Rail Express February 2024

I S S U E 1 | F E B R U A RY 2024

W W W. R A I L E X P R E S S . C O M . A U

The transcontinental dream The opening of the AustralAsia Railway, which connects South Australia and the Northern Territory, was the culmination of determined efforts to build a train line connecting the north and south of Australia. PAGE 32

I M A G E: J O U R N E Y B E YO N D

The pros and cons of high-speed rail

Safer travels with Sydney Light Rail

Cybersecurity priority in Siemens CBTC solutions

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Contents Issue 1 - February 2024

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From the editor

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Industry news

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ASPECT conference

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H I G HS P E E D RA I L

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High speed for high-speed

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The pros and cons

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Ride like an Egyptian

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The transcontinental dream

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W W W. R A I L E X P R E S S . C O M . A U

The transcontinental dream The opening of the AustralAsia Railway, which connects South Australia and the Northern Territory, was the culmination of determined efforts to build a train line connecting the north and south of central Australia. PAGE 32

34

Transdev: Community, culture and campaigns

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Keolis Downer: A year of achievements

RAILS I GEXPRESS reading N A L L I N G S O L U T Iis O N compulsory S Siemens: Cybersecurity CBTC and37a vital tool for allforpeople working in and O P E Raround AT I O N S A N Dthe M A I N rail T E N A Nsector.

CE 38

Kallipr: Innovations led by industry

40 Aptitude for intelligent safety Rail Express isAptella: Australia’s authoritative business to business rail publication.

The pros and cons of high-speed rail

Safer travels with Sydney Light Rail

Cybersecurity priority in Siemens CBTC solutions

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I S S U E 1 | F E B R U A RY 2024

W W W. R A I L E X P R E S S . C O M . A U

SUPPORTED BY:

The transcontinental dream The opening of the AustralAsia Railway, which connects South Australia and the Northern Territory, was the culmination of determined efforts to build a train line connecting the north and south of central Australia. PAGE 32

The pros and cons of high-speed rail

Safer travels with Sydney Light Rail

Cybersecurity priority in Siemens CBTC solutions

PAGE 26

PAGE 34

PAGE 37

SUPPORTED BY:

COVER STORY The opening of the AustralAsia Railway was the culmination of determined efforts to build a train line connecting the north and south of Australia.

See page 32.

Combining the team MAJO R Presources R O J E C T S of A Nour D I respected N F R A S T R Ujournalism CT U R E and our unparalleled industry contacts and affiliations, 42 MTR: Customers driving leadership Rail Express provides extensive, comprehensive and balanced coverage of breaking news and trends in key areas like infrastructure, investment, government policy, regulatory WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS issues and technical innovation.

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From the Editor ISSUE 1 - FEBRUARY 2024

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Welcome to the February issue of Rail Express 2024 will literally be a testing time for the Australian rail industry.

Trial runs on various projects throughout the country will be stepped up this year, including the Sydney Metro City and Southwest line, Victoria’s Metro tunnel, WA’s METRONET Yanchep line and the state’s new C-series trains, ETCS locomotives on Queensland’s rail network, and the first phase of Canberra Light Rail.

It all holds great promise for our industry pipeline, with a wealth of jobs and opportunities for the country’s workforce.

But as more and more of the sector’s employees get older, there is justifiable concern that not enough young entrants are stepping in to help fill the void left by retirees, now or in the near future.

A report by the Australasian Railway Association (ARA) has confirmed that amid all the unprecedented investment in the industry, a sharp retirement cliff looms as a potential spanner in the works. The analysis found that about 35 per cent of the Australian rail workforce would retire by 2035, with almost a third of train drivers currently aged over 55.

The ARA said the 165,000-strong Australian rail workforce would face a 70,000 shortfall this year, mostly in operational and project roles, including engineers, train drivers and controllers and IT specialists.

The dilemma poses significant challenges that demand attention and strategic solutions.

As seasoned professionals approach retirement, the industry is confronted with a potential loss of valuable expertise, experience, and institutional knowledge.

The rail industry requires a specific set of technical skills, including understanding complex signalling systems, maintenance of rolling stock, and ensuring safety protocols.

The shortage of skilled workers can lead to disruptions in service, increased downtime, and a higher risk of accidents.

The obvious solution is to attract and retain younger talent in the rail industry, but the challenge lies in competing for their skills with other fields.

Traditionally, the industry has been perceived as being resistant to technological advancements which may deter younger individuals from pursuing careers on the

tracks, but fortunately, this view is changing as the industry starts introducing automation, digitalisation, and smart infrastructure.

Interestingly, older workers may face difficulties in adapting to these changes, while younger workers may be more adept at leveraging modern innovations. This technological generation gap can hinder the industry’s progress and efficiency.

The ARA rightly emphasises that industry and governments need to work together to promote the rich and rewarding careers that rail has to offer. This includes targeted recruitment efforts to attract younger talent, investing in training and development programs, and implementing knowledge transfer initiatives to capture and preserve the expertise of retiring workers.

Additionally, embracing technological advancements and creating a workplace culture that values diversity and inclusion can contribute to the long-term sustainability of the rail industry in the face of an ageing workforce.

Looking to the future, one of the projects that will require a knowledgeable and reliable labour pool is the possible introduction of high-speed rail in Australia.

As momentum surges in this respect, with the Government already establishing an authority to oversee the potential, concern still lingers over whether the costs involved with building the necessary infrastructure will prove to be an insurmountable barrier.

In this edition, read more about the initiative and why experts say that time is of the essence if high-speed rail is ever to kick off in the country.

There is also a fascinating debate about the pros and cons of the project, which we are sure you will find an enthralling read.

Elsewhere, there is a look at the AustralAsia Railway line, which connects South Australia and the Northern Territory.

It’s been 20 years since the inaugural Adelaide-to-Darwin freight train rolled across the embankment to the NT’s East Arm Port after a 2979-kilometre journey from the South Australian capital, a feat that fulfilled a long-standing dream of both governments and accomplished by the building of a modern, standard gauge line between Alice Springs and Darwin.

ray.chan@primecreative.com.au

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National

Retirement crisis looms for rail workforce “The ARA has several initiatives focused on boosting the rail workforce, including a Work in Rail campaign and bringing rail courses into engineering degrees, as well as programs to increase female participation to ensure the industry’s long-term sustainability,” Wilkie said.

“However, it is crucial that industry and governments work together to promote the very many rich and rewarding careers that rail has to offer and implement strategies that improve diversity, which is vital to a thriving, sustainable industry.”

The report, which covers 55 per cent of the workforce, found 25 per cent of rail workers are female – compared with just 15 per cent in the UK – and had an average age of 42 compared with 46 for men. Victoria and South Australia have the highest female percentage of rail workers, at 27 per cent and 26 per cent respectively.

Rail offers more than 450 roles in six categories – operations, train movement, project management, engineering/infrastructure, corporate services, and trades/maintenance.

Train driving was the second-most popular role for women, followed by customer service assistance, while train driving was the top job for men after maintenance engineering.

The report noted that given decarbonisation efforts in the industry that many more electrical

I M A G E: A R A

The Australian rail workforce is facing a looming retirement cliff amid unprecedented investment in the industry, according to a new report.

The Rail Workforce – An Analytical Overview was prepared by the UK’s National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR) on behalf of the Australasian Railway Association (ARA) to better understand the current skills issues in the postpandemic environment.

ARA Chief Executive Officer Caroline Wilkie said the report found that about 35 per cent of the Australian rail workforce would retire by 2035, with almost a third of train drivers currently aged over 55.

“The industry is facing a retirement cliff, with more than a third of the entire rail workforce aged over 50 years, one in 10 aged over 60 and only four per cent less than 25 years old,” she said.

“With an unprecedented $154 billion investment over the next 15 years and the rollout of critical city-shaping projects across the country, we desperately need workers to enter the rail industry now.”

The report found the 165,000-strong Australian rail workforce will have a 70,000 shortfall by 2024, mostly in operational and project roles, including engineers, train drivers and controllers and IT specialists.

Only four per cent of the entire rail workforce is aged under 25 years.

skills, as well as new skills associated with battery electric solutions, will be required as Australia continues on its journey to net zero emissions by 2050.

The report was informed by new modelling which will help industry better plan for future demand and respond to skills shortages in critical areas.

Infrastructure review backs major rail projects The much-awaited findings of the independent strategic review of Australian infrastructure projects have retained funding for most major national rail projects, but other smaller ones have been cancelled.

The program confirmed an additional $1.75 billion to be invested in the Logan-Gold Coast Faster Rail, $1b more in Western Australia’s METRONET project, as well as funding of $61.8 million for planning and development of the Western intermodal freight terminal at Truganina in Melbourne to connect Inland Rail, while also supporting the Melbourne Airport Link.

Rail projects for which Federal funding was scrapped include: • Sydney to Newcastle-Tuggerah-Wyong faster rail upgrade, NSW • Toowoomba, Qld to Seymour-Moree, NSW intermodal overpass • Business case for Melbourne Inland Rail Intermodal Terminal, Vic • Frankston to Baxter rail upgrade, Vic • Geelong Fast Rail, Vic

Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said the program inherited from the former Coalition Government was undeliverable.

“Following consultation with the States and Territories, we now have a forward plan of projects that are properly planned and targeted to unlock significant economic, social and environmental objectives,” she said.

The list prioritises nationally significant projects at the expense of programs for which local governments needed help in funding.

The independent review found while local government initiatives were a critical funding mechanism for local roads and infrastructure, they were administratively burdensome and lack sufficient funding or certainty.

The Government has also acted on the review recommendations to improve efficiency and flexibility in project deliverability on nationally significant road and rail corridors.

“Many projects located along strategic national freight routes are now grouped into corridors. This approach will allow State and

Territories to more flexibly manage project delivery schedules according to their priorities,” King said.

“As part of responding to the findings of the review, the Government has made necessary decisions to no longer provide funding at this time to some projects.

“This includes projects that were not realistically going to be delivered with the funding available, have made little to no progress over a significant amount of time, and projects that do not align with Commonwealth or state and territory priorities.

“We also know that there continue to be significant cost pressures in the system and we will work collaboratively and proactively with the states and territories to manage these.

“From now on the Australian Government’s investment in infrastructure will focus on productivity, sustainability, and liveability.

“We will also deliver infrastructure that makes driving on our roads safer and that sees more people on more trains.”

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News

Queensland

Gold Coast-Beenleigh track costs blow out I M A G E: T M R Q U E E N S L A N D

With Cross River Rail well under way, the 20km section of rail line between Kuraby and Beenleigh (the Logan and Gold Coast Faster Rail project corridor) is the next critical Queensland bottleneck to unlock, to provide more frequent rail services in the future.

The claim was made by former Transport Minister Mark Bailey, who said Logan and Gold Coast Faster Rail would double track capacity to allow more of the state’s fastest express trains to run freely with more all-stops services.

“Queensland is Australia’s “growth state”, with 2000 people moving there every week,” he said.

“We need a world-class transport system to support our growing population and to get ready for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

Currently, all services on the Gold Coast and Beenleigh line are constrained by single tracks in each direction between Kuraby and Beenleigh.

“Increasing the number of tracks from two to four and allowing the free movement of both all-stops and express trains, more of our fastest services can run more frequently and more reliably,” Bailey said.

“One in five Queenslanders live with a

Concept art for the upgraded Holmview station, located on the Beenleigh line.

disability and this- project will improve train station accessibility by upgrading stations between Kuraby and Beenleigh (including Loganlea, funded separately), remove five level crossings, increase park ‘n’ ride spaces, and providing a new active travel path connecting to stations along the 20km section of upgraded tracks.

Bailey, who resigned from his position in November before incoming premier Steven

Miles took up the post, defended cost blowouts for the faster rail line.

“This project, like many major infrastructure projects across the world, has been subject to cost escalations which have seen the confirmed estimate increase to $5.75 billion,” he said.

The project is still in is planning phase and is yet to be approved by state and federal governments.

Investment help to beef up stock transport More than $3 million will be spent on improving cattle loading yards for rail services at Cloncurry, Hughenden, and Maxwelton in Queensland.

The move means more cattle will be transported along the Mount Isa line at increased capacity and efficiency.

The investment package follows more than $7m in State Government commitments for rail siding upgrades at Maxwelton and Julia Creek.

The state plans to increase capacity to load the stock onto trains moving into 2024 and beyond, believing that the yards are a critical part of the supply chain for loading and transporting cattle by rail for processing on the east coast.

Cloncurry Shire mayor Greg Campbell said the saleyards had yet to realise their full potential, as the current condition of the rail load-out posed challenges to efficient livestock handling.

“Purpose-built and serviceable infrastructure will be a draw card for pastoralists in North

Australia, as they are looking for the most cost-effective way to deliver cattle to ports, meatworks, and saleyards,” he said.

“An efficient saleyard in Cloncurry will not only attract livestock from North West Queensland but the Northern Territory and Western Australia too.”

Flinders Shire Council mayor Jane McNamara said the rehabilitation and extension of the Hughenden Saleyards would provide the ability for the shire to extend the operations and capacity of this facility and assist with the economic diversification for the beef industry.

“The project will include new spelling yards and safety compliance for facilities such as loading ramps, lighting, gates and latches,” she said.

“We are looking forward to working in partnership with the State Government, industry, stakeholders and our primary producers to improve our facility and contribute to our cattle industry.”

Richmond Shire Council Mayor John Wharton said he expected a significant increase in the cattle being loaded from Maxwelton in the coming years, due to a brand new loading facility that will be much quicker and provide far better animal welfare outcomes. ““The new rail siding can have a benefit for other products also such as grain, critical minerals, and other commodities,” he said.

“With grain crops and farming already being successful at Maxwelton, Richmond Shire have plans to develop a feedlot and centre pivot on site also. This will allow Northern Gulf cattle to come down and spend 90 days in the feedlot, then be loaded on the train straight to the processor.

“This would create a cattle transport hub and farming depot for grain and silage to feed cattle. The whole complex will contribute to a great asset for Northern Australian cattle industry in the future.”

8 | ISSUE 1 - F E B RUA RY 2024 | RAIL EXPRESS

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Western Australia

Rail manufacturing hub poised for the Pilbara The WA Government has boosted local freight railcar manufacturing with the establishment of a new Rail Collaboration Centre (RCC) in Karratha, with hubs located in Newman and Perth.

Minister Assisting the State and Industry Development, Jobs and Trade Minister, Stephen Dawson, has announced a $998,000 funding package to assist the CORE Innovation Hub to enhance manufacturing and employment opportunities in the state’s rail sector.

CORE is Australia’s first innovation hub for the resources industries, having established Australia’s largest national ecosystem for suppliers, researchers, entrepreneurs and industry to connect and collaborate on innovative solutions across mining, resources, energy, defence and space sectors.

The funding, which has been made available under the Government’s Local Manufacturing Investment Fund (LMIF), will support the assembly, manufacture, servicing, research and development of rail freight wagons to take place locally.

The RCC is expected to generate opportunities for local manufacturing, new industry activity, create jobs, and localise training opportunities.

The centre will fill a strategic gap as a collaboration platform to undertake world-class testing, research and development of new rolling stock, infrastructure, technology, and ideas.

One of the main focuses of the RCC will be supporting and delivering activity and capability in the Pilbara.

The centre will be independently operated by CORE and take guidance from members of the Australasian Railway Association’s Heavy Haul Executive Committee, which represents major heavy haul operators.

“Establishing a new Rail Collaboration Centre will create jobs, training opportunities, and provide a huge boost to local manufacturing of rail freight wagons,” Dawson said.

“Being able to locally assemble, manufacture, service, carry out research and development, and drive innovation for wagons, are fantastic developments for the Pilbara region.

“The LMIF provides a boost to local

companies and ensures our State remains competitive in an ever-changing market, putting WA at the forefront of new technologies and innovations.”

The development follows last year’s agreement between mining giant Rio Tinto and Gemco Rail to manufacture rail cars in the region.

Rio Tinto expects to invest about $150 million to purchase 100 locally built ore rail cars over six years as well as continued investment in bearing refurbishment over 10 years, to support the company’s Pilbara operations.

The first 40 ore cars will be built at Gemco Rail’s existing facility in the Perth suburb of Forrestfield, while the company establishes an additional facility in Karratha.

Once this new facility is operational, Gemco Rail is expected to build an average of 10 ore cars per year, replacing ore cars as they are retired from Rio Tinto’s existing fleet. The new Karratha facility will also support the supply of new and reconditioned ore car bearings from the Pilbara in an industry-first.

Boom boom, shake up the Armadale line • Welshpool Road (boom gates down for 4 hours and 28 minutes each day) • Hamilton Street (boom gates down for 4 hours and 33 minutes each day) • Wharf Street (boom gates down for 7 hours and 17 minutes each day) • Williams Street (boom gates down for 4 hours and 25 minutes each day) Nearly 18,000 regular Armadale Line passengers have had six months’ free travel applied to their smart riders, in lieu of the disruption being caused to their commutes.

Although the line will be shut down, electricity will continue to run along the rail corridor.

Entering restricted areas without authorisation is both highly dangerous and illegal.

Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said the project would deliver huge benefits to people living in the southeastern corridor and along the Armadale Train Line.

“This train line has been neglected for too long, but under our Government it will get the investment it needs and deserves,” she said.

“We will be delivering seven new modern train stations, enhancing public amenity by opening up the rail corridor with new

I M A G E: R I TA S A F F I OT I

The long-touted closure of Perth’s Armadale line has begun, with boom gates at 12 notorious level crossings across the city closed for the last time.

The upgrades will see seven new stations built, including in the suburb of Byford for the first time, a total of 13 level crossings removed (Thomas Road over rail already delivered), 5.5km of elevated rail constructed and six hectares of new public open space created.

The Thornlie-Cockburn Link will also be delivered in parallel with the Armadale Line upgrade, which will see Perth’s first east-west connecting rail between the Mandurah and Armadale Lines, and two new stations built at Nicholson and Ranford Road.

