Rail Express issue 5 2018 by Prime Group

ISSUE 5 | 2018

Supply chains of theÂ future Optimising rail freight, CSIRO style

Special Feature: Heavy Machinery PAGE 44 Lessons learned from 2016 derailment PAGE 56 Newcastle Port boss wants container terminal PAGE 41

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ISSUE 05

2018 CONTENTS

From the Editor

From the ARA

NEWS UP FRONT6 06

08 National 16 Victoria 22

New South Wales

26 Queensland 30

Western Australia

New Zealand

South Australia

Real Estate

MAJOR PROJECTS & OPERATIONS 37 43

Thales keen to take part in signalling boom

Urban renewal evident on Sydney light rail corridor

Newcastle Port boss wants container terminal

Sydney Metro testing rolls on

Third stage for Gold Coast Light Rail

Sides argue over Inland Rail funding model

HEAVY MACHINERY 49 54

Webbair Prolec protecting machines, staff

GLH poised to take part in more SEQ work

47 Plant Assessor reducing incidents through transparency 49

Melbourne gears up for arrival of TBMs

PRODUCTS, SAFETY AND R&D

ISSUE 5 | 2018

TM Stagetec’s digital PA technology at AusRAIL

Lessons from 2016 Metro Trains derailment

Industry celebrates Safety Week

CSIRO research demonstrates rail’s value

Stanley Engineered Fastening’s lockbolt system

COVER STORY ROLLINGSTOCK

Supply chains of the future Optimising rail freight, CSIRO style

Special Feature: Heavy Machinery PAGE 44 Lessons learned from 2016 derailment PAGE 56 Newcastle Port boss wants container terminal PAGE 41

The Australian Rail Track Corporation is using a new CSIRO tool to inform its management of the Hunter Valley rail network, and for future planning of Inland Rail.

Melbourne’s 2018 art tram designs revealed

New order to keep Alstom rolling in Ballarat

PAGE 61

RAIL EXPRESS | ISSUE 5 2018

From the editor

Published by:

Oliver Probert Editor - Rail Express

All eyes on ScoMo as leadership shifts again

OR THE FOURTH TIME IN NINE years, a sitting Australian prime minister has been ousted by his or her own party. It’s hard to fully comprehend the how and why of what happened in the Liberal partyroom in August. Even more difficult to understand is how the Coalition can, in just a few months, recover from the significant lead enjoyed by Labor in the Newspoll; a lead cushioned by a compelling swing in Labor’s favour immediately after the spill. Even muddier, still, is what this all means for the rail sector. From the perspective of passenger rail, the election of a Labor Government at the next federal election would certainly not be a negative step. Led on infrastructure by major public transport advocate Anthony Albanese, Labor frequently supports passenger rail during public discourse. But what is the outlook for rail under a Morrison-led Coalition Government? Malcolm Turnbull was a breath of fresh air for the rail sector. Replacing a man who proudly dismissed the idea of funding public transport, Turnbull promoted a pragmatic approach to infrastructure funding. While he

11-15 Buckhurst St South Melbourne VIC 3205 T: 03 9690 8766 www.primecreativemedia.com.au

was criticised by Labor for spending more time riding trains than actually funding them, there was far more support for public transport under Turnbull than there was under his predecessor, Tony Abbott. But Turnbull’s advocacy for city-shaping infrastructure was part of the persona that made him so polarising in the Liberal partyroom. Turnbull went against the will of the Liberal Party’s conservative base on a number of key issues. At times this was credited for his success, but eventually it spelt his downfall. Morrison is a more conservative option – although certainly not the most conservative option the Liberals had. The question, then, is where public transport falls on that progressiveconservative scale, and what side of that line Morrison lands on. Leaks in the days after the spill suggested the Turnbull Government was planning to drip-feed a series of public transport projects targeting marginal seats as a key part of its election strategy. Will that still happen under Morrison’s leadership? Time will tell.

Publisher Christine Clancy E: christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au Chief Operating Officer Brad Buchanan E: brad.buchanan@primecreative.com.au Editor Oliver Probert E: oliver.probert@primecreative.com.au Journalist David Loneragan E: david.loneragan@primecreative.com.au Business Development Manager Ben 0’Brien T: 0427 270 774 E: ben.obrien@primecreative.com.au Client Success Manager Natasha Shekar E: natasha.shekar@primecreative.com.au Art Director Michelle Weston E: michelle.weston@primecreative.com.au

oliver.probert@primecreative.com.au

Design Blake Storey, Kerry Pert, James Finlay Subscripions Gordon Watson T: 03 9690 8766 E: gordon.watson@primecreative.com.au

www.RailExpress.com.au The Publisher reserves the right to alter or omit any article or advertisement submitted and requires indemnity from the advertisers and contributors against damages or liabilities that may arise from material published. © Copyright – No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the permission of the publisher.

ISSUE 5 2018 | RAIL EXPRESS

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ARA COLUMN

Be part of Project i-TRACE to transform the Australian rail sector Danny Broad, Chief Executive Officer of the Australasian Railway Association (ARA), writes about the ARA’s collaboration with GS1 Australia to standardise how materials are identified to eliminate the current challenge of managing efficient maintenance, repair and overhaul processes.

H E LANDSCAPE IN WHICH our rail industry operates today is large and complex, causing challenges with cost, safety, visibility, logistics, efficiency and customer service. There is also currently no standardised approach to the way materials are identified to support supply chain best practice and effective asset management. To address these issues, the Project i-TRACE initiative was formed in partnership with GS1 Australia to set the foundation for standardising the way parts and components are identified, barcoded and/or tagged across the sector using GS1 global data standards (GDS). The ARA has been working closely with Bonnie Ryan, GS1 Australia’s Senior Manager - Freight, Logistics & Industrial over the past few years to lay the groundwork for the 1 January 2019 commencement date for the i-TRACE initiative. Investing in GS1 standards and new technologies will bring improvements to reliability, safety and quality across the value chain. These include more efficient and transparent inventory management processes and improved traceability across components’ lifecycles. Improving how the rail industry traces and tracks assets and critical parts through their full lifecycles is key to unlocking improvements in efficiency and safety. Standardising the way materials are identified in the value chain through Project i-TRACE will bring industry wide efficiencies including: • Reduced inventory write-offs and waste leading to optimal inventory management • Improved maintenance and repair operations • Improved traceability and warranty management fundamental for lifecycle tracking • Reduced costs through fewer

ISSUE 5 2018 | RAIL EXPRESS

transaction errors and better quality data • Elimination of manual processes by enabling automation i-TRACE will also lay the requirements for how to digitally identify objects and automatically capture data about those objects. This standardised approach and common framework will help all stakeholders to effectively identify products, electronically capture information about them and then share that information with relevant parties. Project i-TRACE also supports ISO 55000, the global asset management standard. Several local companies are already incorporating this initiative into their ISO 55000 projects. To prepare the industry for the adoption of GS1 standards, a series of Rail Industry Supplier Workshops were hosted by the ARA and GS1 around the nation, with presentations from operators

to get suppliers up to speed with the project. The workshops were also a great opportunity for suppliers to learn about the range of tools and technologies available for the implementation of GS1 standards. The ultimate result of Project i-TRACE will be the long-term benefits of full lifecycle tracking and predictive maintenance for more effective asset management. The focus over the next few months will continue to be working with GS1 Australia to support the rail industry to get ready for the commencement of this important initiative on 1 January 2019. With the implementation target date less than four months away, I encourage suppliers to get on board Project i-TRACE and talk to operators about joining forces to work together to lay the blueprint for the many benefits ahead. I also suggest you subscribe to the newsletter to keep up-todate with what you need to do to be ready for 1 January 2019. www.gs1au.org/project-itrace-news

ARA chief executive Danny Broad is encouraging suppliers to get on board Project i-TRACE.

www.railexpress.com.au

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SLEW

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Alan Tudge (centre) is the new minister for cities, urban infrastructure and population.

Tudge to ‘bust congestion’ in new Morrison Government AUSTRALIA HAS A NEW PRIME MINISTER and cabinet after the Liberal Party ousted Malcolm Turnbull in August. Victorian MP Alan Tudge is the Australian passenger rail sector’s newest cabinet representative, after new prime minister Scott Morrison announced his first Cabinet on August 26. Newly-elected deputy Liberal leader Josh Frydenberg steps in as treasurer, formerly Morrison’s role. Nationals leader and deputy PM Michael McCormack remains minister for transport and infrastructure. And Tudge, minister for citizenship and multicultural affairs under Turnbull, was named the new minister for cities, urban infrastructure, and population. Tudge Tweeted he was “honoured” to take on the new portfolio. “I look forward to my new congestion busting role,” he wrote on August 26. Tudge was among a key group of frontbenchers who deserted the Turnbull Ministry in the days after Peter Dutton failed in his initial bid to challenge the PM’s leadership. “I have tendered my resignation as Minister, having offered it on Monday,” Tudge Tweeted on August 23, a day before Turnbull was finally ousted as leader. “This is a decision I have not taken lightly.

