Alliance will also rebuild the South Road Tram Overpass at Glandore to accommodate the River Torrens to Darlington (T2D) lowered motorway, as part of the $15.4 billion T2D project. Major construction started in late 2024, with the level crossings to be removed by the end of 2025.
To fast-track the works and reduce the impact on local residents, businesses, and road and public transport users, the Glenelg tram line will be temporarily closed for about six months in the second half of 2025, allowing the overpasses to be constructed at the same time within the existing corridor.
Trams will still operate between the Entertainment Centre and the city (to South Terrace), as well as between the Entertainment Centre and Botanic Gardens. Substitute buses will be in place between Glenelg and South Terrace. By late-2025, trains in Adelaide will offer the same easy ways to pay as the state’s buses and trams.
Smart validators are being installed on trains across the network. For now, these smart validators will only accept metroCARD and Seniors Card. However, if passengers buy a Tap and Pay or Buy & Go ticket on a bus or tram, they can still transfer to a train departing from the Adelaide Railway Station.
The installation of smart validators on trains is part of a broader ticketing upgrade that is already offering a range of easy ways
include metroCARD, Tap and Pay, and the Buy & Go app.
As part of the upgrade, Adelaide Metro is replacing the barrier gates at the Adelaide Railway Station with new gates that will accept the suite of easy ways to pay. It is expected more details will be released soon.
When the upgrade is completed in late2025, easy ways to pay will be available across the whole Adelaide Metro network (including trains) – and the state will say a final goodbye to paper Metro tickets.
KiwiRail will continue to upgrade its rolling stock fleet in 2025 on both the north and south islands.
As per the allocation in 2019-20 New Zealand Budget, the project will include replacing 900 container wagons, the fleet of 48 South Island locomotives and some shunt engines belonging to KiwiRail rolling stock.
It is intended that 57 new locomotives with improved traction system design will enable the replacement of the existing mainline locomotive fleet. An additional nine new locomotives and 24 hybrid battery-diesel yard shunt locomotives were commissioned in 2024, bringing the total number of locomotives to be commissioned through the program to 90.
The first of KiwiRail’s new hi-tech locomotives was unveiled in Christchurch late last year.
KiwiRail Chief Executive Peter Reidy said 66 new DM class locomotives have been purchased with government funding from previous budgets to replace KiwiRail’s ageing locomotives and wagons.
“These modern machines will be a huge benefit, especially for our customers in the South Island, where most of the new locomotive fleet will be based,” he said.
“The new locos will gradually replace our DX fleet, which on average is 48-years old and is expensive to maintain.
“As the new machines enter service, it will mean greater reliability for our freight customers, which is crucial for growing rail. Rail is already a lower emissions transport mode, producing 70 per cent fewer emissions per tonne carried compared with heavy road freight.”
The first two DM locomotives will go through an extensive testing and commissioning program at Middleton during the start of 2025 before they enter service. The DMs will continue to arrive in batches until late 2026.
CityRail Link will edge closer to opening in 2025 with testing set to begin this year, allowing an opening date to become clearer.
CityRail Link is a 3.4-kilometre extension to the existing Auckland Rail Network, connecting Britomart Station to Mt Eden Station through Auckland’s west.
The extension is made up of twin tunnels that will connect downtown at Waitematā Station (Britomart) with Maungawhau on the Western Line.
The scope of the project includes:
• construction of a one kilometre Cut and Cover Tunnel
• construction of 2.5 kilometres of bored tunnel
• redevelopment of Waitemata Station and Mount Eden Station to accommodate below ground rail lines, and
• construction of two new underground stations, Te Waihorotiu Station at a depth of 13 metres and Karanahape Station at a depth of 33 metres.
Australia’s game-changing Inland Rail project will continue to charge ahead with construction in 2025, with a large degree of work happening in Victoria.
The Beveridge to Albury section of the Inland Rail project is the only section traversing Victoria. The project comprises the upgrade of existing structures at 12 sites along 262 kilometres of existing rail corridor – the North East Rail Line (NERL) – between Beveridge and the Victoria-New South Wales border at Albury, to enable the operation of double-stacked freight trains.
The Beveridge to Albury section is being delivered across two tranches.
Tranche One includes upgrades at the following sites:
• Murray Valley Highway, Barnawartha North
• Wangaratta Station Precinct, Wangaratta
• Beaconsfield Parade bridge, Glenrowan, and
• Seymour-Avenel Road bridge, Seymour
Works include:
• track lowering
• replacing existing bridges with taller ones
• removing footbridges
• building a pedestrian underpass
• track slews
• relocating or raising signal gantries,
• modifying or relocating overhead power poles.