The combined works represent one of the biggest public transport infrastructure projects Western Australia has ever seen and will close the line for at least 18 months.

Among the level crossings being removed during the upgrades are: • Mint Street (boom gates down for 4 hours and 29 minutes each day) • Oats Street (boom gates down for 6 hours each day)

Rita Saffioti at one of the now defunct boom gate sites.

open space, and importantly, removing more than a dozen of the worst level crossings in Perth, level crossings that create bottleneck nightmares for local communities and businesses trying to get around the suburbs.

“This project is going to fundamentally change this 130-year-old train line, but we know to reach that destination, a period of disruption lies ahead.”

10 | ISSUE 1 - F E BRUA RY 2024 | RAIL EXPRESS

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News

Victoria

Officers help make Melbourne tram rides safer Some of the new group of officers.

I M A G E: YA R R A T R A M S

A new dedicated team of specially trained officers is helping make Melbourne’s tram network safer to ride.

The Network Security Team comprises officers from a range of backgrounds and is being proactively deployed to known hotspots to target anti-social behaviour, as well as reactively respond to incidents on the network and engage with the community and local businesses.

The team members are all qualified Authorised Officers and received additional intensive training to give them the skills they need to respond to incidents on the tram network.

The training consisted of a mix of classroom, real-world, scenario and included conflict resolution, dynamic risk assessment, mental health and first aid training.

The new recruits will provide an additional layer of support to the Authorised Officers already on the network and will be a prominent presence, wearing distinct orange uniforms.

The officers will travel around Melbourne in specially equipped cars, allowing them to quickly respond to incidents as they arise.

Yarra Trams Chief Executive Carla Purcell said the operator had invested in this new group of specially trained Authorised Officers to ensure it had a reassuring presence on the ground, “where it’s needed most”.

“Trams are an iconic part of Melbourne.

Our new officers will be a visible presence to reinforce that trams are a safe, convenient and affordable way to experience all the city has to offer,” she said.

One of the new Network Security Team

Authorised Officers, Myles Pearce, said as a former police officer, he knew that having a visible security presence on the tram network was important to deterring antisocial behaviour and making passengers feel confident riding trams.

“We all know how stressful it can be when someone is acting erratically aboard a tram or at a tram stop, and a key part of our job will be to defuse the situation and try to provide the help they need,” he said.

Room service for Gippsland line modifications The first of six new signalling equipment rooms (SERs) being installed as part of the Gippsland Line Upgrade in Victoria has been lifted into position between Nar Nar Goon and Tynong stations.

The SER, weighing in at almost 16 tonnes and with a footprint of 44 square metres,

was installed as part of work to prepare the Gippsland Line for a new signalling system.

This work progressed alongside V/Line maintenance during a construction blitz in late November and early December while coaches replaced trains.

More than 260 people worked more I M A G E: V I CTO R I A N G OV E R N M E N T

The SER weighs in at almost 16 tonnes and measures 44 square metres.

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than 30,000 hours between Pakenham and Traralgon, including installing new track at the Hope Street level crossing in Bunyip.

Crew members worked around the clock, allowing Hope Street to reopen to vehicles and pedestrians a week early.

The new signalling equipment room between Nar Nar Goon and Tynong stations will be a crucial link between the signalling systems used in Gippsland and the metropolitan network.

The new signalling system for the Gippsland Line, in conjunction with track works and station upgrades already delivered as part of the Gippsland Line Upgrade, will enable more services and also future-proof the line.

The Gippsland Line Upgrade has already delivered benefits, with level crossing upgrades allowing modern VLocity trains to run to Bairnsdale for the first time.

Construction of a new rail bridge over the Avon River now allows trains to travel at up to 90km/h, no longer needing to slow to 10km/h in this section.

News

New South Wales

Sydney rail repair plans zooming ahead The Sydney Trains Rail Repair Plan has gone past the halfway mark ahead of schedule, with trackwork upgraded on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

The $97 million program, announced by NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen in June last year to improve the reliability and resilience of the network, has now seen more than 80 per cent of the 1900 high-priority defects fixed.

For the 1.4 million people who cross the Harbour Bridge by train every week, the rail line is on course to be more resilient than ever before.

Recent trackwork on this line has culminated in the installation of a new back-up airline hose across the bridge for the first time in history, meaning trains can keep running while critical signalling repairs are made.

The rail repair over the harbour comes as train testing on the Sydney Metro City and Southwest line ramps up deep below, to provide a world-class rail service for the city this year.

The Rail Repair Plan has already seen: • 1536 of 1,900 high-priority defects I M A G E: J O H AY L E N M P

A new back-up airline hose has been installed across the Harbour Bridge.

removed (yearly average from regular trackwork is 600) • 800km of track repairs, including grinding and resurfacing • 166 electrical backlog inspections completed (surpassing the initial target of 144) • 88 speed restrictions removed (repairing the issues that require trains to slow down, like go- slow signs for roadworks) • 489 trainstop rams refurbished (vital failsafe emergency braking systems) While the Sydney Trains network is 150 years old in parts and will never be free from incidents, Sydney Trains’ on-time running data has improved, especially over the past three months.

Sydney Trains Chief Executive Matt Longland said the Harbour Bridge was a key part of the city’s rail network and by investing in this infrastructure, reliability for the entire network was improved.

“I’m thrilled to say the Harbour Bridge rail line is the most resilient it’s been in history, with a number of first-time works complete, such as a new airline hose and upgraded overhead wiring,” he said.

“Our peak on-time running is improving, so with the exception of some unavoidable incidents, we’re beginning to see a pattern of more resilient and reliable services for passengers.”

TrainLink rail patronage just the ticket More than a million journeys were made last calendar year on NSW TrainLink’s long-distance regional train services, with patronage around three per cent higher than before the COVID period.

Patronage on all routes has steadily increased overall with around 107,000 journeys now made each month on regional trains including the XPTs and XPLORERS, compared to an average of around 42,000 in 2021.

In addition, more than 440,000 coach journeys have been made in 2023, with an average patronage of around 40,000 per month, or double the 2021 figure.

The sharpest increase in demand has been on the Melbourne to Sydney train route, with a 250 per cent increase in

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average monthly patronage compared to 2021 and a 47 per cent increase compared to 2022.

This included a spike in bookings in September around the AFL grand final, prompting NSW TrainLink to add a sixth carriage on Melbourne services for several weeks in September.

NSW TrainLink attributes the uplift in demand to factors including an advertising campaign which has generated more than 14,000 bookings in under two months.

Travellers have also responded to rail’s value for money price in the face of cost of living pressures, including the high cost of fuel and airfares.

The NSW TrainLink campaign includes a television advertisement that highlights

more than 365 destinations in NSW. The video features beautiful and inspirational scenery – from the red outback to rolling green hills, which passengers can see out the window as they travel across NSW and interstate.

As a result of the campaign, there has been a rise in the number of people paying full fare.

Demand during the cooler months was also strong this year, with all regional train journeys seeing an average 33 per cent increase during winter when compared to 2022.

On the Sydney and Melbourne XPTs, there were 90,000 passenger journeys combined for June, July and August this year, compared to 60,000 for 2022.

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South Australia

The new multi-million-dollar Adelaide Freight Terminal Facility of transport and logistics company Linfox is ready for business.

The Regency Park site facilitates the movement of up to 450 shipping containers per week through the connecting interstate cargo link, removing an entire local road transport leg.

The 20,000-plus square metre facility stores and distributes goods for Linfox customers across the grocery, consumer goods, hardware, healthcare, apparel and parcel sectors.

The facility was opened by South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas and Linfox Executive Chair Peter Fox. “Given Australia’s dependence on road transport, there is a growing demand for a sustainable, efficient, and resilient rail freight network. This becomes even more critical as freight volumes rise each year,” Fox said.

“Improving interstate networks is a key priority for Linfox, because so many local

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Linfox hub connects Adelaide to the nation

The facility can receive freight directly by rail from Port Adelaide, WA, the NT and the eastern states.

industries – from farming, retail and mining to grocery, can benefit.”

Malinauskas said the intermodal facility leveraged Adelaide’s unique position as a national freight hub and would result in a more efficient freight system.

“The Linfox facility can receive freight directly by rail from Port Adelaide, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and the eastern states, reducing reliance on our road network,” he said.

The facility is a significant investment in the South Australian economy and employs almost 100 South Australians in warehousing, driving, safety, administration and management roles.

The site was built to achieve 5-Star Green Star certification and includes: • 700kW solar PV array • 500kW battery storage • Smart LED lighting • Electric vehicle charging

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Government commits to procurement and manufacturing The largest rail conference in the Asian-Pacific region, AusRAIL PLUS 2023 – held last November – pulled in more than 6000 delegates from across the industry. Helping kick it off was the launch of a new national rail procurement and manufacturing strategy.

With the release of the program, the Federal Government cemented its commitment to improving local manufacturing industries.

Announced by Assistant Manufacturing Minister Tim Ayres, it outlines the steps the Government is taking to help grow a sustainable rail manufacturing sector, increase productivity, international competitiveness and industry participation.

He said delivering the strategy in partnership with the States and Territories would support jobs in the outer suburbs and regions by helping to ensure high-quality, low-emissions passenger and freight trains are made in Australia.

The Strategy has six pillars: 1. Develop a nationally coordinated approach to rolling stock procurement 2. Harmonise standards for manufacturing rolling stock 3. Adopt a national local content approach 4. Maximise opportunities for freight and heavy haul rail manufacturing 5. Improve research and innovation outcomes in the rail sector 6. Establish the foundation for good jobs and rewarding careers in rail manufacturing “The Strategy is part of the National Rail Manufacturing Plan – our election commitment to lift productivity, improve social and environmental outcomes and create economic value,” Ayres said.

“The Government has already delivered on earlier commitments in the Plan including establishing the Office of National Rail Industry Coordination (ONRIC), and the appointment of a National Rail Manufacturing Advocate and Rail Industry Innovation Council.

“ONRIC has been working closely with industry, state and territory governments, unions and the research community to develop the Strategy. This important collaboration will continue throughout implementation.

“We want to make more things here – we’re rebuilding domestic industrial capability so Australia can make high-value products for our country, our region, and the world.

“The National Rail Procurement and Manufacturing Strategy is the framework for the Commonwealth and the States and Territories to work together to help ensure passenger and freight rail rolling stock is built here in Australia.

“Building an enduring rail manufacturing industry means good jobs, high quality trains and lower costs for taxpayers and the States and Territories.

“An Australasian Railway Association report found that taxpayers would have saved $1.85 billion over the last 10 years if state rolling stock contracts had been better coordinated.”

Ayres said the Government had a “big ambition for Australian manufacturing: to meet the challenges of our age”.

“We must lift broadly our economic complexity and our position in global and regional supply chains to advance our economic and our broader security interest in our region and the world,” he said.

“No more complacency. We have delivered the largest ever peacetime commitment from a government to Australian industry: for example, $15 billion for the national reconstruction, $20 billion rewiring the nation’s funding for our electricity and energy system, nearly $400 million in the Industry Growth Program, and the list goes on.

“And I assure you that rail manufacturing is at the centre of our vision for the future of Australian manufacturing.

“Indeed, rail has been at the heart of Australia’s economic and social development since the first steam locomotive was built in Melbourne in 1854.

“Locomotive and carriage workshops in centres all over this country continue to build the passenger and freight trains which connect our communities, and power our economy.

“Regional economies like Newcastle, Ballarat and Maryborough rely upon these workplaces to deliver good jobs, apprenticeships, engineering, and commercial opportunities for small and medium businesses to participate in the manufacture and supply chain.

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AusRAIL PLUS 2023

Tim Ayres addressing delegates.

“Losing this capability would be a tragedy for Australia. “(Past) decisions to offshore manufacturing have pushed Australia perilously close to reaching an industrial tipping point where this industrial capability is lost forever.”

Ayres said there needed to be more confidence in the national capacity and capability to manufacture products.

“It’s going to be a challenging next few decades. We are confident we’re going to demand a lot from industry over the course of the coming years. We’d expect people to step up, but we have absolute confidence in Australian capability and Australian ingenuity,” he said.

“In coming decades, Government and private sector spending on rail projects will exceed $100 billion.

“The government promised to deliver the National Rail Manufacturing Plan at the last election, an ambitious commitment to build long term domestic industrial capability and help ensure that that capability delivers good jobs in our outer suburbs and our regions.

“Trains designed and built to Australia’s unique conditions will lower costs for government and industry, improve the quality of the commuter experience, and lower our national transport emissions.”

Ayres’ sentiments were echoed by National Rail Manufacturing Advocate Jacqui Walters,

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AusRAIL PLUS 2023 who told attendees that the collaboration between industry, governments and the research sector in developing this strategy had established a strong foundation for ongoing cooperation and delivery.

She said that in her discussions with industry stakeholders since being appointed, there had been a relatively small and consistent set of issues experienced across the country that had to be solved if the industry was to grow.

“They include inconsistent procurement practices, particularly around local content, limited pipeline visibility, inconsistent standards, inefficient duplication of supply chains, barriers to adoption of innovation and new technologies, workforce shortages, a lack of diversity in the workforce and out-of-date training instructions,” she said.

“We will continue to sing and listen to input as we shape this work. I look forward to many more candid discussions about solving these challenges and you will see these issues addressed.

“We have known about many of these challenges and in different ways tried to solve them for many, many years.

“But if we know the answers, why haven’t we managed to fix things?

“I’m sure most industry members have been involved in strategy development: spotting, brainstorming, diverting and converting red oceans, blue oceans and sometimes way too many post-it notes.

“But what happens when you finish that strategic thinking? How many of you have contributed to workshops, attended a retreat, seen the strategy, launched posters at morning teas? A few things happen, and then it just fades away.

“It is a common occurrence and we need to make sure this doesn’t happen in this

industry with rail manufacturing. I want to ensure that this work isn’t something that people scratch their heads about at AusRAIL 2027 and say “whatever happened to that manufacturing strategy?”.

“We aim to ensure we deliver and that the growth of the rail manufacturing industry is achieved and that it’s sustained, with an enduring strategy and action.”

For this to happen, Walters said there firstly needed to have a shared vision and commitment.

“Perhaps even more critical than vision is commitment to action from the Australian Government and key stakeholders,” she said.

“The Australian Government has shown its commitment through the development, approval and funding of the National Rail manufacturing plan and with the achievements that’s already delivered under that plan, and the launch of this new strategy.

“But you cannot make strategy happen without commitment of adequate resources. Strategy without resourcing is just wishful thinking.

“We’ve seen commitment from the stakeholders who all own pieces of this puzzle. Unions representing the workforce; state and territory governments as standard setters; procurers, owners and operators; industry and suppliers and operators, large, medium and small; researchers and innovators helping to improve safety, lift productivity and decarbonise; and the various regulatory bodies ensuring our systems work safely, reliably and efficiently.

“This support will continue to be fundamental in delivering on the strategy.

Shared vision and commitment will be really important because we will have to tackle complex challenges.

“We can’t leave the work to Assistant Minister Ayres or to me, or to ONRIC or the

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Jacqui Walters has pledged to deliver on the strategy.

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Council or to you. It will only be successful if leaders work together to solve difficult problems, to remove barriers to achieving the vision, it will take all of us working in partnership. Collaboration will be essential to solve these tough problems.”

Walters said the final critical element to consider was momentum.

“A lot of people have said “just get on with it” and I understand that sense of urgency,” she said.

“We know that some of these opportunities and challenges have existed for decades.

You’ve told me that we have tried this before and yet nothing changes. There is cynicism out there and that’s fair enough.

“But I don’t think we have ever had the alignment and the commitment across governments and the industry that we have today. So I really encourage that healthy cynicism and the frank discussions that I’ve had to date and I welcome them as we work through this.

“I know that to achieve success we will have to carefully consider competing interests and it will take time to find ways to progress. But we have to balance that with forward momentum to maintain the interest and importantly, the commitment of all stakeholders.

“We will look for opportunities to progress nearer term solutions while in parallel, working on those more challenging issues.

“We move from admiring these problems to taking action and maintaining and increasing that momentum.

“As an example, you have told us that one of the highest impact things that we could deliver is a national rolling stock procurement pipeline.

“So we’ll be seeking input as we design and populate the pipeline that will give all stakeholders a view of the forward demand for passenger rolling stock, and will publish that first pipeline in the second quarter of 2024.

“In fact, the first half of next year is going to be pretty busy. In addition to publishing the pipeline, we will map and analyse current rolling stock procurement frameworks and processes and road test ideas for policy reform to support manufacturing, including the adoption of innovation and new technology.

“We will develop a business case to quantify the benefits of coordinating procurement at a national level. This will provide the economic rationale to support the changes that we are contemplating.

“There’s a lot of work that has been done already by many people in this room on these various aspects and we will be building on that. So we certainly don’t plan to go out and reinvent the wheel where we don’t have to.”

AusRA IL PLUS 2023

Free trade deal win for both sides I M A G E: P R I M E C R E AT I V E M E D I A

The rail industries in the UK and Australia are benefitting from the UK/AUS Free Trade Agreement (A-UKFTA), which has eliminated tariffs on more than 99 per cent of Australian goods exports to the UK. Speaking at AusRAIL PLUS, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Exports) and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the United Kingdom, Lord Malcolm Offord, said Australia’s services companies and professionals had gained from being able to operate more easily in the UK market, supporting the mutual recognition of professional qualifications and greater certainty for skilled professionals entering the UK. Attending the conference with a delegation of UK rail businesses, he said the deal contained commercially significant commitments that created new export opportunities and reduced input costs for business, and strengthend trade diversification.

“The UK Department of Business and Trade is our government’s engine for economic growth, and our job basically is to help businesses do their job to connect domestic and international markets and great opportunities of investment, export and growth,” he said.