ISSUE 5 2018 | RAIL EXPRESS

However, this morning it became clear that there is no longer the support for PM, including from members of leadership group.” Malcolm Turnbull was dumped by the Liberals just after midday on Friday, August 24, after a calamitous week in Canberra. Earlier in the week, Turnbull defeated insurgent Peter Dutton in a spill vote, but rumblings continued in the 48 hours following that vote, peaking on the Thursday afternoon when Turnbull challenged Liberal MPs to sign their names to a petition for another leadership spill. “Australians will be rightly appalled by what they’re witnessing in their nation’s Parliament today and in the course of this week,” Turnbull told the press. On the Friday morning, Dutton handed in the petition, and a movement to spill the leadership of the Liberal party, passing 45 votes to 40. Turnbull did not run in the subsequent ballot, effectively resigning his position as prime minister. Morrison was voted in as the party’s new leader shortly before 1pm on Friday, August 24.

MPs debated leadership on WhatsApp PAUL FLETCHER, WHO HAD served as urban infrastructure and cities minister under Malcolm Turnbull since July 2016, was promoted to the role of minister for families and social services. Fletcher was reported as a key player in a WhatsApp conversation between several MPs, which played a key role in getting Morrison the top job. Morrison, Dutton and Julie Bishop contested for leadership after Turnbull stepped down. In the group message (named ‘Friends for Stability’) leaked by ABC’s Insiders program, Fletcher implored fellow Liberals to ensure Bishop didn’t eliminate Morrison in the first round of balloting during the spill meeting. “[Finance minister Mathias] Cormann rumoured to be putting some WA votes behind Julie Bishop in round 1,” Fletcher wrote to his colleagues. “Be aware that this is a ruse trying to get her ahead of Morrison so he drops out and his votes go to Dutton. “Despite our hearts tugging us to Julie we need to vote with our heads for Scott in round one.” Bishop was eliminated in the first round of balloting.

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Albanese blames Liberal infighting for stalling freight policy lead to them, should be a top priority for our nation,” Albanese said. “Yet in recent years, there’s been very little progress in terms of policy development or government investment. “We’ve seen increasing encroachment on road and rail corridors, even though the former Labor Government, in 2010, produced a National Ports Strategy that provided a blueprint for the sensible advancement of the sector.” He said the Strategy was, along with the National Freight Strategy and Infrastructure Australia’s landmark 2017 infrastructure audit, “on a shelf somewhere collecting dust” while the nation’s leaders were arguing about who should be in charge. “These policies were a response to serious challenges for our nation,” the shadow minister said. “In recent years these challenges have been the subject of too much talk and too little action. We can only hope that this changes under the Morrison Government.” Shadow infrastructure minister Anthony Albanese has blamed constant infighting for policy stagnation.

ISSUE 5 2018 | RAIL EXPRESS

New PM Scott Morrison knows that there is a lot to be done in the coming months.

Newspoll gives rough idea of damage done SCOTT MORRISON AND HIS Cabinet ministers face an uphill battle to win back the public ahead of next year’s federal election. The first Newspoll since the leadership coup, published just days later, showed Labor’s two-party lead has jumped to 12 percentage points – 56 to 44 – over the Liberal/National Coalition. It’s a staggering shift from the Newspoll taken a fortnight prior, which showed Labor’s lead at just 2 percentage points – 51 to 49. Morrison said he was aware of the task at hand. “[The Cabinet] will ensure we have the stability necessary and begin the work of healing that is needed after recent events,” he said.

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PHOTOGRAPHY: INFORMA AUSTRALIA, ARA, TWITTER

SHADOW TRANSPORT AND infrastructure minister Anthony Albanese says constant conflict within the Liberal and National parties has left transport policies “gathering dust”. Albanese, speaking from Darwin less than a week after the leadership drama, said policies to protect crucial road and rail corridors were stagnating while government ministers bickered over leadership. “The cutting down of the fourth consecutive prime minister to have led a political party to victory in a general election has shaken public confidence in our political system,” the shadow minister told the Ports Australia conference. “It has also caused real frustration to those of us who are concerned with the national interest.” Albanese, who was deputy PM during Kevin Rudd’s second stint as PM, said the result of constant changes at the top of the totem pole was “policy inertia,” and crucial freight policies were key victims of this. “The efficiency of ports, as well as the efficiency of the transport corridors that

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New CEO for Bombardier PAUL BROWN HAS REPLACED Andrew Dudgeon as Bombardier’s managing director for Australia, as part of the rail technology leader’s transformation program. Brown, previously Bombardier’s senior rail industry leader in Australia, was named the new managing director ‘ad interim’ on August 15. Per Allmer, Bombardier’s president for Western Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South East Asia and Australia, said the management change was part of an ongoing plan to strengthen Bombardier’s competitiveness in “key rail ecosystems”.

Vossloh acquires Austrak GLOBAL RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE specialist Vossloh has bought Australian sleeper manufacturer Austrak from Laing O’Rourke for roughly $50 million. Austrak said on August 6 it would be acquired by Vossloh. Founded in 1980, Austrak has been a fully-owned subsidiary of Laing O’Rourke since 2006. The manufacturer has produced more than 22 million sleepers for the Australian market, with clients including BHP, Rio

“We are delighted to bring Paul into this role, to reinforce our management team, accelerate our transformation, and increase our focus on satisfying our customers in Australia,” Allmer said. Brown has worked in rail for Bombardier for 35 years. He has been the project director for Queensland’s New Generation Rollingstock project, and will continue in this role as managing director. Bombardier said Brown’s other priorities include strengthening stakeholder relations, and securing new business in Australia’s “highly competitive” market. Tinto and FMG. It generated $52.3 million in sales in the 12 months ending March 31, 2018. Vossloh will pay roughly $50.5 million to acquire Austrak, but this can increase to $54.5 depending on its performance over the next two years. Subject to competition clearance, Vossloh aims to close the deal in the third quarter of 2018. Austrak will be added to its Tie Technologies business unit. Vossloh believes the Australian market offers good growth opportunities, particularly via significant mining projects in Western Australia, and major infrastructure projects on the East Coast.

Andrew Dudgeon will leave the business. Bombardier said he had “decided to pursue other career opportunities outside of the business”. “Bombardier wishes to thank Andrew for his service and for his efforts in developing our business,” the company said in a statement. Bombardier employs over 1,000 in Australia, designing, engineering, manufacturing and maintaining rolling stock, and providing signalling, rail equipment, asset management and through-life support to customers and operators. “The acquisition of Austrak is another important step in our growth strategy,” Andreas Busemann, CEO of Vossloh said. “With this transaction, we are expanding our portfolio in Australia in the area of rail tracks and laying the foundation for synergies for both our customers and Vossloh.” Cathal O’Rourke, managing director of Laing O’Rourke’s Australia Hub, said the sale was a positive one for Austrak’s future. “We are confident the organisation will benefit from the integration into a broader rail products business that is committed to growing its manufacturing operations in Australia and internationally.”

BOMBARDIER REPORTED A 3% growth in revenue in the second quarter of 2018, thanks to an 11% boost from its rail division. Bombardier Transportation, the division of the company which designs and manufactures rollingstock and signalling technology, reported US$2.26 billion in revenue in the three months ending June 30, 2018, up from US$2.04 billion in the same period last year. This translated to a US$163 million EBIT figure, up significantly from the $10 million figure reported after the second quarter last year. Bombardier Transportation reported a book-to-bill ratio of 1.1 (down from

ISSUE 5 2018 | RAIL EXPRESS

1.3), and an order backlog of US$34.0 billion, down from US$35.1 billion this time last year. The company won a A$77 million deal to provide 10 years of ongoing services for the Melbourne Metro Tunnel’s new rail control system, and the

Bombardier Australia’s MD Paul Brown

company’s quarterly report referenced Australia as a positive market. “Asia-Pacific is foreseen to bring further opportunities during the second half of the year,” the company said. “Further investments are anticipated for urban transit solutions in China, South Korea, Singapore and India, while in Thailand and Australia medium size contracts are to be awarded for mainline mobility solutions. “Additionally, significant contracts are expected to be awarded in the services and signalling segments across the vast majority of countries in the Asia-Pacific region with the most significant in China, Thailand and Australia.”

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PHOTOGRAPHY: BOMBARDIER

Rail growth drives revenue boost

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Pacific National takes part in experimental blockchain delivery efficiency regarding the location, condition and authentication of the goods being transported. At the documentation layer, the blockchain-enabled supply chain allowed partners to upload and access key documents, such as bill of lading, certificates of origin and other documents required by customs, which streamlined these processes. CBA partnered with Olam Orchards, Pacific National, Port of Melbourne, stevedore Patrick Terminals, shipping carrier OOCL, and Australian IoT provider LX Group to ship the almonds. “Since the expansion of globalisation, global supply chains have continued to become more complex,” Pacific National chief financial officer Gerhard Ziems said. “This project is unique as it looks to reimagine how the supply chain communicates and shares information. Simple access to this information provides us with an ability to better utilise our assets and provide customers with better, more efficient services.” Olam Orchards Australia supply chain manager Emma Roberts added: “Trade inefficiency can be extremely detrimental to

our business. It is vital that as an industry, we look at emerging technology for ways to enhance the supply chain to develop a more transparent and efficient platform. “This project has shown that through collaboration from all parts of the supply chain that this can be achieved.” CBA’s managing director of industrials and logistics in client coverage, Chris Scougall, said the blockchain-enabled global trade platform experiment brought to life the idea of a modern global supply chain that is agile, efficient and transparent. “We believe that blockchain can help our partners reduce the burden of administration on their businesses and enable them to deliver best-in-class services to their customers,” Scougall said. “We thrive on the opportunity to work with our customers to help them adapt to changing industry trends, particularly technology. It was key to us that we partner with businesses across the entire supply chain, so we could get a holistic picture of how this technology could impact and improve the efficiency of the transport and logistics industry.”