While Victoria will have a lot of work being completed this year, New South Wales is not going to be left behind.
The Albury to Illabo (A2I) section of Inland Rail will enter the construction phase after the project received New South Wales Government planning approval.
The approval from the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure opens the way for construction to begin in 2025.
It comes after more than four years of environmental assessment and consultation with landowners, councils, and the community.
James Kennedy, Delivery Director, Albury to Parkes (A2P), Inland Rail, said being granted New South Wales Government planning approval for the Albury to Illabo section is a significant milestone.
“Following approval, the project will enter the construction stage, where we will work closely with our contractor Martinus to ensure the project’s design complies with the planning conditions of approval,” he said.
“Construction of Inland Rail will provide an economic stimulus for the Riverina. We have been active in the region supporting local businesses to prepare for this critical infrastructure project, as we begin major construction in 2025.
“Inland Rail will support the shift of more goods onto rail, meaning faster, more reliable freight; safer, less congested roads; and fewer emissions.”
The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) is working to attract and retain the talent our industry needs.
Just over a year ago, the ARA released a significant report on the skills gaps and workforce shortages facing the Australian rail industry.
The report, The Rail Workforce – An Analytical Overview, was prepared by the United Kingdom’s National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR) on behalf of the ARA, to better understand the current skills issues in the post-pandemic environment.
It found the industry had a 70,000 shortfall and about 35 per cent of the workforce would retire by 2035, with almost a third of train drivers currently aged over 55.
The report makes it clear that the future of Australia’s rail industry cannot just rely on technological advancements and infrastructure improvements – it also needs a highly skilled workforce to support its growth.
Workforce development is a key focus for the ARA and we are driving forward a strong advocacy agenda through education,
partnerships, and innovative training programs that are designed to ensure the sector can attract, retain, and grow the talent it needs to meet current and future demands.
A core focus of the ARA’s workforce development efforts is securing national resources that will help rail attract and retain skilled professionals. As the rail industry grows, so too does the demand for talent with specialised skills.
In 2024, the ARA launched a variety of new training initiatives, including new courses through its Learning Management System (LMS) and collaborations with leading universities. These partnerships promise to bring forward industry-ready graduates with the expertise necessary to support the rail sector’s evolving needs.
One of the most exciting developments has been the ARA’s collaboration with Edith Cowan University (ECU), which will lead to the creation of three new undergraduate
engineering electives in civil, mechanical and electrical engineering, expected to be available by mid-2025. The courses, developed with input from major industry players like Rio Tinto, ARC Infrastructure, and the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia, will be made publicly accessible to ensure that professionals across the sector have opportunities to upskill.
This initiative demonstrates the power of collaboration between industry and academia in creating a sustainable and highly skilled workforce.
The flexibility of these courses also allows them to be offered as short courses, ensuring that they are accessible to professionals who may not need an entire degree program but wish to advance their industry knowledge.
In a similar vein, Deakin University has partnered with the ARA and industry experts to launch two new micro-credentials that will also be offered as electives in undergraduate engineering degrees: Rail Engineering – Planning and Maintenance and Rail Engineering – Design. They will also be curated as one elective, which will be available to students completing an undergraduate and postgraduate Civil Engineering Degree program.
These are credit-bearing microcredentials, so will provide advanced standing in a range of degree and post graduate courses, offering students and professionals alike an opportunity to fasttrack their learning in this critical sector. By offering these micro-credentials, the ARA is not just supporting the current workforce but also helping to build a future-ready talent pipeline.
Monash University, through its Institute of Rail Technology (IRT), has recently introduced a Railway Engineering unit and a Graduate Research Industry Partnership (GRIP) Program, further broadening academic and professional opportunities in rail engineering.
The ARA is also exploring similar opportunities with the University of Tasmania (UTAS) for a proposed Graduate Diploma in Rail Signalling.
A key strategic focus for the ARA is bringing TAFE across Australia into the rail training resource pool.
Our partnership with North Metro TAFE in Perth has proven that government, industry, and educational institutions can come together to create robust, high-quality training programs. This collaboration has led to the development of a range of railspecific courses, including the Certificate II and III in Rail Infrastructure, as well as Certificate IV programs in Rail Signalling and Network Operations.