“We’ll be talking a lot about the free trade agreements that we are now assigning around the world. It’s something that you have a lot of experience with in Australia, but it’s something we’ve had to relearn after 40 years of being inside the EU. “We now have 73 FTAs in total, of which 65 or so were more about deals from the EU as we came out of Brexit.

“The EU agreements were quite basic, mostly concentrated on goods, not very digital, not very green. And what we’re doing now is upgrading these FTAs to make them modern and progressive.

“And the best example of that is the Australia deal, which is what we call a fromscratch agreement that covers a full range of services, goods and digital.”

Lord Offord said there were obvious close links between the two nations.

“So much shared history and culture, and we continue to benefit from mutual cooperation, values of common language and much more besides.

“Given these rich ties, it’s natural that a deal with Australia was amongst our first free trade agreements. The deal works for both UK and

Lord Offord addresses AusRAIL PLUS attendees.

Australia, with the lifting of tariffs and losing red tape. It will boost competition and help spark new ideas and innovations.”

Lord Offord said one of the key features of the FTA was the mobility clause, which was a boost to the workforce.

“We’ve always had a great tradition of young Brits and Aussies in their 20s coming back and forward between our countries,” he said.

“We see them mostly in the bars of Edinburgh and London, but now we’ve got a very different concept of young people being able to further their careers in their 30s.”

From January 31, 2024, Australians up to 35 years of age were able to apply for working holidays in the UK and stay for a maximum of three years. Similarly, from July 2023, UK citizens up to 35 years of age were able to apply for a working holiday visa, and from July 2024, be granted up to three working holiday visas without the requirement to undertake any ‘specified work’.

“If we consider the industries that the 21st century are going to be defined by, for example renewable energy and creative industries like manufacturing, the opportunity is strong for our young people now coming out of schools and universities to get high-skilled jobs in those new areas,” Lord Offord said.

“It is really exciting for them and we want the collaboration between both countries to flow because they’re the ones that are going to solve the problems in the future.”

Lord Offord clarified what the FTA meant specifically for the rail sector.

“It means you can export rail infrastructure consultancy and professional services without export tariffs, while benefit from even easier business, travel and much reduced red tape in both directions,” he said.

“The UK is the birthplace of railway systems and has been the at the forefront of world innovation over 200 years. But are we certainly not sitting on our laurels and today we’re home to cutting edge rail technologies and services, as well as world leading lowcarbon systems … such as the Elizabeth line, which spans London and the SE. “The UK also boasts the Rail Research and Innovation Network, an organisation at the forefront of advanced world leading research into rolling stock infrastructure, testing facilities and digital systems. We also have expertise in monitoring, maintaining and upgrading rail infrastructure and franchising concessions and public private partnerships.

“And we have fostered an open and competitive marketplace, driving new product and service innovation, a viable quality which we can share and export.

“We’re also making headway towards having a fully electric fleet and reaching our net zero goals. Our network is currently about 38 per cent electrified at this point. “ Lord Offord noted that the respective sectors of each country were already working together.

“In addition, UK companies already have an excellent track record in delivering contracts with major Australian infrastructure projects,” he said.

“For example, design work on Sydney’s Central Station with UK architect John McAslan and Partners, and delivery and integration of Sydney Trains’ major digital systems upgrade over the next decade.

“The UK companies stand ready to partner with Australian counterparts, bringing technology and capability to your infrastructure pipeline and playing their part in your $154 billion rail industry.”

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AusRA I L PLUS 2023

The Alstom team at AusRAIL PLUS: Julie Bruant (left), Steven Kassiou, Lena Kernoa and Sylvain Barraud next to its smart robot.

The Liebherr contingent included Wayne Milsteed (left), James Bond, Ryan Marsh, Mark Taylor and Christian Schorer.

At the Martinus booth were Murray Simon (left), Olivia Prince and Brett Urquhart.

Proud to be with Swieteslky Rail: Tahnee Sumner (left), Glenn Barber and Anne Modderno.

At the Adaptalift stand were David Lamb (left), Nandan Mehta, and David McMonagle.

Showing off LORAM’s latest products was the company’s business development director Thomas Smith.

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I M A G E S: P R I M E C R E AT I V E M E D I A

Craig Cameron (right) demonstrates how the Siemens Mobility ETCS simulator works.

At the GS1 stand (from left): Tony Repaci (GS1), Mark Kojetin and Mark Luft (Trotec), Caterina Slade and Dimi Pachiyannis (GS1), Craig Zammit (Insignia) and Craig D’Costa (Zebra).

Metro Trains Sydney CEO Daniel Williams (left), MTR Chief Executive Officer - Australian Business, Raymond Yuen, and Metro Trains Melbourne CEO Raymond O’Flaherty.

David Gallagher welcomed clients to the Key Source Rail booth.

David (left) and Jackson Aldridge displayed the Aldridge Systems WPS kit at the company’s stand.

Steve Cockerell from Bentley Systems made a presentation on the company’s digital twins technology.

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ASPECT conference 2023

Global integration at the core Melbourne was the centre of rail engineering in November as more than 400 registered delegates from around the world descended upon the Institution of Railway Safety Engineers’ flagship global international technical conference, ASPECT 2023.

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I M A G E: S T E V E B O S H I E R

Held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre with the theme of global integration, the event drew a range of IRSE attendees with diverse experience and skills.

They included venerable experts and brand new graduates, specialists and generalists, representatives from rail operators, technology suppliers, government agencies, regulators and academic institutions, who spoke, listened, made new connections, renewed old friendships and shared knowledge.

The packed auditoriums and high quality of papers and presentations reflected the global focus on railway signalling and rail systems and their importance in ensuring that trains can be run.

The technical program kicked off with opening remarks from the IRSE President Steve Boshier, who spoke about the shift from a UK-based institution to a truly global organisation supporting the professional development of if members worldwide.

The keynote presentations came from Kevin Devlin, the Director-General of Victoria’s Major Transport Infrastructure Authority, who spoke on opportunities and challenges for signalling delivery in Victoria; Robert Baird, IRSE Australasia Vice-President, who provided a fly-through of the local signalling context; and Rod Muttram from the IRSE International Technical Committee, who gave a Presidential Lecture on the effective, safe and ethical use of artificial intelligence.

Among the delegates was V/Line engineering manager Alexandra McGrath, who said conference highlights included: • Two full days of site visits, including to the Metro Tunnel, V/Line and MTM train control centres, and a corridor tour of Pakenham Line CBTC and Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP) sites • 52 papers over three days, with two concurrent streams • A trade show with 25 industry exhibitors • Social events including the welcome reception on the Polly Woodside tall ship, the conference dinner in the majestic State Library, and the closing social event on the Puffing Billy tourist and heritage railway

ASPECT members on a site visit at Clayton Station.

• 15 Younger Member bursary winners were sponsored by IRSE to travel to Australia, with some of them presenting papers at the conference – for some, this was their first trip overseas, and for all, it was transformative. Another 10 younger members from the IRSE Australasian section were also awarded bursaries to attend.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND AUTOMATION “Keynotes and papers focused on emerging technology opportunities such as artificial intelligence, automation and telecommunications, and how to bring these into the rail domain,” McGrath said.

“Topics included machine learning and video object recognition, cloud computing,

use of robot track workers, and many different applications of sensor technology and data analytics to streamline delivery, optimise asset management and get the best value out of the rail network. Almost every session mentioned the changing cyber landscape, with cyber risk being front of mind for all rail technologists – with Alexander Patton (Japan), John Boss (Netherlands) and Henry Cheung (Hong Kong) each sharing some powerful techniques to understand and develop cyber maturity.”

CULTIVATING THE NEXT GENERATION It was not all unbridled enthusiasm for new technology: the human contribution was an important theme too.

Peter Woodbridge, Krishnan G Venkateswaran

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Steve Boshier (left) hands over the token to incoming IRSE president Jane Power.

and Felix Schmid (all UK) spoke of the need for the generalist railway signalling engineer with deep and broad knowledge who can see the railway as a whole, understands how the systems that make up the railway interact with each other, including over time, and can advise on targeted changes that can optimise operations.

“There was ongoing discussion about developing this kind of rail professional, recognising that the old routes to this expertise via apprenticeship, rotation and breadth of education are not as obvious to today’s emerging professionals in an increasingly globalised, proceduralised and siloed rail industry,” McGrath said.

COMMUNICATION AND COMMUNITY Several interesting papers addressed how the signalling industry can better engage outside engineering: Alessandra Scholl-Sternberg (Netherlands) spoke about accessibility and mobility as a service (MAAS) to support inclusion; Dr Amanda C Elliott (UK) ran a master class on tabletop testing techniques to de risk commissioning; and Keith Upton urged engagement with young people via STEM education in schools.

Dr Ben Guy (Australia) demonstrated a physics-based full-context 3D CGI model to support engineers in design, with use cases of

developing the railway’s operational concept, cross-disciplinary engineering review, driver training and signal sighting, overall yielding risk reduction, design efficiencies and smarter, faster delivery.

STRATEGIC EARLY INVOLVEMENT McGrath said a hot topic was the need to get the signalling and operational systems strategy in place before the projects kicked off, and ‘shift left’ to move the design of these systems earlier into project delivery.

These operationally and safety critical digital systems are a rounding error on a megaproject delivery budget, but if neglected, operational outcomes of the railway can be compromised.

“David Ness (Australia) shared the learnings from taking a long-term portfolio view of signalling, Bill Palazzi (Australia) explored how to shape an investment case, and I gave a rapid-fire run down of digital system contract management which including a cheat sheet for choosing the right contract for the system,” McGrath said.

YOUNGER MEMBERS Younger members took a key role in shaping the conference, with site visits, practical activities and training sessions that were crafted by and targeted to new engineers.

The Dingoes Den competition was a

highlight of the program, and was both entertaining and hard hitting. Three innovators had the opportunity to present their innovation pitch to the panel of “dingoes”, being senior industry experts, who then interrogated, critiqued, and occasionally helped the presenter out.

The winner received professional development sponsorship of $1000 with a clean and straightforward application of machine learning and object recognition which would automatically link drawing references and help engineers navigate the complicated chains of legacy paper drawings that are the bane of most rail operators.

CHANGE AT THE HELM The conference was concluded at the Puffing Billy Railway Lakeside Visitor’s Centre, with the formal handover by Boshier of a specially engraved token to the incoming IRSE President and Chair of the 2024 Toronto Convention, Jane Power.

“Overall, the conference was a huge success with attendees walking away from it with new ideas and broader understanding of emerging technologies and historical practices, maintaining safe and efficient rail operations while leveraging innovation and digitalisation, and reignited human connections which bring together the railway signalling tribe,” Boshier said.

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High-speed rail I M A G E: B E E B OYS / S H U T T E R S TO C K.C O M

The world’s first high-speed rail line, the Shinkansen in Japan, took almost 30 years to build.

High speed needed now for high-speed rail infrastructure Delegates to the recent AusRAIL PLUS conference were told that when it comes to the introduction of high speed rail in Australia, there’s no time like the present.

The message for urgency came from no less an authority than the Chairman of the International High-Speed Rail Association, Masafumi Shukuri, who warned the process from conception to reality would take many decades.

The organisation was established in 2014 in part to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Tokaido Shinkansen in Japan, the world’s first high-speed rail line.

Neither a government institution nor a company seeking to procure project orders, the IHSRA aims to contribute to the further development of high-speed rail around the world by promoting international co-operation that includes sharing information, knowledge and experience with countries which aspire to have a safe high-speed rail system.

“It takes a long time and the massive investment to develop high speed rail,” Shukuri said.

And he said it starts with winning over the opinions of the public.

“Even in the case of the Tokaido Shinkansen, it was necessary to show the benefits of high speed rail to win hearts and minds of the people,” Shukuri said.

He said that when the concept was first

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mooted in Japan in the 30s, there was scepticism and anger.

“The Shinkansen finally commenced just before the Tokyo Olympic Games in 1964,” he said. “Despite the prevailing winds of doubt, the people of Japan have come to recognise the Shinkansen as a symbol of their dreams.

“Boosting human connectivity leads to the creation of diverse goods and services, and spurs economic growth, which in turn fosters increased connectivity.”

For Australia, Shukuri said speed was certainly of the essence.

“Even if you start construction now, high speed rail will take at least 10 years to start operation,” he said.

“With further growth projected in Sydney and Melbourne, and with the Australian commitment to net zero by 2050, can this be achieved without high speed rail?

“You have to start it now. Now is the time for Australia to make high speed rail a reality.”

Shukuri’s sentiment was echoed by the acting chief executive of Australia’s HighSpeed Rail Authority (HSRA), Andrew Hyles, who said it was definitely time to begin the journey of building the system, underpinned by robust rationale and sound reasoning.

“Population forecasts are already indicating that there will be significant growth along the planned HSRA corridor, parts of which already see transport systems at capacity, resulting in congested services and diminishing reliability,” he said.

“In order to meet this future population settlement need, we have to start planning the high-speed and high capacity infrastructure now.

“We have a key opportunity to consider what we want Australia to look like in 50 or 100 years’ time and to leverage major transformative infrastructure like high-speed rail, not just to build for the present, but build for Australia’s future.”

But Hyles said that while it was recognised that rail transportation was a very efficient and consequently sustainable mode of transport, he acknowledged there was scepticism about building high-speed rail in Australia and that “it will not be quick or easy”.

“Constructing high-speed rail has a high cost, no matter where it’s built around the world, and Australia will be no different,” he said.

“Construction of such a major piece of infrastructure will take time, but the benefits

rail to meaningfully ship shift population settlement outcomes.”

Hyles said the Prime Minister had already stated that high-speed rail along the East Coast of Australia was viable because “that is where the population is concentrated”.

“He has highlighted that Sydney to Melbourne area consistently ranks in the top five routes in the world in terms of air travel,” he said. “High-speed rail will provide a low-emissions, fast, efficient and viable mass transit alternative option for travel between our East Coast capital cities.

“But what really makes East Coast highspeed rail viable is that it will open up regional areas between the four East Coast capital cities.

“High-speed rail will be instrumental in improving the lives of Australians by supporting shifts in population settlement, better connecting skilled workers with major job centres and be the key enabler of achieving our ambitious carbon reduction targets.

“The wide range of social benefits will not just come from better transport connections and reduced travel times, they come from enriching urban and regional development and improving living standards through a focus on designing places that attract people to live and work.

“Integrating urban and regional development with high-speed rail planning offers the opportunity to enhance population settlement outcomes through improved housing supply and better-connected regional development and residential service areas.”

Hyle said there were also significant economic benefits to be considered. High speed rail can provide business with greater access to labour markets and people with better access to jobs.

“Not only will high-speed rail generate employment during critical construction, it will also underpin long term job

opportunities in regional areas once complete,” he said. “Critically, new high speed rail infrastructure will also relieve pressure on existing rail networks, some of which are already at or near capacity in turning, increasing capacity for freight and commuters on these existing lines.

“And while the construction phase will inevitably generate emissions, construction technologies and processes are rapidly evolving. It is now conceivable that a significant proportion of construction emissions could either be partially offset or permanently captured and stored.

“In operation, high-speed rail will contribute towards Australia’s net zero targets by decarbonising transport and providing passengers with more environmentally sound travel options.”

Hyles concluded by stating that “doing nothing is not an option”.

“Australia is growing by the size of Canberra every 18 months and we will need our regional development and transport infrastructure to match that growth by the end of this year,” he said.

“We are formulating a strategic plan to guide the development of a network pathway to deliver a report which will commence early next year and a detailed business case for the Sydney to Newcastle section.

“The NSW, Victorian, Qld and city governments will be key partners in the planning and delivery of high-speed rail and we will be engaging with them closely throughout this process.

“The communities and the industry will also be key partners on our journey and we are making a very clear plan for when and how we will engage with our stakeholders.

“Opportunities to positively shape and transform Australia’s future don’t come around very often, so I think we can all agree it’s time to get on board high-speed rail.”

I M A G E: AU S T R A L A S I A N R A I LWAY A S S O C I ATO N

will be significant. It is essential that we get the planning right up front as good, detailed planning is the best insurance against unexpected cost increases and time delays in future.

“Many issues still need to be tested and resolved. For example, we need to develop and set in stone the technical and operational standards that will define what sort of highspeed system is built, but we are not starting from zero.

“A number of studies have already been undertaken and we will build on these, rather than starting from scratch.

“The Australian Government’s first highspeed rail report, known as Phase One, framed the overall objectives and rationale such a network.

“The Phase Two report was completed in 2013 and considered alignment and station concepts and included an assessment of the potential economic benefits of an East Coast high-speed rail network.

“More recently, a strategic business case for the city and Newcastle section was carried out by the NSW Government in partnership with the Commonwealth and included consideration of a high-speed rail option.

“Each of these studies will inform work going forward, but there are a range of key issues that will need to be resolved to make high-speed rail a reality.”

Hyle said Australia was no stranger to large nation-shaping infrastructure projects, and that high-speed rail would prove to be as transformative as many of the successful initiatives carried out in the past.

“We are alive to the fact that building highspeed in Australia faces challenges. These include funding, land acquisition, managing sensitive environmental and heritage issues and the time needed to plan and complete the build, the nature of high-speed services, design and route,” he said.

“The number and placement of stations will also need careful, deliberate and evidencebased considerations and local communities will need to be involved in this process.”

Hyles said that Infrastructure Minister Catherine King had made it clear that the public would not be seeing “sudden digging and actual rail work”.

“What you’re going to see is really detailed planning work. And that is the HSRA’s focus,” he said.

“Current and future population settlement will also influence the planning for highspeed rail. Australia’s population is forecast to grow to 40.5 million people by 2063.

“We need to think about the how we’re going to best support that growing population with new infrastructure and housing, and what opportunities exist to leverage transformative infrastructure like high-speed

Masafumi Shukuri said it took a great deal of time and investment to build high-speed rail.