Pacific National took part in the blockchain-enabled delivery.

ISSUE 5 2018 | RAIL EXPRESS

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PHOTOGRAPHY: COMMBANK

17 TONNES OF ALMONDS HAVE been shipped from Mildura in Victoria to Hamburg in Germany in a blockchain-based collaboration between Commonwealth Bank and five supply chain partners, including Australian rail operator Pacific National. Using a platform underpinned by distributed ledger technology, smart contracts, and the Internet of Things (IoT), Commonwealth Bank says its experimental shipment has demonstrated the value of blockchain in tracking shipments from packer to end delivery. CommBank says its platform digitises three key areas of global trade – operations, documentation and finance – by housing the container information, completion of tasks and shipping documents, on a purpose-built blockchain. Partners in the almond experiment were able to view and track the location of the shipment as well as view the conditions, such as temperature and humidity inside the container, via four IoT devices. CommBank said this level of data provided partners in the supply chain with a greater level of transparency and

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Understanding fare evasion A NEW AUSTRALIAN STUDY HAS looked into the complex nature of fare evasion on passenger rail networks, classifying fare evaders into three categories. Research from Dr Alexa Delbosc and Professor Graham Currie from Monash University’s Department of Civil Engineering responds to a perspective shift toward profiling the fare evader, or understanding the customer motivations to fare evade. Reviewing past studies from around the globe, and conducting a study of their own on Melbourne’s public transport networks, Delbosc and Currie’s research found that while 20% to 40% of city residents admit to fare evading at some point, their motivations are varied. The researchers categorised fare evaders into three distinct categories: deliberate, unintentional, and accidental. Deliberate fare evaders are those who will avoid paying their fare when they view

Why do people fare evade?

the benefits outweigh the risks. “Despite making up the lowest percentage of the market, our study in Melbourne found that ‘deliberate’ fare evaders are responsible for the majority of fare evasion trips and, by extension, foregone revenue,” Delbosc said. Delbosc and Currie’s work looked at creating a demographic profile of those most likely to fare evade, but the

researchers point out “this perspective has little use beyond profiling and is ethically questionable”. Instead, the researchers suggest a combined approach of increased fines for fare evasion – to target the more frequent, deliberate offenders – and new ticketing infrastructure and marketing campaigns – to reduce the amount of unintentional evasion taking place.

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Victorian Labor promises ‘world’s biggest public transport project’: Suburban Rail Loop VICTORIANS HEAD TO THE POLLS ON November 24. Two months out, the incumbent Labor Party made its big pitch: A generational rail project. An underground, 90-kilometre ring of passenger rail around Melbourne is the big, bold announcement upon which Premier Daniel Andrews will base his campaign for reelection in November. Victorian Labor unveiled the $50 billion Suburban Rail Loop project on August 28, calling it “the biggest public transport project in history”. The Loop would be an underground railway intersecting every major rail line from the Frankston line in Melbourne’s south-east, to Werribee in the west. It would carry 400,000 passengers each day, taking thousands of passengers

off citybound trains, and removing 200,000 vehicles from Melbourne’s congested road network, the Government said. Andrews said the project would provide 20,000 jobs during construction. The current route for the proposed line begins near Cheltenham on the Frankston Line, heading to an interchange with the Cranbourne-Pakenham Line at Clayton. The loop would then move to a new station at Monash, before continuing to Glen Waverly (the terminus of the Glen Waverly Line) and then onto Box Hill via another new station at Burwood. From Box Hill, the loop would intersect with the Hurstbridge Line at Heidelberg, but not before passing through a new station at Doncaster. Another new station would be built at

Bundoora, before the loop then extended to Reservoir on the Mernda Line, and then Fawkner on the Upfield Line. The loop would then move to Broadmeadows, before extending to a new station at Melbourne Airport – presumably intersecting then with the planned Melbourne Airport Rail Line. From there it would continue with an interchange at Sunshine, before reaching its western terminus at Werribee. “It’s not good enough to ‘extend’ the congestion, we need a plan that doesn’t just force more cars and commuters into the city,” Premier Andrews said. “The Suburban Rail Loop will get people to where they want to go – and more people on public transport means less traffic on the road for you.”

CRAIGIEBURN

Broadmeadows

UPFIELD

Fawkner MERNDA

Reservoir

Melbourne Airport

SUNBURY

Bundoora

HURSTBRIDGE

Heidelberg Doncaster

LILYDALE

Box Hill Werribee

Sunshine

SOUTHERN CROSS

CBD

BELGRAVE

Burwood WILLIAMSTOWN

Glen Waverley

Monash

Potential new interchange stations Suburban Rail Loop (subject to further detailed technical investigations and consultations)

Existing interchange station and customer service hub

SANDRINGHAM

Cheltenham

Metropolitan area Regional area

PAKENHAM CRANBOURNE FRANKSTON

Not to scale, for illustrative purposes only

Suburban Rail Loop concept map 16

ISSUE 5 2018 | RAIL EXPRESS

OCG001_V11

Potential new stations

Authorised and published by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne

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GRAPHIC: VICTORIAN LABOR

Clayton

Symbols

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Half-baked vs. undercooked: Parties argue over plan for Cranbourne Line VOTERS WILL CHOOSE BETWEEN two contrasting rail plans in south-east Melbourne, after the Andrews Government made a $750 million election promise late in August. Both Labor and the Coalition agree the Cranbourne Line should be duplicated between Dandenong and Cranbourne. Both also agree the line should be extended beyond Cranbourne, to Clyde.

They just disagree on which of those projects should happen first. The Andrews Labor Government announced on August 26 it will spend $750 million duplicating eight kilometres of railway between Dandenong and Cranbourne. It will spend $7 million planning a future extension of the line to Clyde. The Opposition, meanwhile, has

committed $487 million to extend the Cranbourne Line to Clyde, and says the duplication should take place after this extension. Labor’s public transport minister Jacinta Allan says the Opposition’s plan is “undercooked”. Opposition leader Matthew Guy has called Labor’s ideas “half-baked”. Voters will have to choose which plan is more appetising on November 24.

Guy sells Opposition plan as cheaper, quicker solution

PHOTOGRAPHY: DANIEL ANDREWS MP / TWITTER

LIBERAL LEADER MATTHEW GUY said his party’s plan to spend less than half a billion dollars getting train services to Clyde was the obvious choice for voters. “There’s a choice between upgrading the Cranbourne Line under Labor, or upgrading the Cranbourne Line and extending it to Clyde under the Liberals,”

Guy was quoted by the ABC. “It’s up to the public for their decision.” The Coalition’s plan would build dual track between Cranbourne and Clyde. Duplicating the track from Cranbourne and Dandenong would be ‘stage two’ of the Coalition’s program, and is so far unbudgeted.

“We must get people out of cars,” Guy said in July, “we must provide an alternative to car-based transport earlier than we’re doing now.” The suburb of Clyde sits across three state electoral districts: Cranbourne, a Labor seat since 2002, and Bass and Hastings, both Liberal seats for over a decade.

Labor candidate for Box Hill Paul Hamer, Premier Daniel Andrews, transport minister Jacinta Allan, Labor member for the Eastern Metropolitan Region Shaun Leane, and Labor candidate for Burwood Will Fowles.

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RAIL EXPRESS | ISSUE 5 2018

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Sides differ over Hurstbridge duplication THE COALITION AND THE LABOR PARTY IN VICTORIA DIFFER OVER how sections of the Hurstbridge Line should be duplicated. Ahead of the state election in November, Premier Daniel Andrews vowed to spend more than half a billion dollars duplicating 4.5 kilometres of the Hurstbridge Line in Melbourne’s north-east, but said he will not duplicate certain sections Labor views as unnecessary. 15 kilometres of the Hurstbridge Line is still single track, after stage 1 of the Hurstbridge Line Upgrade duplicated a 1,500 metre stretch between Heidelberg and Rosanna stations. Labor’s $530 million plan is to build a new station at Greensborough, duplicate 3 kilometres of track between Greensborough and Montmorency, and duplicate 1.5 kilometres of track between Diamond Creek and Wattle Glen. This would leave 8 kilometres of single track between Montmorency and Diamond Creek. In contrast, the Coalition has said it will duplicate 6.7 kilometres of track between Greensborough and Eltham, rebuild Montmorency station, and build more parking at Greensborough, Montmorency and Eltham, at a cost of $307 million. Both plans will duplicate track between Greensborough and Montmorency. Only the Liberals will duplicate track from Montmorency to Eltham. Only Labor will duplicate track between Diamond Creek and Wattle Glen. And the plans have different ideas of which station needs rebuilding. The voters will be left to decide which plan is better, and the marginal seats of Eltham and Yan Yean – currently both held by Labor – hang in the balance. “Only Labor will deliver the next stage of the Hurstbridge Line Upgrade with a new Greensborough Station and more trains, more often,” Andrews said in August. Labor’s pitch to duplicate track between Diamond Creek and Wattle Glen appears targeted at winning re-election in Yan Yean, where that track is situated. The Liberal Party has accused Labor of placing votes ahead of what is actually needed on the line. “It’s a very sad day for Eltham,” Liberal candidate for Eltham Nick McGowan said. McGowan said the Government’s plan was not a true duplication, and would create a bottleneck between Montmorency and Eltham. “What the Labor Party is promising to create here is the bottleneck of the future,” he said. “For commuters, sadly, what this really means is more congestion on our roads and more delays.” Labor has talked down the Opposition’s bottleneck claims, duplication of that section of track will not be necessary under the current capacity forecasts. “The former Liberal Government promised new train lines but didn’t deliver a single kilometre of track,” public transport minister Jacinta Allan said. “Now they’re promising a half-baked upgrade of the Hurstbridge line with rubbery figures that don’t add up.” Member for Eltham Vicki Ward, who received fewer first preference votes than the Liberal candidate in 2014 but won the two-party-preferred vote with a 52.7% majority, said Labor’s plan would deliver on one of her long-term goals. “As a fifteen year old hopping on Red Rattlers at Eltham I wanted to do something to make the Hurstbridge line better,” Ward said. “It’s taken me a few decades but finally our line will offer the frequency of services that are expected and needed in a 21st century city.”