These TAFE programs provide students with the practical skills and industry connections they need to succeed in the rail sector. For example, companies like Rio Tinto and ARC Infrastructure have provided essential support, including uniforms, toolkits, and even job placements, to ensure that students gain hands-on experience that makes them job-ready upon completion. Such initiatives not only contribute to the individual success of students but also provide the rail industry with a steady flow of well-trained workers. The ARA would like to see these courses rolled out nationally.
We have also been working with North Metro TAFE and other RTOs to deliver the Rail Operations Fundamentals Skill Set (ROFSS), which is made up of seven national units of competence found in multiple Certificate II and III rail accredited courses, and is due for release mid-year.
The underlying intention of developing this nationally recognised course and having it delivered by TAFE is to provide access to recognised rail learning that does not require participants to be employees. It is
a future career in rail.
The ARA marked a major milestone late last year in the harmonisation of competencies with agreement to implement an online, harmonised Safely Access the Rail Corridor (SARC) course for heavy haul members in the Pilbara, Western Australia.
The ARA has been working with BHP, Rio Tinto and Roy Hill to build a national, common SARC course to streamline training requirements for contractors entering the rail corridor.
SARC is a unit of competency that everyone who enters any rail corridor in Australia is required to hold. Despite this, many companies still deliver their own bespoke courses.
Members of the ARA Workforce Development team are planning the implementation of the agreed SARC course on behalf of the three heavy haul companies, which will now require all their employees and contractors to have completed it over a 36-month time frame.
This is a really exciting development. The ARA has made significant advances in the age-old problem of rail industry worker qualifications and competencies not being recognised from one rail infrastructure manager (RIM) or operating company to another, which has impeded productivity across the supply chain, and for RIMs and rail operators. Mutual recognition, TAFE delivery and the engagement of all RIMs in an Australian state is a first for the industry.
By having a common SARC, the three heavy haul companies will now only need
rather than them having to undergo multiple courses to meet the needs of different RIMs.
North Metro TAFE in Western Australia will deliver the SARC course, ensuring the highest levels of quality and reliability of course delivery.
The ARA aims to have all the Western Australia RIMs recognising a single SARC which will reduce costs to both contractors and rail companies, support safety in the rail corridor and provide critical evidence across Australia of the benefits of mutual recognition of competence.
The rapid pace of digitisation and decarbonisation in the rail sector has further underscored the need for continuous skills development.
To address this, the ARA is working on developing a comprehensive microcredential framework to provide flexible, fast, and nationally recognised pathways for workers to upskill and reskill in critical areas such as signalling, digital technologies, and decarbonisation.
This framework will help streamline the process of skills development across the industry, ensuring that rail workers can quickly gain the competencies needed to navigate the changing landscape of the sector.
One of the key benefits of this framework is its ability to reduce the time and cost associated with traditional training methods. With the rise of micro-credentials, the rail industry will have more agile and
efficient ways to upskill the workforce, while also promoting greater consistency and portability of qualifications across different jurisdictions.
Last year, we introduced two new courses – Introduction to Rollingstock and Rail Operations, and are rolling out Introduction to Rail Infrastructure this year.
They provide valuable educational opportunities to both newcomers and seasoned professionals in the rail sector. Feedback from participants in these courses has been overwhelmingly positive, with many learners praising the courses for providing critical knowledge that will help them advance in their careers.
We are particularly excited about our new, 25-week, industry-accredited ARA Professional Certificate in Rail, which was launched at AusRAIL last year and commenced in March. The certificate embeds all of our five courses, with live webinars and an optional site visit. All learning is undertaken online through the ARA Learning platform. Each participant receives a Certificate of Completion and a Credly Badge that can be added to their LinkedIn profile.
The ARA is committed to increasing diversity and inclusion in the rail workforce and has conducted extensive research over the past year to support this.
This year we will be offering ARA Diversity Training webinars, designed to assist in cultivating an inclusive and welcoming
Additionally, the Workforce Development team has developed a Respect in Rail course as a next step for organisations that have previously engaged in Respect@Work training. This new course focuses on strengthening employees’ understanding of respect in the workplace, emphasising its importance in promoting a culture of safety, inclusion and diversity within the rail industry. We have made this course free for everyone in the rail industry, regardless if they are a member of the ARA, as part of our commitment to improving the workplace environment. By completing this training, employees play a key role in shaping a more welcoming and supportive environment, making the rail
are aimed at ensuring the rail industry remains strong and is well-equipped to meet the demands of a rapidly changing future. By fostering strong partnerships with education institutions, industry leaders and government, the ARA is helping to secure the future rail workforce needed to drive the industry forward.