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High-speed rail

High-speed rail: now or never?

To high-speed rail or not high-speed rail: that was question for the great debate that rounded off the 2023 AusRAIL PLUS conference, attended by a packed audience who were viewing proceedings with a grain of salt.

As the concept picks up steam in Australia, with the Australian Government already setting up a High-Speed Rail Authority and decidedly keen to get the wheels literally in motion, there remains a healthy scepticism among some sectors as to whether such ambitious infrastructure will ever get off the ground.

Debating the pros for fast and furious progress were Inver Engineering chair Andrew Lezala, CPB Contractors project director Julian Sharp, and Australasian Railway Association passenger rail and safety general manager Jesse Baker.

Arguing against the notion were Victorian Department of Transport and Planning chief engineer Amy Lezala-Zahr, ADBRAX services managing director Tony Braxton-Smith, and ARA policy and government relations general manager Simon Bourke.

THE CASE FOR Lezala kicked off proceedings by enthusiastically highlighting the merits of faster train rides.

“Who likes waiting around in airports? Who likes bumpy plane rides? Who would like to see trips between Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane in three hours?” he asked.

“We came up from Port Melbourne to the Sofitel Hotel in Sydney. Beautiful day, great day for flying, no delays, but it took four and a half hours.

“A high-speed train would have been doorto-door in under four.

“High-speed rail is a fantastic opportunity for us all. One that we will not get again, probably in our lifetimes.”

Lezala said the will of the current Federal Labor Government on the project was strong.

“Like Mick Hucknall said, Australia is simply red at the moment,” he said.

“What that means is we will never have better political alignment to build a new (highspeed rail) alignment.

“So let’s do it. And let’s do it now. It will

be nation-building. We’ve got 60 per cent of the entire population of Australia within 50 kilometres of the proposed alignment.

“Imagine the lifestyle and economic benefits for more than half the population to be able to get access to fast and frequent light rail.

“Also, with high-speed trains, there are zero emissions. So we owe it to the planet and our children to do it and do it now.”

Sharp said he wanted to push for high-speed rail from a personal standpoint.

“I’ve been in Australia since 2006. And there are three periods of my working career where high-speed rail would have benefited myself and many others,” he said.

“From 2006 to 2010, I traveled between Newcastle and Sydney for work, driving three times a week to Sydney because the train

High-speed rail has many benefits, but is building it in Australia feasible?

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I M A G E: P R I M E C R E AT I V E M E D I A

took two hours 27 minutes slower than the early 1900s.

“I could have done that in approximately 40 minutes with high-speed rail and see more of my wife, as well as being refreshed and on time and not getting caught in accidents on the road which could occur.

“Then between 2015 and 2018 I was traveling between Sydney and Melbourne with a flight to door-to-door taking sometimes in excess of four hours ... then having to navigate the Tullamarine freeway on a Monday morning and Friday afternoon was unnerving to say the least.

“And not being able to relax or be in any one seat for more than an hour could not be conducive to a pleasant experience.

“HSR would have offered a step change difference, with no check-ins, relaxing with good leg room, not having to turn your computer on and off at landing and takeoff, not having good connectivity ...

“With high-speed rail, I’ve got to work and already started the day productively and refreshed.

“More recently, I’m travelling weekly between

Arguing for HSR were Andrew Lezala (left), Julian Sharp, and Jesse Baker.

Sydney and Canberra and although it might be a 45-minute hop in a plane, the overall journey is more than double that and on average, sometimes greater. Recently last week the flight got caught in delays because of thunderstorms but then it could be fog in Canberra as well.

“HSR would have got me there more frequently just under an hour and also again I would have been rested and already started work.

“HSR will enable far greater and quicker connectivity for the many people who spend too long in a car or plane, whether it is for work family or play alone.

“This will result in better mental health, enabling people to be less stressed knowing they can relax and ... get from A to B efficiently and on time, whatever the weather conditions, noting that those conditions are probably going to get worse in the future.

“It will also allow people to feel they are traveling on a low carbon system and doing their bit for the world.

“Whether it be for love, work or play, we need to start HSR today.”

Rounding off the case with a touch of

whimsy, Baker said that when it came to high-speed rail, Australia had been fixated on feasibility studies, business cases, population data, density sizes, and the like.

“But we’ve been thinking about that all wrong. Forget about the analysis. Let’s build high-speed rail, simply because it’s cool,” he said.

“Let’s throw caution to the wind. Everybody in this room wants high-speed rail. It’s just a sexy project. Toys for the boys. And to me, that’s enough.

“Let’s talk about the great strides we’re making in our industry in diversity, particularly in gender diversity. Of course, we’ve got a long way to go, but we’re slowly making progress.

“Gender diversity reports tell us that in 20162017, 21 per cent of our workforce was female.

By 2021, it was 24 per cent. We’re growing our female workforce by around 1 per cent a year.

Hopefully we accelerate that.

“But you know what all most Australia’s great infrastructure projects have in common? They all involved men.

“At 1 per cent a year, it’s going to take a quarter of a century before we get to

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High-speed rail gender parity, at which point, the sort of cavalier decision-making I’m proposing will be impossible.

“The window is closing on opportunity, or let’s say more adventurous projects. We need to think more like we’re troublesome teenagers breaking the rules, having a party at home when we know our responsible guardians are about to get home soon, at which point we will have to grow up.

“So I say we have to act now. We have to act collectively and urgently to get this project underway, while we, as a predominantly male industry, are still relatively unsupervised.”

Wrapping up, Lezala said it was important to note the prophecy of St. James of Barnes, whose wisdom was carved into the ancient stones with a Cold Chisel: “the last train out of Sydney’s almost gone.”

“2.2 million tonnes of carbon today will be 2.5 million tonnes of carbon in 2050,when we need to be carbon-neutral,” he said.

“There’s no never going to be a better opportunity we need to build this railway.

“We need to start now. It’s now or never again, it’s train over plane. Vote YES for progress!”

THE CASE AGAINST Braxton-Smith said he applauded the Australian Government’s visionary commitment to long-term investment of hundreds of billions of dollars to help shape the nation’s future.

“Our proposition is simply that the project choice of HSR along the east coast is based on ill-informed policy analysis and advice, and that that money would be much better invested in other rail programs and projects that will secure our nation’s prosperity,” he said.

He said that as the former chief executive of Great Southern Rail – which provides Australia’s greatest long-distance rail journeys like the Ghan – he was of the belief that what the country needed for the future was not very fast rail, but in fact slower rail.

“Consider the demographic trends whilst our population is growing. The proportion of older persons is growing faster, we’re living longer, we’re retiring earlier,” he said.

“This is the demographic that will shape the future of long distance rail travel.

“We’re done with rushing around the countryside on tight schedules. They now want to travel at a leisurely pace.

“Advocates of the HSR proposition may argue on the benefits to workplace

productivity. But look at the trends postpandemic and it’s all about remote working, digitally connecting, telecommuting.

“Many workers today get to the workplace on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

And as a consequence of that, travel demand is falling.

“And the captains of commerce have introduced artificial intelligence that’s going to reduce routine work further, shuffling between cities for a quick business trip will evaporate and we’ll all be having leisure.”

Braxton-Smith urged the audience to consider what would happen if the HSR proposal were to proceed.

“What happens if there’s regional development along the lines, and the productive farmland is turned into suburban sprawl.

“Primary production will fall, and their economic mainstay will go from “Farmer wants a wife” to “Farmer wants a farm”.

“Property prices and regional centres will rise, they’ll go up to the detriment of country folk, while in our cities property prices will fall.

“This will be financial hardship for the engine of our country’s prosperity, and those urban property investors and the much-loved property developers.

I M A G E: U S M A N I F Y

Imagine traveling from Sydney to Newcastle in 40 minutes.

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I M A G E: P R I M E C R E AT I V E M E D I A

Arguing against HSR were Amy Lezala-Zahr (left), Simon Bourke and Tony Braxton-Smith.

“Flow-on investments in supporting infrastructure for these new towns and precincts, water, roads, etc, will put huge pressure on budgets, taxes will rise, and rates will rise.

“There’ll be rising demand for doctors and nurses and teachers. What we pay a train driver today in the near future will become minimum wage; wages will spiral and will be locked in higher for inflation, and these are outcomes we can simply not afford.”

Bourke, meanwhile, chose to provide figures that showed the financial unfeasibility of the project. “Passenger movements between Melbourne and Sydney sat at about eight million per annum this year,” he said.

“So on this 900-kilometre corridor that the prime proponents are arguing for, that’s 22,000 trips per day: the average suburban rail line can handle that whole capacity in an hour.

“Assume for a moment this high-speed train was actually able to wrestle 50 per cent of that market demand off the airlines.

“That’s around 10,000 customers a day, barely enough to fill a normal-sized, highspeed train every couple of hours.

“What about the Brisbane to Sydney route?

That’s about half the size of the market of Sydney to Melbourne at 3.6 million per year.

“Let’s look at the figures and compare those passenger numbers to the gold standards of high-speed rail internationally.

“Pre-pandemic, the Shinkansen carried 168 million passengers a year, the TGV in France 100 million. In both instances, that’s much more than the population of those entire countries.

“So clearly, if we’re going to make high speed rail viable in Australia, it needs to be looking at 100 million plus into capital movements per year, not 10 million.

“The TGV train has 600 seats, the Shinkansen has 1200 seats. If we were going to get a train that fits the Australian market, we’d be looking at something that’s well the size of an Airbus, except it will be traveling on steel

wheels hurtling through the countryside at 300 kilometres an hour.

“Do we seriously want to be investing more than $200 billion or more in something about the same size as a plane that travels at half the speed?”

Burke said that in countries where highspeed rail actually does operate, transport planners preferred using the network to connect cities of three million people or more at about 300 kilometres apart.

“If we’re going to replicate that here in Australia, you’re gonna have to pick up a city the size of Melbourne, dump it somewhere on the Murray, and then connect it to Canberra,” he said.

“As a lifelong Canberran, I don’t want to see another two and a half million people coming through the capital, and I don’t want to be waiting two decades for high-speed rail.

“What I’d much rather see is investment right now in our current infrastructure that can get me on a normal train to Sydney in less than four and a half hours, and just get it moving at the speed of a normal train rather than a tractor, which it feels like at the moment.”

Rounding up the case against, Lezala-Zahr said there was no need for fast rail, just faster rail. “Our rail maps are like spiders: we have a big fat centre and long legs reaching out,” she said. “These long legs connected emerging economic hubs and established commuting patterns.

“In Victoria as an example, our big popular centres of Ballarat, Bendigo Shepperton are all connected by these links, but the end-to-end transport is about 100 kilometres per hour at best. If you go further, the journey times are even longer and the speeds are even less.

“So the rail trips need to be faster than the road drives. I know from personal experience, when you actually have rail lines with about the same speed as the road, you end up with people trying to race the trains.

“If we do convert these lines to faster rail with shorter journey times in the equivalent road trip, it would only take a fraction of the $200 billion that’s been put aside for this highspeed rail line.

“And it would deliver benefits to hundreds of thousands of Australians everywhere every single week.

“And that’s a great return on investment than one exclusive line going between only two different places.

“Victoria is not alone. Faster rail will be an uplift for the regional centres, for example, the major population regions outside of Brisbane, on the Sunshine Coast and the Gulf Coast.

“Anyone who’s been on the Bruce Highway or the Pacific Highway on a Sunday afternoon will know that faster rail lines along these routes is absolutely necessary.

“Investing in faster rails on these frequent users will deliver a much greater economic benefit than trying to pitch airline customers and put them on a passenger version of Inland Rail.

“There’s also a commitment we’ve made that really needs more investment. We’ve committed to meet accessible networks by 2032.

“And we need to start investing in that and providing money using the $2 billion for high speed rail that we could redirect and meet our goal for 2032 compliance.

“A portion of the $200 billion could also go to uplifting and making our networks smarter, whether it’s smarter trade control solutions, or smarter asset monitoring.

“If you go around the world today, you’ll see so many different solutions which are available that we could be investing in rather than a very shiny boy’s toy exclusive line.”

Summing up, Braxton-Smith said his team had provided hard evidence of the “perverse policy outcomes” and the folly of the numbers in the opponents’ case, instead arguing a compelling case where, if properly directed, the investment in rail would better secure the country’s future.

“And let me tell you about HSR and net zero.

The only thing that’s going to happen here is that they will burn a lot of carbon as they build this thing across the countryside,” he said.

“And then, over the course of its operation in the next 100 years, they might recover a fraction of the carbon that they’ve emitted.”

Braxton-Smith said the proposal would cost Australia much more than forecast and would deliver much less than promised.

“It will starve our industry of the investment in rail that is needed to secure the future of our country and its industries,” he said.

“Save our planet. Save our country. Save yourselves.”

Which side of the argument do you favour?

See page 50 for the debate results.

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High-speed rail

Too many benefits to ignore With all the signs pointing the right way, there’s no better time than the present to get started on high-speed rail in Australia.

The view is expressed by no less an authority than Head of Product Strategy and Development within the high-speed department of Siemens Mobility, Michael Kopp, who told Rail Express that if Australia were to go ahead with faster rail, procrastination would not be productive.

Also the Program Director for Siemens’ new high-speed train, the Velaro Novo, Kopp is eminently qualified to speak on the subject. With a degree in electrical engineering, he began his career at Siemens in the sales and project execution department for high-speed trains in 1993, just a couple of years after the first highspeed network was brought in to Germany.

“The decision to introduce high-speed rail in Australia has to be taken by the government, and by the people at the end of the day,” he said.

“There is no point in waiting for technology to get better or more innovative, for example.

We already have the knowledge to build highspeed rail in a proper way.

“There will continuously be innovation and we are always try to find new solutions, but nothing will be so completely different that we could have a different system for high-speed rail.

“We have the proven experience with high-speed rail all over the world, in different surroundings, and the benefits are already experienced by millions of people. We have it at Siemens, but the rail industry in general has that experience.

“And because of that, I think there’s no need to wait.”

Kopp said the concept, of course, had to be looked at very carefully before making decisions, as, for example, high speed rail infrastructure is built to last for a lifetime of about 100 years, not for 10 or 20.

But acknowledging the high costs of building the necessary infrastructure, he said the ideal was to “start small”.

“First of all, find an initial part of a connection where you can link two cities not too far apart, so maybe, as has been proposed, along the eastern coast: one in which there is not too much investment, but which can show to the public the benefits,” he said.

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I M A G E: S I E M E N S

The advantages of high-speed rail are well-known: less commute time, potential to grow jobs and communities, and fewer emissions. So is the time right to bite the bullet train?

“Once the benefits of reducing trip times are clear, more and more people will move to highspeed rail and use it, and then the government can develop additional projects and link up more cities.

“Then it is a lot of detailed work to discuss, for example the basic standards and track gauge sizes for lines, to ensure that everything fits together and there is an interoperable solution for high-speed rail in Australia.

“It would be beneficial to use a standard gauge for high-speed, instead of specialised smaller or larger ones, for example, because then you can use all the standard equipment which already exists, including rolling stock.

“Then the line is set up as a separated network where high-speed trains can run on, similar to Japan.”

Problems would arise with a lack of harmonisation and interopability across the country that is already a key issue for the industry. Australia is particularly fragmented by the use of differing gauges in each state.

“If you have a standard gauge track and cannot use the conventional network, you have to find a way of getting into the cities and into the main stations,” he said.

“Do you have only the high-speed connection from the outskirts and not directly to the centre of town?”

Another key consideration is the alignment and land availability.

“Is it running over state-owned land? Do you have to buy the land from private people?

What are the restrictions?” Kopp said.

Siemens’ ICE 4, the latest high-speed train for German operator Deutsche Bahn.

Kopp said this aspect could delay the project by many years if not handled properly.

“In Germany, some high-speed projects have been delayed by acquiring the land, getting agreement with all landowners, setting up a landscape management plan to define ecological compensatory measures for land consumed,” he said.

“Then some people would go to court and make legal claims and so on.

“In other countries, regulations might be different so that land acquisition might be much easier.”

“Australia has its own rules, but land acquisition is another consideration of building high speed rail: how to get the land?”

Klopp said apart from connecting places over long distances and transporting commuters between them in a short space of time, the networks also provide opportunities to create new station precincts along the lines, thereby boosting jobs and the economy.

“There will be benefits of having better connections, including on the surroundings.

For example, in Germany we have a high-speed line between Frankfurt to Cologne, and two intermediate stops have been built along the way,” he said.

“The outcome was that a lot of people bought country there, built up houses and today use the train day by day to go from these towns to work in Frankfurt.

“Normally they would hardly drive into Frankfurt city by car because the distance of 70 to 100 km is too great. But on the high-speed

rail, it takes them only half an hour to get to Frankfurt to work.

“It’s even faster compared to being in Frankfurt itself and using the subways or local public transport”.

“So that’s also something you have to take into consideration: giving people who live a greater distance away from the cities, better possibility to get into the cities, even if it’s only along the line.”

Another big benefit of high-speed rail is that once in operation, the fully electrified networks will reduce carbon emissions, compared to current car or bus transport.

“With climate change, there is no alternative but to look into modes of transport which are more sustainable at the end, because we can’t go on using cars and burning all that oil,” he said.

Kopp was aware of criticism that the building of the networks would in itself create a large carbon footprint, but said the longterm benefits would be worth pursuing.

“That’s always the discussion. You need to invest, and you need to build and it will cost money. It will have a CO2 footprint, but considering the long term impact, thinking of 50 to 100 years, you will see the benefit of that,” he said.

“And that’s the point behind why highspeed rail is discussed and implemented all over the world.”

I M A G E: S I E M E N S

RIDE LIKE AN EGYPTIAN Kopp said Siemens Mobility was widely experienced in high-speed rail, incorporating full turnkey services as well as its renowned fleet of fast trains.