ISSUE 5 2018 | RAIL EXPRESS

Winner announced for $1bn Metro Tunnel contract THE $1 BILLION CONTRACT TO DELIVER the twin tunnel entrances for Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel has been awarded to a consortium of John Holland, CPB Contractors and AECOM. The team was announced as the preferred bidder for the Rail Infrastructure Alliance (RIA) contract in late July. RIA is the final major contract to be awarded for the $11 billion Metro Tunnel project, and is to build the ‘portals’ for the twin tunnels at South Yarra and Kensington. CPB Contractors and John Holland are equal construction partners in the contract, and AECOM is the design partner. The Alliance also includes project owner Rail Projects Victoria (formerly the Melbourne Metro Rail Authority) and operational franchisee Metro Trains Melbourne. Metro Tunnel construction is expected to commence in late 2018 and be complete in 2025. John Holland is a subsidiary of Chinese firm CCCG. CPB Contractors is part of CIMIC Group, whose parent company is German construction firm Hochtief. AECOM is an American multinational engineering and design firm. CIMIC chief executive officer Michael Wright said rail investment in Victoria was providing CIMIC and its CPB Contractors with “a strong pipeline of opportunities,” noting CPB Contractors was part of the Metro Tunnel’s $1 billion design and construct contract. “CIMIC’s in-house engineering consultancy, EIC Activities, is also playing a key role in assessing all geotechnical and civil structure designs and challenges, to offer quality, costeffective construction methodologies and solutions for the Alliance,” Wright said.

The RIA contract is to build the portals for the Metro Tunnel project’s twin tunnels at South Yarra and Kensington.

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GRAPHIC: RAIL PROJECTS VICTORIA

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Greens want to spend up to $23bn building Melbourne Metro 2

GRAPHIC: GREENS VICTORIA

The Greens’ plan for Melbourne’s railways

THE GREENS HAVE CALLED FOR planning to begin on a rail tunnel between Melbourne’s South Morang and Werribee lines. Victoria’s Greens Party recently added the Melbourne Metro 2 proposal to its 2018 state election platform. Melbourne Metro 2 was first detailed by Public Transport Victoria in 2013, and was the subject of a 2016 study by KPMG, Arup and Jacobs, on behalf of Infrastructure Victoria. The Greens are now calling for proper planning for the project to begin immediately. A new west-east tunnel would link Newport, on the Werribee Line, to Clifton Hill, on the Mernda Line (formerly the South Morang Line). Along the way the tunnel would access two new stations at Fishermans Bend, then interchange with existing stations at Southern Cross, Flagstaff and Parkville, and then

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another new station at Fitzroy North. At Parkville the new tunnel would connect with the Metro Tunnel, the Melbourne Metro project the Andrews Government is currently building. The Greens Party says its Melbourne Metro 2 plan also includes high capacity signalling, new metro trains and level crossing removals on the Mernda and Werribee lines. The party also wants to see the Werribee Line extended to Wyndham Vale. It also wants a rail extension from Lalor, on the Mernda Line, to Wollert. Finally, the program of works would free up capacity on the Clifton Hill loop line, facilitating construction of Doncaster Rail – a long-discussed, roughly 10-kilometre rail extension to Doncaster. “Short term planning and over emphasis on mega road projects has resulted in

transport congestion across Melbourne,” the Greens’ policy document states. “Melbourne Metro 2 is a sustainable alternative to mega road projects like the East West Link, the West Gate Tunnel, and the North East Link by providing residents in Melbourne’s North, West and Fishermans Bend with reliable high capacity metro rail service.” The Greens say they would provide $100 million immediately to plan the Melbourne Metro 2 program. The early estimate for the program is between $15 billion and $23 billion over the next ten years. “The Greens’ plan to transform public transport in Melbourne will be paid for from a combination of re-directing funds from disastrous toll roads, state borrowings, and consolidated revenue.”

RAIL EXPRESS | ISSUE 5 2018

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Retrenched auto workers targeted to fill skills gap VICTORIA’S LEVEL CROSSING Removal Authority is reaching out to retrenched manufacturing workers to move them into roles in the transport infrastructure industry. Representatives from the Level Crossing Removal Authority (LXRA) recently addressed some of the 170 workers from the Hella Australia automotive parts plant, which will soon close after 57 years of operations. Workers also met representatives from training providers, the Metro Tunnel project, and subcontractors including Altus Traffic, Lantrak and Rail Safeworking Solutions. The LXRA is looking to leverage its unprecedented pipeline of work along the Frankston line to help deliver the State Government’s goal to develop a new generation of rail talent, while also fulfilling diversity and social inclusion goals. The LXRA’s TRANSIT program is a fully-funded initiative to introduce

transport job opportunities to eligible workers from declining industries, through a five-day program providing practical, job-ready training to help them gain competency and employment in transport and construction. The LXRA and its subcontractors are actively recruiting for roles including traffic controllers, machine operators, and safety and plant maintenance personnel

for dozens of level crossing removal projects in the Greater Melbourne area. LXRA senior project officer Duy Le said the skills of automotive workers could meet skills shortages in transport infrastructure. “We’ve received really positive feedback about those who have made the transition and encourage anyone hiring to look at ex-auto workers,” he said.

More than 25 million hours have so far been worked across Victoria’s level crossing removal program. Photo: LXRA.

Mernda rail extension opens

The Mernda rail extension opened after 18 months of construction work. Photo: LXRA.

THE RAIL EXTENSION TO MERNDA IN MELBOURNE’S north-east opened to its first official train services on Sunday, allowing passengers to reach the suburb for the first time in almost 60 years. The $600 million eight-kilometre extension, featuring new stations at Mernda, Hawkstowe and Middle Gorge, is the result of almost 18 months of construction work along the rail corridor. The South Morang Line has been renamed Mernda to mark completion of the project. When the first train reached Mernda on Sunday morning, it was the first official passenger

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service to take the journey since since the Whittlesea Line was decommissioned in 1959. “What an exciting day for residents of Mernda, Doreen and surrounding areas who now have almost 1,000 services a week, plus a new bus network, together with walking and cycling paths to link up to the stations,” Labor MP for Yan Danielle Green said. The Level Crossing Removal Authority successfully tested track, overhead wiring and rail infrastructure in July, while driver training took place in August. Work has been underway on the new rail line for approximately a year, having begun in late April 2017. “I’ve witnessed the construction progress since April last year and spoken to many workers on site,” Labor MP for Mill Park Lily D’Ambrosio said. “I’d like to thank them for their hard work on Mernda Rail, and I know our community thanks them too.” The project included the construction of three new stations, three rail bridges and two underpasses, as well as a train stabling yard at the end of the line. Finishing works, such as landscaping around the new stations, will be completed over the coming months. “We said we’d return trains to Mernda for the first time in 60 years – and that’s exactly what we’ve done,” Victorian premier Daniel Andrews said.

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Andrews pledges $5 billion for Melbourne airport link VICTORIAN PREMIER DANIEL Andrews will match a $5 billion Commonwealth Government commitment for the planned rail link to Melbourne Airport if re-elected this November, with construction to begin by 2022. Andrews made the funding pledge in August, tying his Labor Party to a figure matching the commitment of the Federal Coalition which, in its FY19 budget, said it would provide $5 billion to the project, potentially via an off-budget equity financing model. Then-PM Malcolm Turnbull welcomed the State Government’s announcement. “I have had a number of very good meetings with the premier, Daniel Andrews, and I’m delighted that today he has

confirmed that Victoria will commit the same amount of money,” the PM said on Sunday. “I’m confident that… $10 billion will enable us together to build the rail line from Melbourne to Tullamarine Airport.” The state government’s preferred route for the project – which it estimates will cost between $8 billion and $13 billion – is the so-called Sunshine alignment (previously called the Albion East alignment) which would connect the airport and Melbourne CBD via new “Sunshine Super Hub” linking with Geelong and Ballarat regional lines and metro train lines, including the new Metro Tunnel project. “We were never going to agree to just an airport rail link, it can be an airport rail link and it can unlock capacity for rapid, fast

services to Geelong and Ballarat,” Andrews said, announcing the funding commitment. “It’s the alignment, it’s the corridor option that stacks up best.” Victoria’s transport minister Jacinta Allen said the Sunshine route would utilise existing track and thus require less tunnelling and fewer acquisitions of business and residential property. “This is really maximising and leveraging the investment that will be made in connecting the airport and this will see Sunshine become a major transport hub,” Allan was quoted by the ABC. “It is a logical location for this rail link to go through as it provides the wonderful connection into the regions and into the suburbs.”