Looking ahead, the ARA’s focus on flexible and accessible learning, innovation, and collaboration with industry and government will continue to be key in addressing the challenges posed by technological advancements, decarbonisation, and the growing demand for rail services.
The foundation laid by these workforce
The Australasian Rail Directory is a comprehensive, all encompassing rail services directory, available both online and as a traditional hardcopy publication.
The Rail Directory is an industry driven project to provide a complete listing of all businesses involved in the Australasian, Oceanic and Asian rail industries.
This year’s rail directory will be revamped to become even simpler to use. Listings will be sorted into categories allowing users to easily find businesses working in each area of the rail industry.
With over 1000 listings from areas as manufacturing, signalling and maintenance, make your listing standout with a frame advertisement.
To ensure you are in prime position in this year’s rail directory contact Arron Reed today.
To ensure that the Australasian Rail Directory is comprehensive, we offer all businesses who operate or trade in the region one free listing in the directory.
Listing Available
From $600 (+gst)
Double page, full page, half page and quarter page advertisement space also available.
To discuss the advertising opportunities available, please contact: Arron Reed on 0466 923 194 or email: arron.reed@primecreative.com.au
From design to reality; a life-size prototype metro carriage for the new Western Sydney Airport Metro Line has been unveiled, giving passengers a first look at future travel to Sydney’s second airport.
Assembled from a flat pack in a Western Sydney warehouse, the new Western Sydney Airport Metro Line carriage is a full-scale replica which closely mimics the final product’s shape, size and design features.
The mock-up will allow future passengers to test out the carriage and provide feedback on comfort, usability, accessibility and safety – including seat design, boarding experience, and handhold placement.
It will also help transport authorities and manufacturers evaluate and finalise aspects of the train such as the interior lighting, emergency features, and passenger information display systems.
Minister for Transport Jo Haylen said being able to look, feel, touch and experience the new Metros is helping the teams put the finishing touches on these trains before they go into production.
“Every train will be fully accessible, beautifully air-conditioned, and a really comfortable way to travel to Sydney’s new airport,” she said.
“Once the new Airport Metro Line opens, each of the 12 new metro trains will have capacity to comfortably move 645 people
between Bradfield, St Marys and the new International Airport.”
use the prototype to validate the final design choices, ensuring the layout, materials,
and ergonomics meet the intended specifications. The feedback collated from
go into production later this month. The contract for the new trains was signed in 2022 to a consortium of Siemens Mobility, Webuild, Plenary Group, and RATP Dev.
Final checks are also being made to confirm the upholstery design for the train seats, which will feature a specially commissioned artwork by Western Sydney creative team BBR, led by Dharug artist Leanne Redpath, with Tina Barahanos and Alexandra Byrne.
The artwork, called Ngurra Baduwa, includes reference to Ngurra (Country) and Badu (water) running through Cumberland Plain, the region where the new 23-kilometre metro line will be located.
The grey and blue patterns and colours for the general seats are reflective of the night sky, while the priority seats are yellow and tell a daytime story about meeting places around waterholes found through fields of wattle flowers.
About 2300 square metres of fabric, equivalent in length to five basketball
courts, will be needed to upholster every seat in the 12 new trains.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Western Sydney Prue Car spoke about the importance of the mock-up.
“Testing of this mock-up carriage has been underway for many months and no stone has been left unturned to ensure passengers enjoy a world-class experience when they step off a plane in Western Sydney and onto a fast and reliable metro,” she said.
“Western Sydney artists at BBR have delivered a fantastic upholstery design for the seats that will create a unique identity for this line, and welcome international visitors with incredible Aboriginal cultural heritage and contemporary art.”
Once operational, the Sydney Metro –Western Sydney Airport line will have the capacity to move up to 7740 passengers each hour in each direction between St Marys and Bradfield via Sydney’s new Western Sydney International (Nancy-
Bird Walton) Airport. The new railway will become the transport spine for Greater Western Sydney, connecting residents with job hubs and travellers from the new airport to the rest of Sydney’s public transport system.
FEATURES OF THE NEW WESTERN SYDNEY AIRPORT METRO TRAINS:
• High resolution displays showing real-time flight information via a direct feed from the airport;
• Multiple seating choices in each carriage, including front and rear facing seating for people travelling in larger groups and traditional metro longitudinal (sideways) seating;
• A wide, accessible aisle through the centre of the train to allow for ease of movement for passengers travelling with luggage;
• Wheelchair areas and accessible spaces;
• Hearing loops in all carriages
• Four bicycle storage spaces on every train.