He said lessons could be learned from a current high-speed rail build that Siemens Mobility was carrying out in Egypt: a significant project that comprised the largest order in the history of the company.

The 2000-kilometre state-of-the-art highspeed rail network will connect 60 cities throughout the country, with trains that can operate at up to 230km/h.

This means that approximately 90 percent of Egyptians will have access to this modern, safe, and integrated rail system.

“With a modal shift to train transport, the fully electrified network will cut carbon emissions, further supporting Egypt’s efforts in transforming its mobility to a more sustainable one,” Kopp said.

“Together with civil works partners Orascom Construction and The Arab Contractors, Siemens Mobility is providing its comprehensive turnkey services to design, install, commission, and maintain the entire system for 15 years.

“Not only will it promote economic growth, it will also enable Egypt to take a leap forward in rail transportation. With our latest technology in rolling stock, signalling, and maintenance services, Egypt will have the sixth largest and most modern high-speed rail network in the world,” Kopp said Along with its partners, Siemens Mobility has developed from scratch a complete and state-of-the-art rail network that will offer a blueprint for the region on how to install an integrated, sustainable, and modern transportation system.

The Egyptian high-speed network will consist of three lines: • The “Suez Canal on rails,” a 660km line connecting the port cities of Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea to Marsa Matrouh and Alexandria on the Mediterranean • A second line of about 1100km and run between Cairo and Abu Simbel near the Sudan border, linking the mega city to rising economic centres in the south, allowing for the development of communities up and down the Nile, which

will subsequently provide additional opportunities for small and family-owned businesses to flourish • The third line of 225kms connecting the world heritage archaeological sites in Luxor with Hurghada by the Red Sea. In addition, this rail link will significantly improve the efficiency and sustainability of freight transport for goods and materials between Safaga harbor and inland locations.

To support the installation of the rail network, the consortium has directly created up to 40 thousand jobs in Egypt, with an additional 6700 at Egyptian suppliers and indirectly through the wider Egyptian economy.

To equip the entire rail network, Siemens Mobility will deliver trains based on its proven product platforms. This includes 41 Velaro eight car high-speed trains, 94 Desiro highcapacity four car regional train sets, and 41 Vectron freight locomotives.

On all three lines, Siemens Mobility will install a safe and reliable signalling system based on the European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 2 technology, as well as the power supply system that will deliver efficient and continuous energy.

“Siemens Mobility will provide its latest digital products and platforms that will optimise operations throughout the network for the trains, rail infrastructure and subsystems,” Kopp said.

“The digital application Railigent will be used to provide comprehensive asset management and maintenance to guarantee the highest availability.

“Digitalised depots will enable seamless processes from problem identification to correction. Automated ticketing, digital station and power management solutions will help to meet the challenges surrounding capacity and efficiency in stations.”

Siemens is currently building high-speed rail in Egypt, which could provide many lessons for a similar project in Australia.

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The AustralAsia Railway

A transcontinental dream fulfilled I M A G E: AU S T R A L A S I A R A I LWAY C O R P O R AT I O N

This year is the 20th anniversary of the AustralAsia Railway, which connects South Australia and the Northern Territory.

Aurizon acquired the former One Rail business in the NT and SA, including the Tarcoola-to-Darwin rail corridor.

On January 17, 2004, an inaugural Adelaideto-Darwin freight train rolled across the embankment to the new East Arm Port after a 2979-kilometre journey from Adelaide.

On February 2, the first transcontinental Ghan pulled up alongside a brand new platform and railway station on East Arm Peninsula.

Cheered on by rapturous crowds, the trainload of VIPs included South Australian (SA) Premier Mike Rann, Northern Territory (NT) Chief Minister Clare Martin, Federal Finance Minister Nick Minchin, railway ambassador Tim Fischer and a Victorian couple who’d won tickets for the ‘first train’ 22 years earlier.

The historic journeys came 74 years after the first Ghan arrived in Alice Springs, 24 years after a new standard gauge track linked Tarcoola and Alice Springs, and 125 years after the first sod was turned in Port Augusta for a visionary trade route proposed to link the Southern Ocean with the Arafura Sea and beyond to Asia.

Despite a litany of economic misfortunes and broken political promises, the dream of a transcontinental railway had finally been realised.

The ‘missing link’ - a modern, standard gauge line between Alice Springs and Darwin - was delivered by an innovative BOOT (build, own, operate and transfer back) scheme.

The SA, NT and Australian governments contributed $480 million towards the $1.3 billion AustralAsia Railway. The Asia Pacific Transport Consortium, which won the bid to build, own and operate the railway, thermit-welded the final rail early and on budget.

AustralAsia Railway Corporation Chairman Alastair Shields said the SA and NT governments

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fought to realise this long-held dream because they never doubted its potential.

The Corporation managed the bid process and now manages concessions for railway operations along the corridor and access to easements to facilitate new projects, such as the proposed Sun Cable renewable energy project.

“The business case was based on moving freight from road to rail, opening up minerals provinces and providing a landbridge between the southern coast and growing markets in Asia,” Shields said. “The icing on the cake was extending the iconic Ghan tourism experience to Darwin.”

As the AustralAsia Railway entered its 20th anniversary in January, there is confidence in the future.

“Aurizon has invested $1.4b acquiring the operations of One Rail SA and NT operations and an additional $50m in new assets,” Shields said.

“This has boosted industry confidence and reinforced the value of the logistics corridor as an enabling economic asset.”

The line also benefits The Ghan, operated

by Journey Beyond, which is one of a suite of renowned experiential multi-day train services and has a stellar reputation as one of the great rail journeys on Earth.

After a decline in freight during the COVID pandemic, 2.7m tonnes were transported along the corridor in the 2022-23 financial year, a slight decline from the previous year but a strong rebound from 2020/21.

The Corporation is now working with the NT and Australian Governments on new logistics hub to improve the capability of the logistics network.

AURIZON ASX-listed company Aurizon boasts more than 150 years’ rail experience. It is the nation’s largest rail freight business, with more than 700 locomotives,15,000 wagons and more than 5000 employees across its national footprint.

The business transports around 250mt for customers each year.

In mid-2022, Aurizon acquired the One Rail business (now called Aurizon Bulk Central) in the NT and SA, including the Tarcoola-toDarwin rail corridor. This investment recognised the strategic value and potential of the business in serving rapidly-growing markets for resources, agribusiness, renewable energy and general freight.

Aurizon Bulk Central is an integrated rail operation with track infrastructure and aboverail operations and depots in Adelaide, Port Pirie, Port Augusta, Whyalla, Thevenard, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine and Darwin.

The business has more than 400 staff and continues to recruit a range of new roles to support ongoing growth.

Aurizon Bulk Central General Manager Matt Jones said the Tarcoola-to-Darwin railway was a nationally-significant corridor connecting to the Port of Darwin, the closest port to Australia’s largest trading partners in Asia.

“Aurizon plans to improve the efficiency and capacity of this corridor, with targeted investment to benefit existing customers and boost the viability of projects under development,” he said.

Aurizon operates intermodal trains on the Adelaide to Darwin corridor and various bulk ore trains for mines in SA and the NT.

The arrival of the first freight train in Darwin in 2004, with Prime Minister John Howard (left) , NT Chief Minister Clare Martin, SA Premier Mike Rann and Finance Minister Senator Nick Minchin.

investment to support the initial stage of land-bridging.

Darwin can offer materially reduced transit times under the land-bridging proposal, with a saving of up to seven days on typical Shanghai to Melbourne shipping route, an attractive proposition for time critical freight. It also offers customers a reliable alternative supply chain to markets, strengthening the resilience and consistency of existing supply chains.

• Heavy lifting in decarbonisation Jones said the Australian rail industry was well-positioned to contribute to the decarbonisation of Australian supply chains by doing more of the heavy-lifting on key corridors – using existing assets and the emerging technology of battery and hydrogen powered locomotives.

Using rail for heavy freight is already the safest, most environmentally-friendly mode of land freight transport, with an estimated 75 per cent fewer greenhouse gas emissions generated by rail per tonne of freight compared with road.

Rail also delivers road safety outcomes because one train can carry up to the equivalent of 150 standard semi-trailers.

Aurizon has a dedicated $50m Future Fleet Fund to drive short and long-term decarbonisation initiatives for its locomotive fleet. The aim is to deliver low or zerocarbon supply chains, with locomotives using renewable energy sources from the electricity grid and/or hydrogen fuel cells.

• Investing in high-performing rail infrastructure Aurizon manages an open access regime between Tarcoola and Darwin through a concession agreement with the AustralAsia Railway Corporation.

This gives all rail operators a chance to negotiate access to the railway infrastructure.

Aurizon will maintain and invest in the rail infrastructure under a long-term lease with the Corporation that runs until 2054.

I M A G E: AU S T R A L A S I A R A I LWAY C O R P O R AT I O N

“In the first 18 months of operation, Aurizon invested more than $50m in new assets for the region, including the replacement of 270,000 sleepers and two mobile harbour cranes at Darwin Port,” Jones said.

“Aurizon also plans to increase services along the railway as it responds to increasing customer demand. This could include additional passing loops on the corridor and additional capacity in the Berrimah rail terminal, next to the port.

“As well as supporting customer growth and development of regional projects, these investments have the flow-on benefits of increasing employment, and supporting local communities and business. More than 80 per cent of Aurizon’s employees live and work in regional communities.”

• Pipeline of opportunities Jones said Aurizon was assessing a pipeline of more than 200 growth opportunities in Central Australia.

While not all will progress to production, the list provides a strong indication of customer demand in these markets and growth opportunities in rail-based freight volumes.

This includes commodities such as magnetite, copper, rare earths and phosphate.

For example in August 2023, Aurizon and Northern Iron announced a new rail haulage contract for magnetite iron ore, from a mine near Tennant Creek through to the Port of Darwin. Up to 1.2mt a year of magnetite from the Warrego project will be railed 1000km between mine and port, expected to commence in the first half of 2024.

Another key opportunity that Aurizon is exploring is land-bridging of imported freight from Darwin Port via Aurizon’s rail infrastructure to southern markets.

This is a natural extension of Aurizon’s national container services.

It will leverage that capability and installed rollingstock assets with modest additional

The Tarcoola-to-Darwin Railway is 2244km of track. The 824km standard gauge route between Tarcoola and Alice Springs opened in 1980. It was not until 2004 that the final 1420km stretch of the north-south connection between Alice Springs and Darwin was completed.

Maintenance of the railway infrastructure was originally contracted out to a consortium comprised of a joint venture from the original construction contractors.

In December 2012, the previous lease holders Genesee & Wyoming brought maintenance in-house. This has continued under Aurizon.

Some of the key works in recent years include: • Upgrading track with 60kg rail between Chandler and north of Kulgera to enable long-term Temporary Speed Restriction (TSRs) to be removed. TSRs have decreased from 40km to 14km since maintenance was in-sourced • Many level crossings have been upgraded to active crossings, in conjunction with the NT Government, to improve safety for motorists and rail employees.

• Installation of detectors and associated indicators to alert trains prior to reaching significant waterways of the presence of high water levels. CCTV has been installed to remotely monitor water levels during adverse weather.

THE GHAN The Ghan uses the corridor for its premium multi-day journey through Australia’s Red Centre, connecting Adelaide and Darwin and travels between March and November each year.

On average, the train has 25 Premium Service and 258 Gold Service beds over three to four days.

Journey Beyond recently launched a new ‘Gold Premium’ due to start in 2024, a new style of travel between Gold and Platinum service levels, along with newly designed contemporary cabins.

On board, the 36-carriage, 1km train offers a choice of suites or cabins, the Platinum Club, Queen Adelaide restaurants, Outback Explorer lounges and luxury service.

Guests on each journey enjoy off-train experiences, such as dinner at the Telegraph Station in Alice Springs and an underground lunch in Coober Pedy.

Shields said The Ghan connects with a range of tailored travel experiences and links with several cruise lines, including the Australian-owned and flagged Coral Expeditions, and other Journey Beyond brands such as Outback Spirit.

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Light rail I M A G E: YA R R A T R A M S

Every Transdev team member plays a part in keeping the network safe and running.

Ensuring safety and peace of mind Mobility specialist Transdev is using community, culture and campaigns as a way of transforming Sydney Light Rail journeys into a secure mode of travel.

Transdev is harnessing the expertise of government and community leaders and customer feedback to help make commuting by Sydney Light Rail a safer way to travel.

Transport experts, emergency service representatives, academics, teachers and high school students all attended a recent Transdev public safety forum which aimed to understand and improve how youth interact with public transport.

The forum, held at Allianz Stadium, enabled experts to explain youth thought patterns, youth transport use and how early exposure to public transport can positively shape lifelong habits.

Transdev runs these safety forums regularly to work together with communities and specialist agencies to make tram travel safer for everyone.

Last year, the safety forum focus was on large scale special events in the lead up to World Pride and the FIFA Women’s World Cup,

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periods in which Sydney Light Rail safely moved more than five million people.

Transdev Australia and New Zealand CEO Brian Brennan said connecting with different groups at these forums was a powerful vehicle for change.

“Transdev, along with ALTRAC Light Rail, Transport for NSW and tram manufacturer Alstom, are always looking for ways to better understand our customers and make our services safer and more accessible,” he said.

“These forums are always insightful and a very practical way to hear a diverse range of views and latest research.

“It not only brings a range of local representatives and community leaders together but fosters closer working relationships amongst everyone.

“Our most recent focus on youth was apt and very moving to hear from students how they interact with Sydney trams.

“And we were able to follow-up after the

forum to talk more with schools along the tram corridor about how to travel safe and avoid some riskier behaviours.”

Involving partners and the community collectively in safety is one way Transdev is realising its Safety First focus.

A workplace culture that puts safety first is another supporting pillar.

“There’s no silver bullet when it comes to safety. Our Safety First approach is about very deliberate and consistent daily practice,” Brennan said.

“Our employees understand what the company does and why, our mission, and they see the part they play in it. We have a real reputation for succession opportunities in the business.

“We’ve worked hard to build a great culture at Sydney Light Rail. I’m very proud of that and it’s reflected in our low industry rates of absenteeism and turnover.”

Transdev’s Sydney Light Rail team has also

I M A G E: YA R R A T R A M S

raised about $45,000 for a range of local charities from the St Vinnies CEO Sleepout, Movember to Wear it Purple Day. “It’s also a workplace where people are encouraged and enabled to report and action change,” Brennan said.

“We value our people, we invest in them and we communicate openly and regularly with them because transport starts with our people.”

Every team member is trained, empowered and equipped to do their roles well to ensure safe services. This year, Transdev supported more than 140 of its frontline leaders, including many in light rail, with customised end-to-end development training via the Trans’Lead program.

Transdev Sydney Light Rail Managing Director Arsene Durand-Raucher said having a motivated and informed team helped to keep people focused on their roles and working safely.

“Safety is in our DNA because our people live and breathe safety in each of their own roles,” he said.

“Every team member, regardless of where they work - as a tram driver, customer service officer or cleaner, has a part to play in keeping the network safe and running.”

Durand-Raucher said safety habits, measures and improvements across all operational areas was part of ensuring a safe tram network.

Raising awareness about safety and asking for community support and cooperation was another element of Transdev’s Safety First focus.

With record passenger numbers on Sydney Light Rail, Transdev runs regular public safety campaigns to remind customers how to stay safe around trams.

The recent “Don’t Run the Risk” campaign was designed to reduce incidents where pedestrians are distracted and unaware or cross on red lights.

“With most passengers plugged into their devices and headphones, we need to constantly remind people to be aware of their surroundings,” Durand-Raucher said.

“It’s very simple things but just being aware, looking up from your phone, stepping away from trams, holding on while taking off and stopping, holding your child’s hand firmly in yours, planning ahead and allowing enough travel time - are all ways to keep everyone safe.”

Brennan said he looked forward to applying the safety lessons learned from Sydney Light Rail to the introduction later this year of Parramatta Light Rail, for which Transdev had been contracted to supply, operate and maintain.

Transdev also runs sessions with seniors

Trandev is pround of its diverse, motivated and informed team.

groups to encourage members to try tram travel, get familiar with public transport and hold on while in the trams but also how to seek help if they need it.

“These sessions not only help our seniors stay safe while travelling but also give them the confidence to travel and be independent,” Durand-Raucher said.

Identifying risks and improving physical elements of safety are all part of Transdev’s daily safety practices and routines.

Smart and regular fleet and track

maintenance is also crucial to ensure every tram is in good working order and at a high standard that customers expect.

Sydney Light Rail also has multiple customer help points at stops and onboard each light rail vehicle and a CCTV network of 1048 cameras monitored 24/7 to keep customers safe.

Brennan said there were many collective elements that influenced tram safety.

“Safety is Transdev’s responsibility and underpins the trust our clients, passengers and employees place in us,” he said.

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Light rail

An eventful year for Keolis Downer It’s been a baptism of fire for Purcell: from strong operational performance and Australian-first passenger experience innovations like Navilens technology and anti-graffiti film, to delivering the biggest Grand Prix service ever, building new partnerships across the community, increasing the representation of women and gender-diverse people in the Yarra Trams workforce, and a record 19 infrastructure renewal occupations.

“Throughout 2023, we have seen operational performance consistently improve, with tram cancellations at historical low levels,” she said.

“Like many industries, we have experienced staff shortages which has impacted our driver ranks since 2021.

“Thankfully after recruiting 604 drivers since the start of 2021, and improving the working conditions for our drivers, we have seen driver attrition reduce to 8 per cent in 2023 – 40 per cent less than two years ago.”

DELIVERING VICTORIA’S BIG BUILD Keolis Downer Yarra Trams’ work to support Victoria’s Big Build continued with works to relocate the Box Hill Terminus completed in preparation for the Suburban Rail Loop.

The terminus on Whitehorse Rd has been moved to the west of the Market St pedestrian crossing. The month-long project involved building a new terminus platform and shelter, new track, points, overhead systems, electrical infrastructure and landscaping.