DTI signs contract to upgrade Melbourne’s Comeng fleet THE FIRST CONTRACT FOR THE delivery of the third stage of upgrades to Melbourne’s Comeng fleet has been signed with DTI Group, who will upgrade the trains’ key communications systems. The contract will see DTI supply and install integrated surveillance and passenger information systems valued at approximately $5.85 million on 58 Comeng trans. The new systems – to include new CCTV cameras, driver CCTV screens, PA systems and emergency buttons – will be installed on the youngest Comeng trains, as these will remain in service over the duration of the progressive retirement of the fleet and the roll-out of the new High Capacity Metro Trains. The systems include an in-built multifunction 4G, LTE, 802.11 a/b/g/n router, twelve high-definition cameras, two transit rated power over Ethernet network switches, two hearing-aid loop amplifiers, two driver display units, two frontal displays, two PA amplifiers, and six internal displays. Works will also involve overhauling Comeng air and brake systems and delivering traction control upgrades to the trains.

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“As we get on with building the infrastructure that allows us to run more trains more often – we’re also upgrading our trains to make sure passengers are comfortable and safe,” state transport minister Jacinta Allan. “We’ve delivered a record investment in new trains and trams – both new and old – to get Victorians where they need to go safer and sooner.” Comeng trains, manufactured

by Commonwealth Engineering in Dandenong, entered service in 1982 and were first refurbished 2000 by Alstom Ballarat and Downer EDI in Melbourne. The current refurbishment programme began in 2017, adding additional handholds and more comfortable seats to the trains, as well as vertical poles and bigger seat handle backs to ensure comfort for standing passengers.

DTI will supply and install integrated surveillance and passenger information systems on 58 Comeng trains. Photo: Creative Commons / Zed Fitzhume

RAIL EXPRESS | ISSUE 5 2018

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NSW ‘guarantees’ later start for Parramatta Light Rail

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Our priority is to ensure local business owners have all the support they need well in advance of, and during, construction.

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IN AN EFFORT TO QUELL COMMUNITY concerns over potential disruption from construction of the Parramatta Light Rail project, the NSW Government has guaranteed construction will not start until at least 2020. Businesses on Parramatta’s premier shopping and eatery strip on Church Street are keen to avoid the situation faced on George Street, where business owners have complained of reduced foot traffic during the construction of the Sydney CBD and South East Light Rail project. State transport minister Andrew Constance said by delaying construction until 2020 – initially planned to begin in late 2018 – the government was listening to the concerns of Parramatta business owners. “We want to give businesses as much certainty as we can, and we have heard loud and clear that shops and eateries on Church Street would like as much time as possible to prepare for Parramatta light rail construction works,” Constance said. “Our priority is to ensure local business owners have all the support they need well in advance of, and during, construction. These businesses need certainty so we are making a rock-solid commitment that construction will not start in this dining strip until 2020.” Slated to open in 2023, Stage 1 of the Parramatta light rail will run 12-kilometres between Westmead and Carlingford via Parramatta CBD and Camellia.

The guarantee to not start construction until 2020 follows a period of community consultation, including surveys of local businesses and over 125 community information events. Liberal MP for Parramatta Geoff Lee said that the government would be enabling free one-onone business support development workshops and marketing and merchandising advice from a specialist support service. Business reference groups will also be established. “Businesses will be provided plenty of notice about construction start dates once the two major contracts for the project are signed by the end of the year,” Lee said. Transport for NSW is reportedly investigating the possibility of a flexible construction schedule on Church Street that would work around the street’s busiest trading times, weekends, early evenings and holidays. Constance said that the construction of a light rail link in Parramatta would eventually present major opportunities for small businesses in the long term. “Parramatta Light Rail will provide valuable new infrastructure which will improve access to businesses, and bring more people to this vibrant restaurant and café precinct,” he said. “But building this major project through the heart of Parramatta is not without its challenges. We will ensure our contractors work to their scheduled program, maintain access to businesses and proactively manage any noisy or out-of-hours work.”

GRAPHIC: NSW GOVERNMENT.

Parramatta Light Rail will connect Westmead to Carlingford via the Parramatta CBD.

ISSUE 5 2018 | RAIL EXPRESS

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PHOTOGRAPHY: RAILGALLERY.COM.AU

Moorebank rail delay shouldn’t impact operations A RAIL CONNECTION FOR QUBE’S Moorebank freight hub has been delayed by up to six months due to regulatory approval issues, but the company said rail access will be ready in time for warehousing operations to commence. Qube in August revealed the opening of a rail line to the Moorebank import-export (IMEX) terminal was now forecast for midway through 2019, “due to delays in receiving regulatory approvals for access and an environmental protection licence”. The rail connection in question is between the Moorebank site and the Southern Sydney freight line, which connects to Port Botany. The logistics company told the ASX it didn’t expect the delay to have a “material impact” on the Moorebank project’s returns, however, with the rail connection still expected to be in place by the time warehousing activities begin. When construction is complete, Moorebank will include an IMEX terminal and an interstate terminal, allowing the interface between rail and road for importers, exporters and other freight movers. The minimum expected cost of Moorebank over the first five years is expected to be around $642 million. This includes building warehouses for Qube Logistics and one of Moorebank’s first major lessors, Target Australia. It also includes the cost of a planned transition for the IMEX terminal from manual container handling to the use of automated straddle carriers by 2022. Qube’s Patrick container terminal subsidiary already uses automated straddle carriers at its port sites in Brisbane and Sydney. Qube also said there is still considerable market interest for more tenants at the Moorebank site. “The [Moorebank] development is experiencing considerable leasing/tenant interest with prospective tenants attracted to the logistics opportunity that the location and operation of the site presents, particularly given limited alternative competing sites within the area of the Sydney industrial market,” the company said. “However, Qube continues to expect a progressive signing of formal leases with some interested parties expected to wait until the rail terminal and initial warehouses are built and operational, and the expected efficiencies demonstrated.”

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Cubic to deliver Sydney transport management system THE NEW SOUTH WALES Government will make a $123 million investment to establish a predictive, data-driven transport management system in Sydney by the end of the decade, with over $50 million in works awarded to Cubic Transportation Systems in August. Cubic will provide Transport for NSW (TfNSW) with a new technology platform, the Intelligent Congestion Management Program (ICMP), which will co-ordinate, manage and monitor Sydney’s pubic transport system and road networks. The new system will aim to reduce congestion, improve major event planning and enable faster response to incidents on the transport network. It will also provide real-time information and advice to the public regarding disruptions. Cubic will work with its partners WSP PTV Group, Mentz and Microsoft to deliver the platform, which will replace the system Cubic built for Sydney’s traffic prior to the 2000 Olympic Games. The contract is for five years and seven months, with options for two threeyear extensions. Cubic president Matt Cole said the project would position Sydney as a global leader in multi-modal transportmanagement operations.

“[This] announcement will enable Cubic to commercialise this new technology and bring additional innovation to Transport for NSW, enabling the organisation to remain at the forefront of transport management technology,” Cole said. “It will also create a whole new stream of high tech jobs in NSW, producing ground-breaking innovations that we can export to the world.” NSW transport minister Andrew Constance said the system would help Sydney manage the introduction of driverless Metro trains next year, and the future introduction of automated road vehicles. “This $123 million investment will future proof our transport management system for these innovations so we can better manage congestion and respond to incidents faster, as well as preparing for new transport infrastructure in the pipeline,” Constance said. “It makes us more responsive to incidents by automating current manual processes using data. The goal is to predict 30 minutes into the future and act in 5 minutes – this helps to divert traffic, co-ordinate public transport and provide real-time information to customers about any disruptions or alternative routes.” The government expects the new system to be up and running by 2020.

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Parkes plan a win for freight: Dalla Valle Photo: Supplied

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Moving bulk freight by rail is safer, more efficient and better for the environment

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PACIFIC NATIONAL BOSS DEAN Dalla Valle says plans for a special investment zone at the Parkes National Logistics Hub will encourage the private sector to invest in freight networks and services. Dalla Valle said the NSW Government’s July 30 announcement represents a “tripling down on good ideas,” along with the Parkes Shire Council’s National Logistics Hub program, and the Federal Government’s $10 billion Inland Rail project. “A key part of the government’s vision is to streamline planning processes to help turbo-charge delivery of critical freight-related infrastructure in regional NSW,” Dalla Valle said. “Efficient supply chains in regional NSW will only be delivered if all levels of government work closely with private companies with expertise in providing freight services.” Pacific National, Australia’s largest intermodal rail operator, employs 1,200 people in regional New South Wales, and operates hundreds of freight train services every week hauling goods and commodities to and from ports, depots and silos. The operator has already invested $35 million to develop an intermodal hub at Parkes, with construction to begin in September, and 1,800 metre trains to begin service between Parkes and Perth in early 2019.