“Community engagement began months in advance to minimise disruption and support businesses and residents to ensure people can continue to live, work, study and shop in their local community,” Purcell said.

“Keolis Downer Yarra Trams crews worked day and night to complete the project, joined by colleagues from our partner Travellers Aid Australia who assisted passengers with mobility challenges during the works – including a 101-year-old passenger.

“The changes will help create an improved connection between the tram network and the SRL at Box Hill, allowing for more efficient passenger flow between the two transport modes that will maximise the benefits of the rail loop.”

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I M A G E: YA R R A T R A M S

Keolis Downer Yarra Trams Chief Executive Officer Carla Purcell looks back on 2023, a period of many achievements in her first 12 months at the helm.

SUPPORTING LIVE MUSIC In October, the Eighty-Six festival, named for the Route 86, brought over 200 artists to 60 venues along High Street in Northcote, Thornbury and Preston – including on board the Route 86 itself.

Keolis Downer Yarra Trams partnered with the Eighty-Six festival alongside the Victorian Government and City of Darebin to support the local arts and live music culture in Melbourne’s inner northern suburbs.

“Along with providing extra tram services and a charter tram for the Eighty-Six’s Super Saturday event, we invited them to wrap a tram to promote the festival on Melbourne’s network,” Purcell said.

“Passenger trends continue to see more people travelling by tram to their leisure and social activities – in fact, weekend passenger numbers are practically back at pre-COVID levels - so its great to be able to support the northern suburbs’ art and music scene as part of the festival.”

OPENING DOORS FOR DIVERSITY Keolis Downer Yarra Trams launched a partnership with North Melbourne Football Club, which sees Keolis Downer Yarra Trams support the club’s AFLW team as well as its ground-breaking Freestyle – Women in Trades program.

It attracts, retains, supports, and empowers young women and trans and gender diverse people to work in trades.

Phi Do and his winning design for the #AllAboard Pride Tram.

“Keolis Downer will be integrated into Freestyle events, workshops and its Kicking Goals in Trades school-based program, to encourage more women to pursue roles in traditionally male dominated industries and sectors,” Purcell said.

“Keolis Downer Yarra Trams has nearly tripled the number of tram drivers who identify as women in recent years and is committed to increasing the representation of women and trans and gender diverse people across all areas of the business.

“This partnership aligns with our commitment to gender equality and will connect young women and trans and gender diverse people to a leading employer of tradespeople across our rolling stock and infrastructure teams as well as other recruitment opportunities in tram driving and customer service.”

Yarra Trams also released a newly designed Pride tram to celebrate inclusion and the LGBTQIA+ community.

The new vibrantly designed E-Class tram was created by Victorian artist and LGBTQIA+ community member Phi Do – with the tram featuring playful and nostalgic stickers.

The #AllAboard Pride Tram is one of the most recognisable on the network and a popular feature in the annual Midsumma Pride March held in February. For the last three years, Yarra Trams employees have proudly marched alongside the tram.

Signalling solutions

Firm cybersecurity for CBTC Siemens Mobility places cybersecurity at the forefront of its priorities to ensure the integrity and safety of its CBTC solutions.

Digitalisation is transforming the landscape of modern transportation systems and with it, the security of Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) systems has become increasingly important.

Siemens Mobility’s commitment to digital solutions is underscored by a comprehensive approach to safeguarding critical railway infrastructure solutions worldwide.

By leveraging state-of-the-art technology and adhering to industry-leading standards, Siemens Mobility addresses the unique challenges posed by the integration of CBTC systems into modern rail networks.

THE RISE OF CBTC Semens Mobility Cybersecurity Solutions Product Manager Lena Harnisch said CBTC had revolutionised rail transport by replacing traditional signaling systems with advanced communication technologies.

CBTC allows for real-time communication between trains and the control center, optimising train movements, reducing headways, and enhancing overall operational efficiency.

“While these advancements are commendable, the increasing connectivity and reliance on digital infrastructure introduce vulnerabilities that demand a robust cybersecurity framework,” Harnisch said.

“The railway sector is not immune to the growing threat landscape of cyber-attacks.

The potential consequences of a cybersecurity breach in a CBTC system are far-reaching, impacting not only operational efficiency but also passenger safety.

“Threat actors may target CBTC systems to disrupt train operations, manipulate signaling information, or even gain unauthorized access to critical infrastructure.”

THE CHARTER OF TRUST Siemens Mobility aligns with the Charter of Trust, a global initiative advocating for increased cybersecurity in critical infrastructure.

Launched in 2018, this collaborative effort brings together leading companies from different sectors to address the increasing threats and challenges posed by cyberattacks.

By committing to the Charter’s principles, Siemens Mobility underscores its dedication to enhancing the security and resilience of CBTC systems.

• Security architecture Harnisch said a solid security architecture formed the backbone of Siemens Mobility’s CBTC cybersecurity strategy.

“The company adopts an integrated approach, combining physical and cyber defenses to create a resilient barrier against potential threats. By implementing defense-indepth strategies, Siemens Mobility ensures that CBTC systems remain secure against evolving cyber risks,” she said.

“The concept of defense-in-depth is a fundamental strategy in cybersecurity that involves deploying multiple layers of security measures to protect a system or network.

“Rather than relying on a single line of defense, this approach aims to create a resilient and comprehensive security posture by implementing a series of diverse and overlapping security mechanisms.

“The core idea behind defense in depth is to minimise the impact of a potential security breach or cyber-attack by requiring adversaries to overcome multiple layers of protection.

“Each layer may consist of various security controls, such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, antivirus software, access controls, encryption, and regular security audits. The diversity of these measures ensures that even if one layer is compromised, other layers remain intact to thwart further exploitation.”

Another key building block of the security by design approach is the CoreShield product family from Siemens Mobility.

It is a suite of advanced cybersecurity solutions designed to protect critical transportation systems and provides a multilayered defense mechanism against potential vulnerabilities and attacks.

“By continuously monitoring network activities and analysing patterns, CoreShield can identify and block potential threats in real-time. This proactive approach ensures that any malicious activity is promptly addressed, preventing disruptions to transportation services,” Harnisch said.

• Adherence to industry standards Siemens Mobility places great emphasis on industry standards such as TS 50701 and the IEC 62443 series., which provide a framework for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving cybersecurity in industrial automation and control systems,

including those in the railway sector.

Harnisch said that by adhering to these standards, Siemens Mobility ensured that its CBTC systems meet the highest cybersecurity benchmarks.

• Penetration testing To stay ahead of potential threats, Siemens Mobility conducts regular penetration testing on its CBTC systems.

This systematic testing process involves simulating real-world cyberattacks to identify vulnerabilities in the system’s security defenses.

The primary objectives of penetration testing include assessing the effectiveness of existing security measures, uncovering potential weaknesses, and providing actionable insights for mitigation.

By subjecting its systems to rigorous testing, Siemens Mobility demonstrates its commitment to delivering robust and secure CBTC solutions.

• Security awareness Siemens Mobility also places a strong emphasis on user education and training to empower railway personnel with the knowledge required to mitigate cybersecurity risks effectively.

“Siemens Mobility ensures that operators and maintenance teams are well-equipped to identify and respond to potential security incidents promptly,” Harnisch said.

“Siemens Mobility adheres to the principle of security by design, integrating cybersecurity measures at every stage of CBTC system development. By embedding security considerations into the design and development processes, it ensures that cybersecurity is not an afterthought but an integral part of the entire life cycle of CBTC solutions.”

SECURING THE RAILS Siemens Mobility’s holistic approach to cybersecurity, encompassing the Charter of Trust, the development of an advanced security architecture based on the defense in depth approach and using proven state-of-the-art solutions, adherence to industry standards, and rigorous penetration testing, establishes the company as a pioneer in ensuring the safety and reliability of CBTC systems.

“Siemens Mobility remains steadfast in its commitment to securing the rails and contributing to the future of safe and efficient transportation,” Harnisch said.

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Operations and maintenance

Rail monitoring led by industry IoT technology company Kallipr is working with some of Australia’s largest logistics and rail organisations to help them meet safety requirements and regulations, achieve cost savings via reductions in delays, and deliver more efficient processes.

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I M A G E: K A L L I P R

Kallipr has established a reputation for its innovative engineering solutions, but interestingly, the company hasn’t always been involved with the rail sector.

Rail Express speaks to Kallipr Chief Commercial Officer Stelios Trikoulis about how the company’s pioneering expertise in other industries was extrapolated to the rail industry, which is now benefitting from Kallipr’s cutting-edge rail monitoring devices.

“When we first started in 2017, we had a very strong focus in the water and wastewater industry, and still do,” he said.

“We do a lot of work with water customers measuring things all the way from water consumption through to water levels, temperature, water quality, etc.

“As we continued on that journey, we started to see that the issues and problems facing the water industry weren’t just specific to a water authority, but were also impactful on other industries.

“We realised that factors such as water and temperature can also have, through the natural environment, an impact on the rail network.

“For example, flooding impacts various sectors in the rail industry: specifically, it impacts culverts. When the culverts become flooded, it can lead to significant operational delays and safety risks.

“Meanwhile, temperature deviations can lead to buckling or contraction of the tracks, posing further risks and complications.

“So we saw that our solutions to one industry were directly applicable to others.

In solving problems caused by the natural environment, we saw their applicability in rail.”

Trikoulis said it was only about 24 months ago that rail customers began to connect with Kallipr to see if their products could help solve rail infrastructure issues.

“One of the best examples was the rail pit monitoring device used by Keolis Downer Yarra Trams, which alerts operators when rail pits flood,” he said.

“This early detection enables swift action, ensuring timely maintenance and preventing potential damages.

“Yarra Trams came to us and said it saw

A Kallipr ambient air monitoring kit installed on a rail network.

that we measured overflows in sewers, and wanted to know if we could do the same for tram pits.

“It’s interesting that it was the rail subject matter experts who drew the delineation, who approached us. It was great to see how the industry looked at it and said, hey, you’ve done it there, can you do it here?

“Obviously, each industry understands its own subject matter and problems: the maintenance operators, the track operators, the system providers, the customers.

“Our challenge as a technology provider is in best connecting with them so we can bring the technology and the subject matter expertise together. What we bring to the table is the technology and what it can do, and then the experts guide us on how to deploy it, what we can and can’t do on the infrastructure, and the environmental impacts, and we incorporate that into our product development process.”

Trikoulis said that as an Australian company, Kallipr designed and manufactured all its products in the country.

“Manufacturing of the circuit boards as well as the final assembly is all done in Australia.

Our products are actually assembled at our head office in Murarrie on the Brisbane River,” he said.

“What’s been really important for us is also being very hands-on with the customers.

So we go out to meet with all of the rail providers and get further insights to bring to the product development process.

“What we always say is that the hardest thing of what we’re developing isn’t actually the technology, but it’s the deployment of the technology into the rail environment.

“When you think of the things that can go wrong or the many things that can have an impact, whether it’s extreme temperature, wind, rats eating cables, ants nesting or flooding events, you have to design the appropriate solutions to deal with them.”

Trikoulis cited Kallipr’s Rail Temperature Monitoring solution as a strong example of this collaboration. Sensors placed on the wayside measure both the ambient heat and the actual rail track temperature, providing accurate data on how hot or cold things are in each location and informing where the maintenance priorities are.

“We’ve effectively built an enclosure that the device sits in, and we’ve made sure there’s adequate space for air flow to pass through because we know where these units are deployed, the temperature can get to 50° plus,” Trikoulis said.

“So we’ve had to design the solution in a

I M A G E: K A L L I P R

way to withstand the very harsh environments … and being very close to the customer helps in that development process.”

Trikoulis said Kallipr was not just sitting on current products, but always constantly developing new solutions and modifying existing ones to suit.

“We have cutting-edge devices that can collect data being integrated into different sensors that can measure both the physical and natural environments,” he said.

“But we think further. In the case of rail temperature, we leverage a magnetic rail temperature sensor that sticks on to the rail track and allows the operator to manage the rail culverts.

“When we monitor flooding, we leverage a radar sensor for water levels and a trigger switch for small water levels.

“So while the devices haven’t basically changed, the sensors and the deployment approach have.

“And why that’s really unique is that as rail customers bring us new business problems, we’re able to easily augment the solution to deal with those different requirements.

“We don’t have to build everything from scratch. The fact that our solution is very modular enables us to tackle different business problems for our customers.”

For instance, Trikoulis said freight operator Aurizon had approached Kallipr to augment the temperature kit with a sensor to measure rainfall.

“So we added a rain tipping bucket to the product without having to redesign everything. We didn’t have to put in new units.,” he said.

“The flexibility of the solution means that we were able to solve their problem by adding an additional sensor on top of the existing technology.

“That’s really critical because if we have to go and redesign the hardware and redesign everything every time, it probably wouldn’t be easy to maneuver.

“Our same customers are now saying to us, ‘You solved this problem for me, can you solve this one now?”

Another advantage of Kallipr products is its compatibility with operating systems.

“While we have out of the box dashboards and applications that can be utilised, rail operators are very large organisations with existing systems and processes and they tend to want the data to go to them” Trikoulis said.

“We enable our solutions to get the data directly to their system. So we’re not going to try and recreate the application layers for the customer.

“They already have their systems developed internally. They don’t need us to redevelop

Kallipr Chief Commercial Officer Stelios Trikoulis.

that. So all we’re doing is providing them the data to power the systems.

“And that’s critical. Because when you think of the operational user or the person who’s using the tech, they don’t want to have to swivel chairs between systems.

“They know how to use this one system, so let’s just get the data into that same system.”

Kallpir makes the products fully prepackaged and configured so that they are easy to install.

“We also offer the ability to provide installation services, so if the rail operator requests an installer to do additional quality assurance on the job, we can also provide that.

“Many of our clients in fact prefer this.

They are happy to pay for an installer because a high level of QA is required, and having it properly installed lowers the business risk of the project.”

Trikoulis said a priority was now on deploying this technology to more operators.

“For us it’s all about how we take the technology we’ve deployed to our customers and extend it. Secondly, how do we solve more of these business and user problems, and probably more importantly, how we start to introduce more smarts into the solutions, so we can effectively drive better predictive maintenance solutions,” Trikoulis said.

“The focus is on helping rail operators get the most value for the data. We may have solved the solution for one stakeholder within a rail organisation, but that data may have value to other groups in the business too. So we look at helping the customer or the rail operator join the dots between the different teams so they can benefit from the same data.”

In essence, what began as a rail industry query has now blossomed into a dedicated industry service focus for the company.

“The best part about it is that it’s come through the voice of the customer, the voice of the rail industry,” Trikoulis said.

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Operations and maintenance

Aptella aptitude in rail safety Automation and positioning technology supplier Aptella is supporting the rail sector with innovation in smart safety and wireless monitoring solutions.

I M A G E: A P T E L L A

Modern technology is making inroads to substantially increase safety in the rail industry, reducing the risk of human error with automated, continuous monitoring and artificial intelligence.

And helping this transition is Aptella, the company recently rebranded from its previous name of Position Partners.

The business’ Executive Marketing Manager, Gina Velde, said new name was designed to better reflect the variety of solutions and services the business offers.

“Our customers requirements have expanded beyond positioning into automation, robotics, safety and monitoring,” she said.

The last few years have seen rapid advances in cloud computing, data processing and internet coverage, enabling technology innovation across a range of industries.

“These benefit heavy industries such as rail in the ability to capture real-time information to prevent incidents, improve safety behaviours and monitor rail infrastructure and terrain for any out-of-tolerance movement that could signal a potential problem,” Velde said.

Pedestrian detection system (PDS), proximity and collision awareness technology have particular relevance to rail projects, which include numerous hazards from trains and heavy machinery operating in close quarters with workers.

The latest systems no longer rely on wearable tags but instead incorporate vision-

Senceive Infraguard provides eyes on site through integrated cameras that trigger when movement is detected.

based artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically identify and alert operators to people.

For example, Blindsight is a unique solution distributed and supported throughout Australia and New Zealand by Aptella, that has the builtin smarts to identify people and other objects even in challenging, dynamic environments.

Aptella Civil Business Executive Manager

I M A G E: A P T E L L A

Continuous monitoring in hard-to-reach areas such as rail bridges reduces the need for surveyors and engineers to put themselves at risk.

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Josh Allan said that Blindsight’s AI capability enabled it to protect all workers within defined zones of a machine.

“The great thing about lindsight is that workers do not need to wear a tag in order for the machine system to detect them, which keeps every worker and contractor safe on site,” he said.

“Often workers are required to work near a machine due to confined space on the sites – Blindsight can be configured to only alarm when it identifies a person in a particularly hazardous area, to avoid over-alarming which can actually increase risk because workers learn to ignore the alerts.”

The solution can be fitted to all makes and models of machinery, with a combination of two or more sensors, external voice alarm and a small in-cab alert that gives the operator audible and visual alerts when a person or traffic cone is detected.

Beyond on-site alerts to operators to prevent incidents, one of the more powerful benefits of Blindsight is its reporting capabilities to management.

With near real-time data being fed into its web-based dashboard platform, Blindsight

I M A G E: A P T E L L A

Blindsight uses artificial intelligence to automatically detect people and provide managers valuable insights into safety behaviours.

With a longstanding track record for major international rail networks including Network Rail and the London Underground in the United Kingdom, Senceive makes a wide range of sensors to measure for the slightest movement every few seconds.

Alerts can be configured to suit the tolerances and reporting requirements of the site, with tiered escalation of notifications to different stakeholders also available as needed.

“Because Senceive works continuously for many years, it reduces the need for engineers and surveyors to take manual checks or conduct regular maintenance and the fewer personnel on site the less risk there is,” Jones said.

Senceive also has the ability to give

Wireless monitoring can be used across all rail infrastructure and scaled to any size of project.

managers eyes on site, with integrated cameras that trigger when movement out of tolerance is detected.