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“Our terminal is strategically positioned within the Parkes National Logistics Hub to access the future Inland Rail corridor, the Trans-Australian Railway line to Perth, and the Newell Highway,” Dalla Valle said. “Parkes sits at the epicentre of the nation’s freight network. Today’s announcement by the NSW Government provides Pacific National with added confidence to continue investing to a level which could enable 450,000 cargo containers to be processed each year through our logistics terminal at Parkes.” Dalla Valle said the State Government’s 20-year economic vision would help position regional NSW as the ‘delicatessen of Asia’; supplying high

quality produce and fibre to lucrative markets. “To compete in global markets, NSW farmers, exporters and manufacturers need access to efficient freight networks,” he explained. “Hauling produce from ‘paddock or plant to port’ can no longer be an exercise in battling bottlenecks on outdated infrastructure.” The Pacific National chief executive concluded by saying rail freight remains on “the right side of every debate”. “Moving bulk freight by rail is safer, more efficient and better for the environment,” he said. “It also helps to provide secure, long term jobs; particularly in regional communities like Parkes.”

GRAPHIC: PARKES NATIONAL LOGISTICS HUB

Pacific National boss Dean Dalla Valle.

When Inland Rail is built, the Parkes National Logistics Hub will sit at the intersection of Australia’s primary east-west and north-south railways.

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Qube profit up despite rail struggles QUBE REPORTED A 4.5% increase to underlying net profit to $107 million in FY18, and a statutory (i.e. actual) net profit growth of 158%, to $199 million, but rail activity was down. Qube Logistics, which includes the company’s rail operations, saw a 5% decline in EBITDA to $62.8 million due to “several headwinds”. The company said “very low” volumes of grain affected its bulk rail and containerised grain haulage activities. It also experienced reduced terminal services revenue at North Dynon, Victoria, “following the exit of Aurizon from its interstate operations”. Looking ahead to FY19, Qube said it expects “broadly similar overall conditions and volumes across most areas,” including containerised transport, bulk commodities and forestry products. “Qube does not presently expect a significant improvement in grain volumes,” the company added.

The new depot at Randwick includes an operations room, sheds for light maintenance, and a fleet wash bay.

Randwick stabling yard unveiled

PHOTOS: ANDREW CONSTANCE MP / TWITTER

SYDNEY’S NEW LIGHT RAIL DEPOT has been unveiled, with state transport minister Andrew Constance saying the energisation of the Randwick stabling yard marked a crucial phase of the CBD & South East Light Rail Project. The home of Sydney’s new fleet of light rail vehicles is also set to be the “nerve centre” for the new light rail line, incorporating the operations room for the network, sheds for light maintenance, and a fleet wash bay.

“I’m really excited to see the CBD and South East Light Rail Project coming together,” Constance said from the Randwick site. “With almost 21,000 meters of track laid, the next big step the public will notice is testing of the trams during daylight hours in a controlled environment along Alison Road.” Six trams had arrived at the stabling yards when Constance unveiled the site on July 30, and he said two more were due “by the end of the month”.

The depot will house some of Sydney’s new light rail vehicles.

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QLD

Central Queensland fallout critical to resurgent Aurizon undertaking terms which allow Aurizon to operate the CQCN as its monopoly owner. Aurizon says the QCA’s terms are deeply flawed, and don’t allow Aurizon to make a commercial rate of return on the CQCN without making significant changes to procedures like maintenance. The Queensland Resources Council, which represents coal miners, has demanded Aurizon wait until the QCA hands down its final decision later this year, before cutting capacity. But Harding, who used to work for mining giant Rio Tinto, has insisted the QCA is unlikely to vary significantly from its draft decision and – when it is finally enforced – the undertaking will limit Aurizon’s revenue retroactively from the start of FY17, meaning the operator cannot afford to wait. Harding said on August 13 the maintenance changes have already had a significant impact on volumes on the CQCN. “We estimate tonnages would have been 7-8 million tonnes higher if Aurizon Network did not have to re-align its maintenance and operating practices (from February 2018) to the Queensland Competition Authority’s flawed UT5 Draft Decision,” Harding said. The CQCN handled 229.6 million tonnes of coal in FY18, but this could have been closer to 240 million tonnes without the changes. “Unfortunately for all Queensland coal

supply chain stakeholders, this has been a foregone economic opportunity and one that could have been avoided,” Harding said. “We remain absolutely committed to reach a fairer and commercially appropriate outcome and are continuing efforts through the full range of regulatory, commercial and legal avenues.” Aurizon has declined to provide a solid outlook for FY19 due to the ongoing drama in Central Queensland. The company said the fallout from the CQCN drama could have as much as a $130 million impact on Aurizon Network’s EBIT in FY19. Aurizon has taken its own legal action against the QCA, questioning the ability of now former chairman Roy Green to have maintained an impartial mind when he handed down the controversial draft decision. Green has moved on from the QCA to now chair the Port of Newcastle, in a move announced less than a week after the QCA’s draft decision was released. Central Queensland and New South Wales’ Hunter Valley are considered longterm competitors for new and expanded coal operations. It is therefore Aurizon’s position that by limiting the rail network in Central Queensland, the QCA decision would be good in the long term for the Port of Newcastle. Aurizon’s case will hit the Supreme Court on October 22.

Aurizon says it can’t give a solid outlook for FY19 until its Central Queensland access conflict is resolved.

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PHOTOGRAPHY: RAILGALLERY.COM.AU

RAIL GROUP AURIZON RETURNED TO profit in FY18, but the hotly-disputed terms dictating its operation of the Central Queensland Coal Network remain crucial to future success. The rail operator and network owner achieved a $560.1 million net profit after tax in FY18. This followed a $37.2 million net loss in FY17, caused by a number of significant one-off impairments. Revenue was down 1% in FY18 to $3.11 billion, but underlying earnings rose 6% to $940.6 million. Aurizon Coal’s above-rail volumes increased 7% to 212.4 million tonnes in FY18, thanks to strong Asian demand and the industry’s rebound from the impact of Cyclone Debbie in FY17. Aurizon’s Bulk business unit reported $32 million in benefits from the first year of its turnaround plan, and a $65 million improvement in underlying EBIT. Chief executive Andrew Harding said Aurizon’s result came despite “major regulatory challenges,” referring to court action from the ACCC over its ongoing intermodal exit, and the stoush over Aurizon’s operation of the Central Queensland Coal Network. Aurizon shifted to a less flexible maintenance regime on the CQCN in February, cutting into capacity. Miners are furious, but Aurizon says it is being forced to make the cutbacks by a draft decision from the Queensland Competition Authority, which dictates the access

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Cross River Rail to redevelop Gabba precinct

GRAPHIC: QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT

Woolloongabba station is one of the five new high-capacity stations being built as part of the Cross River Rail project.

THE QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT HAS unveiled plans to redevelop the precinct around the Brisbane Cricket Ground – the Gabba – as part of the Cross River Rail project. Queensland’s Cross River Rail Delivery Authority will work with key stakeholders to develop a precinct plan for the Gabba’s new station. Deputy premier and Queensland treasurer Jackie Trad said the redevelopment would include building a land bridge over Main Street – the seven-lane road between the Gabba and the future site of Woolloongabba Station. Woolloongabba is one of five new high-capacity stations being built as part of the $5.4 billion Cross River Rail project; a 10.2-kilometre rail line between Dutton Park and Bowen Hills, which includes 5.9 kilometres of

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tunnelling beneath the Brisbane River and CBD. Trad said the Gabba’s new station would be the catalyst for transformation around the precinct. “Cross River Rail isn’t just a rail line, it’s a project that is going to transform our entire region,” she said. “When Cross River Rail is complete, Woolloongabba will be just minutes by train to the new Albert Street station in Brisbane’s CBD and close to the growing health, science and education precinct at Boggo Road. “Plans are for the whole city block, which includes the Landcentre, old South Brisbane Dental Hospital and Goprint sites, to be completely transformed over the next decade.” Trad said fans will begin accessing the Gabba via the new Cross River Rail underground station in 2024 which

would also facilitate the remake of the whole 6.5-hectare Woolloongabba site. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said $2 million had been committed to begin planning and start the consultation process with potential investors and the community, as part of the redevelopment. “While a station to stadium connection will make game days easier for fans and families, new and improved public spaces and facilities will encourage even more visitors to the suburb outside of major event days,” the premier said. “Cross River Rail will enable turnup-and-go frequency public transport across the network, meaning fans from across SEQ will find it even easier to jump on a train and get down to support the mighty Brisbane Lions or the Brisbane Heat.”

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Unsecured load thought responsible for Cooroy dewirement AN UNSECURED LOAD IS THOUGHT to have caused an Aurizon train to bring down overhead lines at Cooroy, Queensland. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau will conduct a full investigation into the dewirement on August 18, but said a week after the incident an unsecured adjustable flatrack on the train was thought to be responsible. Just after 9pm on Saturday, August 18,

the Electric Control Operator in Brisbane received a trip indication of the railway overhead line equipment at Cooroy, roughly 110 kilometres north of Brisbane. Aurizon train YC77 was travelling north along the North Coast line towards Cairns, having left Acacia Ridge earlier that day. Upon receiving the trip indication, the Network Control Officer instructed the driver to stop the train.

At 9:12pm, the Queensland Police Service contacted QR’s rail management centre to report overhead line equipment which had become entangled with the train. No injuries were reported. The ATSB said it will obtain loading documentation, interview the crew and gather additional information during its investigation. A final report is forecast for the second half of 2019.

CQ Inland Port development kicks off with $9.5m road, rail project $9.5 MILLION OF RAIL AND ROAD upgrades are the first step towards the development of an intermodal and grain hub near Emerald, in Central Queensland. Commercial real estate firm Colliers is selling packages of land around the future intermodal terminal site, which is being built alongside Queensland Rail’s Central West system. The land is permitted for high impact industry, special industry, transport depots and service stations. GrainCorp is already signed on as a key tenant, with the grain handling business planning to build a $20 million, state-of-the-art facility to better connect growers to the export market. The State Government this week detailed a number of road and rail upgrades that will take place to prepare for the Inland Port’s construction. $4.4 million is coming from the state, and a further $600,000 from the local council, to support the upgrades. A 1.5-kilometre dead-end siding will be built, capable of handling 42 wagons.

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The industrial access road to the future rail siding will be upgraded. There will also be an upgrade to Bonnie Doon Road and its intersection with the Capricorn Highway, including the rail crossing there. It’s estimated the work will create 28 jobs during construction. The siding will give the port direct access to the Port of Gladstone. Kerry Hayes, mayor of the Central Highlands Regional Council, said the sod turning at the site on August 30 represented a significant addition to infrastructure connectivity for the Central Highlands. “The co-investment by this council with the state government shows how important this project is to the region and how a collaborative approach to vital investment provides great benefits for industry, agriculture and services,” Hayes said. “The presence of GrainCorp as a major tenant with a state-of-the art grain handling facility, demonstrates that, with

careful incentives from local and state governments, the private sector can confidently invest in the region, providing greater economy of scale and ultimately better returns to growers.” GrainCorp Regional Manager Brad Foster said the company was proud to support growers in the Emerald region through its investment. “We will deliver more efficient rail performance and improve the export competitiveness of high-quality Queensland grain,” Foster said. CQ Inland Port managing director Alan Stent-Smith said projects of the scale and complexity of the proposed terminal “don’t happen overnight”. “Without the strong support and collaboration between the state government, council, and GrainCorp our vision would not have become a reality,” Stent-Smith said. “We look forward to continuing to work with these partners as we forge ahead with the construction and delivery of stage 1 of the project.”

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QLD

NEWS

Wireless brake-testing developer to target China A QUEENSLAND WORKSHOP is promoting its wireless brake-testing system to the Chinese market, thanks in part to State Government grant. Electronic & Mechanical Calibrations specialises in the sale, repair and calibration of electronic and mechanical instruments, working out of its shop in Clontarf, north of Brisbane. Founder Carlos Ortega says his company is Australia’s only wireless braketesting system specialist. Clients include Queensland Rail, Aurizon, Pacific National and Progress Rail, along with airline industry clients, who can also use the wireless brake-testing technology, Ortega said. “We are also in discussions with

companies in China to export our testing kit for their use there,” Ortega said. Electronic & Mechanical Calibrations’ brake testers allow operators to take simultaneous brake readings on a laptop from up to 100 metres away from the running wheel. The company was recently sponsored by the Queensland Government to showcase its technology at the Myriad technology exhibition and conference in Brisbane in May. Ortega said the opportunity exposed his business to new markets locally, across Australia and around the world. “We connected with a software supplier that can design dedicated systems for kits that we assemble, and with other

firms whose tools we can calibrate,” he added. Member for Redcliffe Yvette D’Ath said the sponsorship came via the Advancing Regional Innovation Program. “This wireless brake-testing system is a great example of the clever innovations coming out our community that improve industry across the entire state,” D’Athsaid. “Transport industries now have a better way to check the brakes on their vehicles to ensure the highest level of safety for passengers and employees. “We’re proud to support innovative companies like this to achieve great things and create sustainable jobs in our community.”

PHOTOGRAPHY: BOUNTY

Rail upgrade saving coal miner $5/tonne COAL JUNIOR BOUNTY MINING says a $2 million rail capacity upgrade at Cook Colliery in Queensland’s Bowen Basin has reduced operating costs by at least $5 a tonne. Bounty told the ASX on August 14 it had completed an upgrade of the Koorilgah rail loop at Cook Colliery, to allow the operation of full capacity 8,500 tonne trains. The upgrade included the installation of new ballast, formation work, new sleepers and weightometer and train overload facilities. The miner says a lack of proper maintenance by the previous owner meant the rail loop was operating at a reduced axle load limit. Bounty acquired Cook Colliery from Caledon Coal in 2017. “Prior to Bounty restarting operations at Cook early in 2018, the rail loop had been downgraded to 20 tonne axle load

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capacity due to a lack of maintenance under the previous mine owner,” Bounty said. “This limited Bounty to using partly loaded trains carrying 5,500 tonnes of coal at a time. “Full capacity trains, of 8,500 tonnes, will deliver operating cost savings of at least $5 per tonne of coal in line with prospectus forecasts.”

Bounty executive chairman Gary Cochrane said he was “pleased” with the $2 million upgrade. “We are very pleased to have completed the rail upgrade slightly ahead of the original schedule, delivering a meaningful cost saving as indicated in the prospectus released ahead of Bounty’s initial public offering earlier this year,” Cochrane said.

Bounty acquired Cook Colliery from Caledon Coal in 2017.

RAIL EXPRESS | ISSUE 5 2018

NEWS

3 shortlisted to locally manufacture Perth rollingstock

• Alstom Transport Australia Pty Ltd • Momentum West (CAF and UGL) • EDI Rail – Bombardier Transportation Pty Ltd The winning bidder – announced in 2019 – will deliver 246 railcars, to operate in 41 six-car sets. 17 of these sets (102 railcars) will be needed from 2021 to service the expansions to Perth’s rail network as they come online, under the Metronet program. The remaining 24 sets (144 railcars) will be part of a follow-on order, to replace Perth’s ageing A-series railcars between 2023 and 2028. Manufacturing will take place in Western Australia, with the McGowan Government setting a 50% local manufacturing target for the supply deal. “The key target of 50% will help revitalise WA’s manufacturing industry and put WA jobs first,” WA premier Mark McGowan said. A site in Bellevue, near the old Midland Workshops in Perth’s east, has been named the preferred location of a manufacturing facility for the trains.

“

The key target of 50% will help revitalise WA’s manufacturing industry and put WA jobs first

”

The manufacturing site would be co-located with a new railcar depot, which would service not only the new rollingstock but Transperth’s broader train fleet. Transport minister Rita Saffioti said the construction of a manufacturing and maintenance site in Bellevue would have a great impact on the local area. “The Midland-Bellevue area will be involved in the production of new trains and their ongoing maintenance work, creating sustainable local jobs for local people and supporting ongoing expansion of our vital passenger rail network,” Saffioti said.

The WA Government is delivering a huge program of new rail projects, and the Metronet rollingstock program will support increased capacity.

PHOTOGRAPHY: METRONET

WA’S MCGOWAN GOVERNMENT HAS named three potential suppliers to deliver new trains to Perth’s passenger rail network, with at least 50% of the manufacturing to take place locally. Three consortia were named to the Metronet railcar shortlist on August 28:

McCormack helping with Kalgoorlie’s intermodal goal TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURE minister Michael McCormack will work with stakeholders over a proposed intermodal facility at Kalgoorlie, in south-central WA. McCormack told ABC Goldfields host Ivo Da Silva on August 6 the proposal, from the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, had “crossed [his] desk,” and he looked forward to seeing a completed business case. The council wants to build an intermodal facility at Kalgoorlie to service Australia’s main east-west rail line. The project would require the relocation of the rail line south of the city.

ISSUE 5 2018 | RAIL EXPRESS

“Intermodals form such an important part of our logistics network right across the nation and for the communities – regional communities such as Kalgoorlie – they’re just really important,” McCormack said. “I’ll sit down with the stakeholders, local council and all those sorts of people today and into the future and see what we can do, how we could go about it.” McCormack, leader of the Nationals and deputy PM, said he has already met with Bart Jones, managing director of Hampton Transport, “among others”, to discuss the plan.

“We’re rolling out $75 billion… over the next decade. It’s an investment pipeline that takes into account these sorts of intermodal projects,” McCormack said. “I know how transformational the Inland Rail between Melbourne and Brisbane will be. And look, right up along that 1,700-kilometre corridor of commerce, there are intermodals… “Every town wants one and it’s no different here in Kalgoorlie, where an intermodal and the re-routing of that railway, the advantages that would bring. They’re all part of the mix.”