This is particularly useful in remote or hard to reach areas, allowing for early assessment of the scene to help gauge the need to escalate it to an on-site visit.

With the rapid evolution of technology, Jones said there was much opportunity to predict what may happen next in addition to live monitoring.

“AI will help us with preventative monitoring by analysing large amounts of data and extrapolating it out to identify trends and model what the next few months might look like,” he said.

I M A G E: A P T E L L A

helps give managers insight into on-site safety behaviours.

The system automatically records video footage from the machine’s on-board cameras when the alert is triggered, giving managers eyes on the site to be able to analyse the situation and make informed decisions to improve safety behaviours.

“Unfortunately, despite staff training and safety policies, spotters and other humanbased approaches, people still make errors of judgement and put themselves at risk,” Allan said.

“Blindsight helps managers identify their own blind spots when it comes to safety, so they can proactively manage it for better outcomes.”

Another vital element of on-site safety is ensuring the stability and viability of the rail infrastructure and terrain, including embankments, tunnels, bridges and rail tracks and beds.

Andrew Jones manages Aptella’s deformation monitoring portfolio and explains that modern computing technology, coupled with solar energy, can enable continuous monitoring of any rail landscape at any scale.

“Traditionally, monitoring technology has relied on optical measuring systems, which are challenging to install and maintain in many rail applications, not to mention expensive at scale,” he said.

“Thanks to wireless communication and our ability to use solar energy, we can now monitor virtually any rail site of any size, around the clock for many years with little maintenance.”

Aptella has deployed Senceive wireless monitoring technology on numerous rail sites throughout Australia and New Zealand.

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Major projects and infrastructure

Leadership driven by customers MTR’s Chief Executive Officer for Australia, Raymond Yuen, speaks about his aims for the corporation as it embarks on plans to expand its footprint in the Australia-New Zealand region.

• How did you enter the industry?

“I held various managerial and executive positions in the aviation and energy sector before joining MTR, with main focus on operational and high-level strategic planning, marketing and pricing, customer analytics and experience, frontend and backend information systems, process improvement and quality control,” Yuen said.

“I am a very customer-focused person and I was looking for an industry that had direct relationships to customers and was an integral part of their lives. MTR provided this link and at its heart is a customer centric business, where the very business model is based on providing the best possible experience for our customers.

“I joined MTR in 2015 as General Manager – Marketing and Planning, with the primary responsibilities of formulating and implementing effective marketing strategies for the corporation’s railway services, particularly including pricing strategies to balance the interests of all stakeholder groups, as well as fare payment strategies to drive customer satisfaction and cost management.

“I was invited to be part of the company’s transformation journey, helping to create and implement a new corporate strategy aimed at

Yuen (left) with Metro Trains Melbourne CEO Raymond O’Flaherty.

I M A G E: M T R

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Raymond Yuen (right) with Metro Trains Sydney CEO Daniel Williams.

I M A G E: M T R

2024 is shaping up to be a big year in Australia for Hong Kong-based public transport operator MTR, with milestone celebrations, a new metro line opening, a key project being delivered and the expansion of local operations.

MTR is celebrating two major milestones this year with its joint venture operators Metro Trains Sydney (MTS) and Metro Trains Melbourne (MTM).

MTR first brought its decades of metro operations experience to Australia in 20082009, and is incredibly proud to be the lead JV partner for MTM, and MTS. MTM won the Melbourne Trains franchise in 2009. Since then, there has been transformation across the Melbourne network with a huge amount of new assets delivered, new technology integrated and significant increase in performance levels.

MTS is the operator and maintainer for the Sydney Metro Northwest line and has spent almost five years running Australia’s only automated metro service.

The MTS team delivers an incredibly high performing service and are preparing their teams for the Sydney Metro City and Southwest line opening, which will see MTS operate the first ever automated trains under the Sydney Harbour into Sydney’s CBD. MTR is currently in the testing and commissioning phase for the Trains and Systems contract for the City section of Sydney Metro’s City and Southwest project, which will extend the automated Sydney Metro Northwest metro line through the Sydney CBD to Bankstown.

The corporation is also looking to expand its metro operations and has been shortlisted for two packages on the Sydney Metro West project.

As well, MTR will be hoping to install its highly-regarded Rail plus Property model into not just Australia, but also New Zealand, where it plans to establish a stronger foothold.

The accomplishments are impressive for a company which has only been in Australia for 15 years, with further growth and success targeted as part of the MTR strategy.

Tasked with achieving these goals is MTR’s Chief Executive Officer for Australia, Raymond Yuen, who took up the reins almost two years ago. Rail Express spoke to Yuen about his career, his goals for MTR in the Australasian region, and how he plans to bring these about.

improving performance, growing communities and keeping cities moving sustainably.

“That allowed me to have a better understanding about the whole end-to-end value chain for the rail industry: how to deliver service from the back end, how to purchase the trains, how to maintain them, how to deliver to the operator to run the business and service every day. On the back of that work, I was appointed as CEO for the Australian Business in March 2022.

“I knew I was joining a great company in MTR, with its work values and integrity close to my own. It was a company that I grew up with, and being born and raised in Hong Kong, was a brand I was proud of.”

• What is your management strategy?

“I work very closely with my teams,” Yuen said. “Right from day one, when I talked to my leadership team, the focus was on working together and aligning priorities. Our Australian business strategy has three key objectives: maintaining focus, delivery and growth. They do a very good job of delivering the MTR brand in Australia.

“MTR is a global leader in metro business and it takes a disciplined team to maintain

• How do you work with Australian clients?

“We always want to show how we can make use of our successes in Hong Kong and our global hubs, and apply these to here,” Yuen said.

“Customer-centric thinking and stakeholder management are very important for MTR and that’s why we have taken extra steps to ensure that our expertise is embedded into all of our projects and operations. So a key role for me is ensuring that I have close relationships with our clients, partners and customers and to deliver a lot of information sharing.

“We regularly have our Hong Kong and global experts involved to help with projects, new line openings or operational improvements, and we share our experience, best practices, the innovations and knowledge. MTR invests and applies latest technologies to improve customer experience and asset performance.

“For example, we have developed AI tools to reduce energy consumption with very encouraging results coming from trails in stations, commercials buildings and shopping malls.

“MTR has for many years operated a global database to collate and share hundreds of technology solutions among our global hubs.

This allows any MTR group member who has identified an improvement opportunity or encountered an issue to quickly search a database and see if another team has experienced something similar, review their process, proposed solution and outcomes, and contact the team directly for more information.

“We developed a mobile app in Hong

Teams from MTM and MTS gathered at the MTR stand at the recent AusRAIL conference.

Kong which is built to simplify and enhance our customers’ daily travelling and shopping experience. It combines different transport modes, ticketing and shopping functions at various MTR shopping malls, and allows MTR to provide highly integrated, targeted and real time information to our customers. When there is an incident, this app is particularly useful, allowing customers to make informed decisions on whether to take alternate routes in MTR system or another mode of transport.

“And more recently, MTR has introduced additional contactless payment options to the ticketing system which will bring greater convenience to local passengers and travelers as well as mark a key milestone in MTR’s journey in smart mobility.

“So that kind of digitisation technology is something we share with metros or even state governments, to make the best use of data to enhance the passenger experience.

“MTR also understands that our people are the most important part of MTR and we often send people to Hong Kong or elsewhere for familiarisation visits as we believe that knowledge gained from international exposure to our hubs is of benefit is to the local market in Australia.”

“So the key is how we can make use of our international network to help our future leaders.”

• How do you plan on expanding the Rail plus Property (R+P) model?

MTR pioneered the concept in Hong Kong, where MTR, the government and developers work together to deliver integrated community precincts and transport projects. MTR plans, finances and builds new metro lines; in return the government provides the operator with land “development rights” at stations or depots along the route.

I M A G E: M T R

focus and transfer our expertise into our contracts to ensure clients get the best possible outcome. To achieve this, it starts with our team. MTR works hard to attract the right people to join our teams, our people deliver on our priorities and deliver for clients.

“With MTM and MTS, we aim to make sure that we deliver strong results for our clients and their end users. This ranges from customer-focused delivery and high levels of performance to asset management improvements and project delivery leadership.

“At the same time, we are in for the long term in Australia. We need to maintain a very good relationship with our clients and deliver what they need whilst providing additional value. If there is a case where we can draw some of our global experience – not only from Hong Kong, but also from our global hubs like Mainland China, UK and Europe – we are more than happy to do so.

“We have a lot of good talent. As we deliver our projects successfully, we can explore more growth opportunities, including New Zealand and the famous MTR Rail plus Property model.”

Yuen said the model has much potential in Australia.

“Australian cities have very good infrastructure and transport nodes are an incredible location to build highly integrated communities and housing projects. Developing R+P projects also has the advantage of offsetting a portion of the transport project’s capital or operational expenses,” he said.

“New Zealand faces similar challenges: they have got a good plan and want better value capture around the infrastructure, and also need to increase availability of new housing stock.

“One of the key points in R+P is knowledgesharing about successful integration and ensuring that we can help the clients in their journey.”

• What does the future hold for MTR in Australia?

“MTR is a world class company and we have been very privileged to play a role in the growth of Melbourne and Sydney for 15 years. The cities are definitely world class and we plan to continue being a key driver of innovation and customer focused operations in Australia and New Zealand for a long time to come,” Yuen said.

“MTR’s global depth is a unique asset which we have leveraged to help local clients build customer-focused communities, deliver the high performing metros and build local talent.

“In the past five years, we’ve opened multiple automated metros around the world.

Sydney Metro City and Southwest project and its driverless trains will be next, followed by Melbourne Metro tunnel.

“Bringing that real world global experience about issues that happened during openings, and how to best formulate that strategy to ensure the clients get their desired outcome on day one, is incredibly important.”

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Workforce solutions

Rail career advice on national level Delivering rail training since 2016, Training Ahead Australia (TAA) has become the training provider of choice for many rail operators, rail contractors and Tier 1 contractors.

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I M A G E: TA A

The Melbourne-based organisation is expanding across Australia and implementing many initiatives, to provide solutions to the current challenges that the rail industry faces.

TAA specialises in training for the rail sector, with the aim of improving safety standards throughout – which is achieved by combining industry experience with fresh and innovative training strategies.

The TAA team possess a broad and varied mix of skills, backgrounds and experience – from rail professionals who have served in the industry in excess of 30 years, to those who are just starting out in their careers.

TAA Chief Executive Dannielle Walz said the goal was to help individuals and businesses to be more effective and efficient, to create a safer, more streamlined workplace for everyone.

“We can now roll out quality training and straightforward career guidance and advice on a national level – further supporting the rail industry,” she said.

“Like many industries, rail has been suffering from a skills shortage, which can have significant consequences for both individuals and companies.

“Historically, entering the rail industry could be confusing for newcomers. In Victoria, TAA has become known for offering full support and clear, personalised advice for how people and businesses can enter this lucrative industry.

“While we do offer training ourselves, TAA is more commonly known for offering career guidance – not just for our own training offerings, but to help as many people as possible start off in rail with confidence, with a focus on safety.”

This includes during busy periods, taking up to 3,000 inbound phone calls per month in Victoria alone, from companies seeking guidance to be compliant in rail and individuals looking to enter the industry or upskill.

TAA has now rolled this free service out nationally, to help better educate people on understanding career pathways.

TAA can assist individuals looking to enter the industry or companies who require guidance on what qualifications their staff require, the call centre has a primary focus on:

Training Ahead Australia now delivers rail training nationally.

• Answering calls on how to enter the rail industry and work with different operators • What re-certifications are required • How the Rail Industry Worker Card system works • The different job roles for safeworking and rail infrastructure • Provide suggestions on where to start for applying for jobs Walz said TAA was committed to helping the rail industry to “be at its best”.

She said this includes being: • Outcome-focused: “Through our everincreasing knowledge base, personalised service and a passion for the rail industry, we help people and business to achieve the right result for them.”

• Caring: “We care! We genuinely want to support our clients – the more effectively we can help them, the better we serve the rail industry overall.”

• Compliant: “Doing things the right way not just because we have to – but because we believe it’s what should be done, and because we want to be accountable to everyone we work with.”

• Working smart: “We’ll never tire of doing our very best to deliver quality, innovative

training that truly fits the needs of everyone we work with.”

• First-rate: “Through a diverse range of experience and knowledge, supported by a genuine desire to help, our team provides unparalleled service.”

TAA is already an approved training provider for the Melbourne Metro, ARTC and V/Line rail networks.

It offers onsite or public courses, which can be held after hours, on the weekends or during night shift if needed.

Looking to the future, Training Ahead is looking to deliver training nationally for: • Rail infrastructure • Rail safeworking • Train driving and rail operations • Shunting • Certificate IV in training and assessment • Health and Safety Representative training • Variety of recertifications The TAA website has a wealth of information on how individuals or businesses can enter the rail industry, as well as full course suites and a courses calendar.

Contact TAA on 1300 355 900 or via the website: trainingahead.com.au

Industry associations

Volunteers vital for success The RTAA finished 2023 on a high note, after what has proven to be a challenging year.

Jonathon Barnes, president, Rail Track Association Australia

reminded once again of the reliance organisations like the RTAA truly has on volunteers.

We simply could not exist without all of those that work behind the scenes. It is doubly true of organisations like ours where we don’t just rely on the efforts and support to organise and hold events, but also because we look to these same people for their knowledge and experience to feed back into our initiatives and activities, such as technical reviews of papers and development of training material to help the next generation.

So why do we volunteer? For myself I do it now to pay back to an industry that has been very good to me and I love to be part of.

When I look back at my early carrier though I find that it was through my volunteering with Engineers Australia and then RTAA that helped me develop the soft skills that are so important, like leadership, communication and engagement.

These are not easy things to learn as a junior, let alone paid positions where we don’t always have the opportunity or exposure to the situations that would build them.

Another major benefit is the potential to network. Volunteering to panels and being an active part of the industry is a great way to meet people and be seen.

I have spoken to several new entrants to our industry and my advice is always the same: the benefits of being involved and active outweigh the cost in time that is asked in return many times over.

And it is better to make that investment when your time is less in demand than try to make it up later when the pressures increase.

In closing I would like to once again thank all of the volunteers and association members for their support and efforts.

I M A G E: R A I L G A L L E RY

Welcome everybody to the new year.

I hope that everyone had a chance to rest and recover after a challenging 2023.

The RTAA finished 2023 on a memorable note, jumping straight from a fantastic AusRAIL PLUS conference in Sydney to the launch of the Australian Railway Research and Innovation Network (AusRRIN) initiative, a partnership we are very excited to be part of and one we will hear more from in the coming months.

The AusRRIN is a network of five Australian universities that are recognised individually for delivering excellence in railway research along with key railway industry and regulatory entities.

The partners will co-operate to identify and deliver critical railway research and innovation necessary for the future of Australia’s railways and to advance an associated rail manufacturing sector in support of the Australian government’s National Rail Manufacturing Plan.

AusRRIN will be formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Monash University through its Institute of Railway Technology (IRT), Central Queensland University, University of Queensland, University of Wollongong and the University of Technology Sydney.

These leading Australian universities will join five railway industry entities – the RTAA; the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR); Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board (RISSB); Australasian Railway Association (ARA); and the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers (IRSE) – to create AusRRIN. Further in the training space we are proud to be supporting a new initiative called the Ground Level Alliance.

This organisation works in the geotechnical space and is dedicated to supporting improved sustainability and efficiency in civil works through education and real world examples.

The focus of this work is to reduce the

environmental impact of civil works but it will also serve to show the project benefits that can be achieved by this efficiency and in turn hopefully drive more widespread adoption.

Within the RTAA we held our annual general meeting in December, where we paid thanks to our exiting secretary, Abbie Thomas, for her work and support over the past years. We wish her the best for her plans into the future.

We now have a slimmed down executive committee, welcoming back Thomas Kerr as vice-president and Dennis Lo as treasurer.

We congratulate Orla O’Sullivan for taking on the secretary role for 2024.

Supporting our executive, we have an expanded management committee with many new faces. Our new-look committee comprises Nora Azizi, Michael Keefe, Kate Vila, Danielle Walz, Aleu Dekuek, Peter Wilkinson, Kershan Pillai and Steven Johnson.

Looking at what is to come in 2024 brings us straight to our Field Day event, the largest outdoor exhibition of rail in Australia, held in partnership with Sydney Trains.

We will be holding the event at the Chullora rail yards again on May 8 and 9, with all the demonstrations and live displays that have made the event a mainstay of the Australian rail calendar for so long.

And no rail event is complete without a railway dinner. For the Field Day we return with our NoTie Dinner, to be held at the fabulous Waterview in Bicentennial Park in Sydney. I look forward to once again welcoming all to this event.

Beyond this, we are working to bring a much-expanded calendar of events for 2024, including site tours and technical sessions with the experts alongside a re-built program of networking and social events.

Looking at our plans for the year, I am

An aerial shot of the 2022 RTAA Field Day.

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Industry associations

New Zealand on a new journey The Australasian Railway Association has released the Aotearoa Strategy 2023-2028 – its fiveyear strategic plan to foster a productive, efficient and thriving New Zealand rail industry.

Caroline Wilkie, Chief Executive Officer, Australasian Railway Assocation

I M A G E: A R A

The blueprint centres on five strategic objectives and complements the Government’s New Zealand Rail Plan 2021 and the increased investment in both freight and passenger rail.

The ARA is committed to working with the NZ Government and industry to increase the use of freight and passenger rail by providing a deeper understanding of customer expectations, and supporting reforms to improve the safety outcomes and the regulatory environment for rail.

Our Strategy was launched in Auckland in November 2023, and offers a great opportunity to bring industry together to further collaborate on ways to increase rail’s share of the broader transport network.

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It is a vision for where the New Zealand rail industry would like to position itself by 2028, with several key milestones identified for 202324 to support progress towards this goal.

The Strategy will underpin efforts to promote the significant benefits rail has to offer the New Zealand community and economy, and support the important role it plays in the decarbonisation of transport.

The ARA is focused on the issues that are a priority for the entire rail industry, whether in freight, passenger or construction.

Over the past two years, we have benefited from more New Zealand rail businesses joining and actively participating in the ARA, which has provided an opportunity for deeper engagement on key issues facing the local industry.

The Strategy was developed following a workshop held in June 2023, involving almost 40 leaders from across industry and government on how to better coordinate and unite the industry to improve the long-term future for rail.

There was considerable enthusiasm and sharing of information at this very valuable workshop, which then led to the formation of the Strategy.

Historically, the New Zealand rail industry faces a multifaceted set of challenges, ranging from geographical constraints and competition to infrastructure maintenance requirements and regulatory complexities.

Its rugged terrain, which increases the cost of construction, and small population has made it harder to expand the rail network.

It also faces many of the same issues as Australia, such as a critical need to increase diversity in its workforce.

Infrastructure resilience is key to a strong rail industry for the future, which is essential to meeting the country’s transport needs.

Much of the rail network in New Zealand dates back several decades. Continuing to modernise the rail system to support the country’s growth is essential to enhance the industry’s efficiency, safety, and overall competitiveness over time.

New Zealand is in the midst of a transformation of its rail network, supported by an unprecedented level of investment to help achieve this goal.

The ARA was pleased to see the 2023 Budget deliver KiwiRail NZ$569.2 million to upgrade, modernise and improve resilience

The ARA plans to expand its Rail Industry Worker program into New Zealand.

I M A G E: K I W I R A I L

The Strategy will be the starting point for improved resilience and efficiency in New Zealand rail.

of NZ rail infrastructure, up to NZ$200m for rebuilding damaged North Island rail lines, and NZ$10m for further rail electrification in the North Island.

The City Rail Link in Auckland, due to be completed in November 2025, will also be a game-changer for Auckland and help ease traffic congestion in the city.

As this period of investment continues, the Strategy will guide the development of an evidence base to support ongoing investment, highlighting the importance of infrastructure resilience, as well as look at ways to strengthen career pathways into rail, grow capability and improve diversity.

The five strategic objectives under the Aotearoa Strategy are: 1. A compelling mode of choice for passenger and freight 2. C ustomer focused by providing safe, seamless and connected journeys 3. A recognised and valued contributor to transport decarbonisation 4. Strengthened industry with a clear infrastructure investment pipeline, balancing urban and regional requirements 5. An innovative and dynamic industry, supporting a growing, skilled, and diverse workforce To support the Strategy, the ARA will establish a new committee for the New Zealand rail industry, headed by KiwiRail Chief Executive Officer Peter Reidy and Transdev Chief Operations Officer Australia and NZ Peter Lensink, who are both ARA Board members . We

have also established an industry group that will be open to all stakeholders.

The work of the ARA is more important than ever in demonstrating the value of rail and to support continued investment in the industry, with a focus on mode shift and sustainability.

The ARA plans to conduct further research to highlight the significant economic and community benefits rail has to offer New Zealand, as well as explore the future skills, diversity, and capability requirements needed to support the local industry.

We will also do more research on the skills environment in 2024 to get a better understanding of the New Zealand rail workforce’s skills profile and capability.

In addition, the ARA hopes to expand its Rail Industry Worker (RIW) program into New Zealand to assist in the harmonisation of the Australian and New Zealand rail industry.

RIW has been very successful in Australia and now has more than 97,000 cardholders, many of which are from companies that also operate in NZ. The RIW program is the only national program of its kind in the Australian rail industry, making it easier for rail workers to move between projects and across state borders.

It provides a single source of truth to record an employee’s qualifications, access requirements and fitness to work.

We have started discussions with NZ companies on the RIW program and we look forward to seeing how we can offer this support to them to boost efficiency and productivity.

The ARA will also contribute to reforms to

improve the safety outcomes and regulatory environment in the New Zealand rail industry.

This will include consultation with Waka Kotahi and industry, including shared learnings from Australia’s regulatory arrangements.

The New Zealand rail industry faces several other challenges.

It will be critical that the industry has a long-term and transparent pipeline of rail projects for the supply chain to invest.

This should be shaped by collaboration between industry and government, be informed by data to support a long term focus, and appropriately balance urban and regional needs.

There is also a growing focus within the industry to reduce its carbon footprint further, implement sustainable practices and invest in cleaner technologies.

Rail has long been a sustainability leader, providing low emissions transport options and supporting the sustainable development of our cities and towns.

Highlighting the industry’s ongoing work to further build on these efforts will remain a key focus.

We are optimistic that the Aotearoa Strategy 2023-2028 will be the starting point for a new journey in rail for New Zealand for improved resilience and efficiency and a more modernised industry for the future.

We look forward to working with the NZ Government and industry to ensure the infrastructure pipeline is fit for purpose and supports a sustainable local supply chain for a future-proofed rail industry.

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Industry associations

Heading in a fresh direction The Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board has spent the last year developing its new 2024–2030 Strategic Plan.

The new plan comes at a time when there is an increasing focus by the rail industry and governments, on resolving long-standing interoperability and harmonisation challenges, to unlock productivity and de-carbonisation opportunities.

RISSB provides industry and governments with the systems expertise and technical underpinning that drive ongoing improvements in the standards of safety, productivity and sustainability for Australian and New Zealand rail.

The foundation of RISSB’s Plan has been formed by seeking the views of industry leaders on the future direction of RISSB. It has gone through a comprehensive analysis of various scenarios to ensure it is robust in delivering high value outcomes for the rail industry, in what is a changing regulatory environment.

The new Plan puts into action RISSB’s key focus areas: • Addressing industry’s most pressing issues with products that will deliver measurable benefits • Increasing the focus on product adoption and benefit realisation by assisting industry with the implementation of RISSB’s products • Bringing to life RISSB’s strapline of ‘Industry’s Partner in Co-regulation’.

The current challenges and opportunities faced by the industry reinforces the value of the RISSB model: industry’s Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) working together to maximise the benefits of our co-regulatory environment.

This plan recognises and promotes the significant and formal network of knowledge and industry expertise, the RISSB Network, a national and international network of industry’s SMEs.

This collective capability will be focussed on developing solutions that when implemented, will realise real and tangible benefits in key areas of focus for the industry.

RISSB’s areas of strategic focus have been informed by broad engagement with key industry and government stakeholders, and includes shifting RISSB’s focus from producing and maintaining documents, to delivering outcomes by enabling industry to realise tangible benefits from the adoption RISSB’s products.

I am excited to say that RISSB is firmly focused on the future and what RISSB can do to make the rail industry safer and more productive.

RISSB is poised to play a much more active role, working hand in hand with industry and government, collaboratively and effectively, in driving reform and innovation. We plan to make a growing impact.

THE STRATEGIC PLAN ON A PAGE Product leadership • Set an annual program for the revision of Standards and elements of the Code aligned to industrywide critical risks and opportunities, concentrating on elements that will deliver high-value solutions aligned to industry and government priorities.

• Further develop the Australian Rail Risk Model (ARRM) based on analytics of industry-wide safety data, and increase the use of it for risk profiling, analysis, and prioritisation, and for developing common solutions to systemic industry risks.

• Reshape ancillary services RISSB offers to include support for implementation, provision of training content and issue of information updates and bulletins based

I M A G E: R I S S B

The RISSB plan has been formulated after consultation with industry leaders.

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Damien White, Chief Executive Officer, RISSB

on national and international incidents, developments and trends.

• Co-create and pilot new Standards, Codes, products, and services that provide the technical basis to enable industry to respond to government priorities including interoperability, harmonisation, industry skills development and de-carbonisation.

• Deliver an annual program of improvements to the Australian Level Crossing Assessment Model (ALCAM) with measures that reduce the effort of data collection and input, and increase the efectiveness and value of the model outputs and uses.

Operational excellence • Cultivate RISSB’s collective capability by harnessing member and partner skills, subject matter expertise and experience and embedding it in internal processes and providing a knowledge base that assists members in maintaining their accreditation.

• Set up systems to aggregate and analyse key industry data sets, gather market intelligence and leverage RISSB’s collective capability to identify emerging trends.

Embed these learnings in the products and services we deliver.

• Establish formal links with international standards-setting organisations to facilitate knowledge transfer on relevant areas of practice, including rapid learning and sharing.

• Engage with Standards Australia to ensure on-going accreditation systems compliance whilst implementing process improvements to reduce development timeframes and extending the process to include steps to facilitate industry adoption.

Productive partnerships • Establish mechanisms in our MoU with governments to ensure planning, programs and relationship management support government policy objectives.

• Structure engagement with industry members to understand and respond to critical priorities, and distilling these inputs to set priorities for the development of RISSB products and to guide the formulation of annual work programs.

• Build our strategic partnerships with key industry bodies including ARA, ONRSR and NTC to ensure our actions, programs and products are aligned and integrated.

Industry associations

Chasing innovation and excellence The Permanent Way Institution NSW heads into 2024 with pivotal events and initiatives that epitomise its commitment to the rail industry and members.

Mark Harris, President, PWI NSW

As 2023 draws to a close, the PWI would like to thank all our members and corporate members for their continued support over the year, and we wish all our friends and colleagues a happy Christmas and a safe and prosperous new year.

Our eagerly anticipated Executive Breakfast on May 10, 2024, featuring Secretary of Transport NSW Josh Murray, is more than an event – it will be a confluence of expertise, insight, and future-forward thinking in rail transport.

This gathering promises a deep dive into emerging trends and strategies, offering our members an exclusive opportunity to engage with key industry figures and peers.

This coming November also marks a historic milestone for PWI NSW as we celebrate our 50th anniversary.

The golden jubilee reflects our enduring legacy and a beacon for the future, symbolising our resilience and continuous evolution in the dynamic rail sector.

This event will be a grand celebration, bringing together the brightest minds in the industry, commemorating our achievements, and setting the course for the decades ahead.

Our newly launched Lunch and Learn series in 2024, hosted by member organisations, underscores our dedication to ongoing professional development and knowledge sharing.

These sessions are meticulously curated to provide members with practical insights and up-to-date information, facilitating a platform for continuous learning and networking in a more relaxed yet equally enriching environment.

Membership in PWI NSW offers unparalleled benefits. We provide a hub of knowledge, networking opportunities, and professional pathways, all underpinned by a

supportive community that fosters resilience in an ever-changing industry landscape.

Members joining PWI NSW become part of a vibrant and diverse group of professionals dedicated to shaping the rail industry’s future.

Our approach is holistic – we focus on the present and actively prepare our members for future challenges and opportunities.

Whether you are a seasoned professional or just beginning your journey in the rail sector, PWI NSW offers a rich tapestry of resources, experiences, and connections.

We are a community that values innovation, collaboration, and the pursuit of excellence.

PWI NSW is not just an association, it is the Institution for Rail Infrastructure Engineering; it’s a gateway to a thriving career and an integral part of the rail industry’s progression.

Our events, initiatives, and membership benefits are designed to empower our members and contribute significantly to the rail industry’s growth and development.

As an example, a scholarship from PWI NSW has enabled a young engineering cadet from New South Wales to embark on a unique work experience opportunity in remote western Tasmania.

Liam Clowes, a civil engineering student at the University of Newcastle, is one of the recipients of the Don Hagarty Cadet Program sponsored by the PWI, designed to provide a pathway for engineering students into the rail industry, by offering financial

support and practical training. As part of the program, Clowes was offered the chance to work with the West Coast Wilderness Railway, a heritage railway that runs between Queenstown and Strahan.

The West Coast Wilderness Railway (WCWR) is a reconstruction of the original railway built by the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company in the late 19th century.

The railway showcases the rich history and natural beauty of the west coast region, passing through rainforests, gorges, and mining sites.

Clowes’ work experience will involve assisting the WCWR engineering staff with upgrading works currently underway.

The WCWR is undergoing major upgrades to improve its reliability and resilience.

The $16 million upgrade is expected to ensure the railway can continue to meet the growing demand for the rail experience and remain a major drawcard for the region for decades to come.

The upgrade involves inspecting and repairing the track, bridges, and locomotives, as well as implementing a new safety management system. The railway features a rare rack and pinion system that enables the locomotives to climb steep slopes and navigate sharp bends, which requires special maintenance and expertise.

Clowes hopes his work experience might inspire other young people to pursue a career in the rail industry.

I M A G E: P W I

The PWI Awards Night celebrates the rail industry’s finest people, projects and innovations.

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Contracts, EOIs, Tenders

VICTORIA Suburban Rail Loop Tunnelling on Melbourne’s Suburban Rail Loop will start in 2026 with the State Government awarding the first contract for SRL East.

A consortium of global tunnelling experts — CPB Contractors, Ghella and Acciona Construction — has been awarded the $3.6 billion contract to build 16 kilometres of twin tunnels between Cheltenham and Glen Waverley.

The project will create 8000 direct jobs as it delivers six new underground stations between Cheltenham and Box Hill – slashing travel times and congestion and connecting people to new housing, employment and health and education services in Melbourne’s east and south-east.

SRL East will be one of the most sustainable infrastructure construction projects in Australia’s history, with the four TBMs to be powered by 100 per cent renewable electricity and total emissions from construction to be 20 per cent below industry standard.

Skilled workers and training will also benefit from SRL East, with at least 12 per cent of hours to be worked by trainees, apprentices and cadets.

Construction is progressing across the SRL East corridor, with works in Burwood underway to build the TBM launch site; under the tunnelling contract, most ground preparation works required to excavate safety cross passages between the twin tunnels will be managed underground, reducing impacts on local residents, schools and roads.

The two other bidders for the Cheltenham to Glen Waverley Package will now compete for the second tunnelling package between Glen Waverley and Box Hill, with that contract to be awarded in 2024.

In a separate package of works, two consortia have been shortlisted for the Linewide Alliance contract to build the fleet of high-tech SRL trains and signalling system, and to operate and maintain the SRL East network – with the contract set to be awarded in 2025.

will be maintained alongside the classic fleet out of West Melbourne, South Dynon and Ballarat East sites securing hundreds of local Victorian jobs for the next decade.

The award of the contract to Alstom locks in a number of benefits for the local Victorian economy. This includes 98 per cent of labour based in Victoria servicing the VLocity and Classic fleet with 69 per cent of maintenance materials supplied by local Victorian suppliers. Alstom has also committed to a 6 per cent spend with 40 local social benefit suppliers over the life of the contract.

Alstom will establish a fleet control centre in South Dynon, based on Alstom’s UK Voyager Control Centre which will further improve reliability and availability of the fleet.

Local suppliers across Victoria will also play an important part in supplying parts, overhauls, repairs, preventative maintenance and wheel turning.

CELEBRATING

Torbanlea to transform a former pineapple farm into Australia’s newest state-of-theart train manufacturing facility, which will manufacture 65 six-car passenger trains to run on the SEQ train network.

Downer was awarded the Design Build Maintain Contract (DBM) for the QTMP earlier this year and has partnered with the Hyundai Rotem Corporation (HRC) for the manufacturing of the 65 new trains.

Once the first QTMP train has been built in 2026, it will begin testing before entering passenger services in 2027. All 65 trains are expected to be in service in time for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games while helping to run additional services that will be delivered by the Cross River Rail and Logan and Gold Coast Faster Rail projects.

A co-design process is ongoing with the disability sector to inform the design of the new QTMP trains.

This will shape the design of the new passenger trains to ensure they are compliant, functional, and accessible for all passengers.

Early works to upgrade local intersections within Torbanlea started in August 2022 ahead of the start of construction on the train manufacturing facility.

15 YEARS

IN AUSTRALIA

CANBERRA Canberra Light Rail CIMIC Group companies Pacific Partnerships, CPB Contractors and UGL, as part of the Canberra Metro consortium, QUEENSLAND will finance, design, build and operate Queensland Train Manufacturing Program the next phase of Canberra’s world class The Queensland Government’s plan to Stage 2A light rail system from the City to bring train manufacturing back to the Commonwealth Park. state is being boosted by a $30 million The Canberra Light Rail Stage 2A project is investment from Downer partner, jointly funded by the Australian Government Hyundai Rotem. and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) T The corporation will establish a standGovernment. Canberra Metro was awarded alone local presence on the Fraser Coast the $577 million contract following a single with the purchase of an industrial site and select procurement process, generating plans to establish a factory to produce subrevenue of approximately $227.5m for CPB components for train car bodies.

Contractors and UGL. Roll forming – involving the continuous The Stage 2A “catenary-free” or wireless bending of a long strip of sheet metal extension will be delivered under Canberra (typically coiled steel) to make subMetro’s existing public private partnership components for train car bodies – has (PPP) with the ACT Government. been made overseas for decades but This is the third Canberra Light Rail will now be made locally as part of the VLocity package for Canberra Metro, which Government’s commitment to bringing Australian rail manufacturing leader includes CIMIC’s Pacific Partnerships train manufacturing back to Maryborough, Alstom has been announced At MTR, our vision is as tothe“Keep Cities Moving”.

We believe that world class (sponsor and equity funding), CPB creating an additional 20 jobs. successful bidder for the $1.5 billion metros enable sustainable cities.Rotem Wefacility areisproud remain Contractors (design and construction) and The Hyundai in additionand contract to maintainthriving Victoria’s regional UGL (operations and maintenance). to the Queensland Train Manufacturing rolling stock VLocity and Classic fl eets for committed to our mission of connecting communities across Australia Program (QTMP) site being built at the next decade. through close Governments, theat rail industry and the Torbanlea and Downer’s facility The VLocity trainpartnerships fleet, which is built by with High-speed debate result: Maryborough.

Majorlast works15 are years. underway at Alstom at its we Dandenong manufacturing site, FOR 65 per cent; AGAINST 35 per cent customers have been serving over the

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