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PHOTOGRAPHY: RAILGALLERY.COM.AU

NEW ZEALAND

NEWS

Light rail key focus for Auckland planning alliance A NEW ALLIANCE WILL BUILD ON future plans for Auckland’s rapid transit network, including a new light rail link to the northwest. The alliance, between the NZ Transport Agency and Auckland Transport, is tasked with planning and confirming around 60 transport projects to support growth in Auckland. The 30-year program of works is worth NZ$8-10 billion. The alliance also includes consultancies AECOM and Beca, and legal providers Bell Gully and Buddle Findlay. An early role for the alliance will be to consult with communities and various stakeholders to assess options and opportunities and develop recommended corridors. It will partner with KiwiRail and

Auckland Council’s land use planning and infrastructure teams, and mana whenua – the land’s historic and territorial owners. The aim is to protect the full network over the next five years, with projects staged for funding allocation and delivery over the next two decades. NZ transport minister Phil Twyford on August 6 said the alliance would build on Auckland’s proposed rapid transit network for the future, including Light Rail to the northwest. “Previously we haven’t been able to provide certainty to communities, landowners and other stakeholders about transport infrastructure to support development,” Twyford said. “Now we can start to answer some of their questions.” Auckland’s light rail project has received a planning push.

The alliance aims to develop communities well-connected to public transport.

The alliance’s program will support the initial development of growth areas in north, northwest and south Auckland, and Warkworth. It’s estimated these areas will make up around 30% of the region’s growth by 2050; about 15,000 hectares of undeveloped land has the capacity for 137,000 new homes and 67,000 new jobs. Mayor Phil Goff said the scope of works represented Auckland’s largest ever infrastructure investment. “The Alliance will ensure projects can get underway and be delivered on time, providing certainty for developers and our local communities,” Goff said. “One of the main aims is to plan and design future communities that are well connected with public transport, facilities and employment so they are great places to live, work and play,” Twyford added.

KiwiRail chief executive departs KIWIRAIL’S CHIEF EXECUTIVE Peter Reidy is to leave the state-owned operator after four years in the role and join Fletcher Construction to head the company’s construction division. Reidy, who has been KiwiRail’s chief executive since March 2014, was praised by the operator’s board for his contribution ahead of his departure later this year. “The board would like to acknowledge Peter’s significant contribution particularly in the areas of customer service,

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commercial performance, improvements in health and safety and leading a stepchange in culture,” KiwiRail said in a statement. “He leaves behind a revitalised and strong management team, a positive ‘One KiwiRail’ culture in our 3400 people and an organisation which is primed for growth.” The KiwiRail board has indicated that the search is now under way for Reidy’s replacement.

“KiwiRail is an integral part of the multi-modal future of transport in New Zealand,” Reidy said. “We have worked hard to get ourselves ready for this rejuvenation of the way we all plan and deliver connections in New Zealand, linking communities, taking our goods to the world and showcasing our country to visitors. “Those stronger connections we create now will deliver a better New Zealand for us all, and for the generations to come.”

RAIL EXPRESS | ISSUE 5 2018

NEWS

New SA Government announces, then delays opening of tram extension problems from the outset and the State Government would like to apologise to South Australians for the inconvenience, uncertainty and delays this project has caused over the last 12 months. “Testing is underway to identify the exact fault which will need to be rectified before passenger services are able to commence safely.” The Government flew in experts from signalling provider Hanning & Kahl to help rectify the issue. “The State Government’s absolute priority is passenger safety and it is our responsibility to ensure that South Australians are as safe as possible when using this service,” Knoll said. “Every effort is being made to fix this problem and get passenger services up and running as soon as possible. “These latest issues will also be captured by the State Government’s review of this project once complete.”

Driver training resumed in August. The $80 million City Tram Extension project was launched by Labor as the first stage of the ambitious AdeLINK light rail program, and also includes the addition of three new trams to the Glenelg Line, which is currently the city’s only tram line. The AdeLINK program, which the new Liberal Government does not support, was to include the future addition of several more lines, some of which were to be facilitated by the new extension. On July 12, Knoll had said the extension would open by July 29. “I think all South Australians, particularly those with interests in the City’s East End, will be very relieved that this project will finally be completed,” he said at the time. Knoll said once passenger services commenced, the Marshall Government would review the “botched” project.

The City Tram Extension was supposed to be the first step towards a wider expansion of Adelaide’s tram system.

ISSUE 5 2018 | RAIL EXPRESS

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PHOTOGRAPHY: POMINOZ

BARELY 10 DAYS AFTER ANNOUNCING Adelaide’s new North Terrace tram extension would open on before the end of July, the State Government advised passenger services would be delayed due to signalling issues. South Australian transport minister Stephan Knoll on July 23 said progress had been halted due to signalling issues that were identified during training. Knoll said the issues were currently being investigated. The news came just 11 days after Knoll said the new City Tram Extension would open on Sunday, July 29, months after the incoming Liberal Government inherited a project he said was “nowhere near finished”. Knoll argued the signalling issues were further evidence of the former government’s incompetence. “This is a very frustrating development in this problem-plagued project,” he said. “This project has been riddled with

NEWS

South Australian grain volumes tipped to be down

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK

Grain volumes will suffer from poor climate conditions.

DRY CONDITIONS, FROST AND WIND are being blamed for a shortfall in South Australia’s 2018/19 grain harvest forecast. The State Government has forecast a grain harvest of 6.9 million tonnes this season, down 13% from the long-term average of 7.9 million tonnes. The state’s July crop update reports dry conditions from late autumn continued into May and June, but timely rains in May were sufficient for seeding to progress in most districts. Primary industries and regional development minister Tim Whetstone said growers managed to increase crop area from

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3.5 million hectares to 3.8 million hectares, despite the dry conditions. This figure is still slightly below the average, however. “The seasonal conditions have provided significant challenges for our farmers but hats off to them, they have managed to sow a variety of crops across the state,” Whetstone said. “In most areas, soil moisture reserves are low to moderate, with only Kangaroo Island and the lower South East having good reserves. Farmers in most districts have retained a similar area of wheat, except for parts of the Eyre Peninsula, where many farmers have turned to barley.”

Whetstone noted the harvest result could swing away from the forecast, depending on the weather throughout the next few crucial months of the season. “While the report provides the first estimate of the season, it is important to note that South Australia’s grain crop will be highly dependent on the conditions in the coming months,” he said. “The grains industry continues to be a significant contributor to South Australia’s economy adding almost $5.3 billion to the state’s gross food revenue in 2016/17 and supporting thousands of jobs.”

RAIL EXPRESS | ISSUE 5 2018

REAL ESTATE

Northern NSW industrial estate, complete with rail siding, on the market A prime piece of land complete with a siding off New South Wales’ Main North railway is up for grabs.

OME TO ONE OF THE FEW available rail sidings on the Main North railway between Sydney and Brisbane, the Landsdowne Industrial Estate in Kundle Kundle, near Taree, is on the market. Until 2013 the home of UGL Rail’s Taree maintenance workshop, the 54.7 hectare estate comprises a rail manufacturing and maintenance facility off a rail siding, which branches into three separate sidings into workshops on-site. The property is enhanced with significant hardstand areas, sealed internal roads, large manufacturing and maintenance workshops, store buildings, an administration centre, a café, and an on-site manager’s residence. Bounded by the Main North railway to the east, and Landsdowne Road to the west, the site is 10 kilometres from the regional centre of Taree, 183 kilometres from Newcastle, and 300 kilometres north of Sydney. It sits in close proximity to Taree Airport and the Pacific Highway. On top of its existing facilities, the site has plenty of room for more; and that expansion should be justified by a surrounding area poised for population growth. In close proximity to the estate is 874 combined hectares of residentially-zoned land with the capacity to house as many as 22,000 people over the next 30 years; a mixed-use centre and three neighbourhood centres; four schools; 112 hectares of employment and industrial land, and 400 hectares of primary production and rural employment land. Northaime Consulting & Business Brokers’ Ian Farrar told Rail Express the property should be sought after within the rail, freight and logistics sector, due to its location, existing facilities, and capacity for new development. “The site is an established rail infrastructure property with a rail siding, purpose-built buildings, warehousing, administration offices, canteen, and a

ISSUE 5 2018 | RAIL EXPRESS

range of equipment to suit a number of business operations relating to logistics, manufacturing, maintenance and distribution,” Mr Farrar said. “The property has only been developed up to 25% and there is plenty of room for further redevelopment.” Tenancies are already in place, so a buyer would have rental income right off the bat; and given NSW’s mid north coast region, and in particular the Taree region, is a recognized employment zone and population growth area, Mr Farrar noted the property’s significant potential for growth. “The local council and state government are offering incentives for Companies to relocate to the mid north Coast region and in particular the Lansdowne Property estate,” he said. “The location is adjacent to the Brimbin Town development which has been approved and will eventually be a new satellite town housing some 8,000 people, a retail centre, a commercial/ industrial zone, schools and a hospital.” Contact: Ian Farrar, 0412 632 914, northaime@bigpond.com

A rich history 50 years ago, Napier Grasslands built four large factories on the site, where it manufactured farm equipment for the Australian market, and to export overseas. Eventually the company was acquired by A Goninan & Co., which over the next few decades worked on a range of rollingstock at Landsdowne, including large diesel locomotives, Sydney’s red rattlers, and flat top wagons for BHP. Goninan used the site as part of the significant Tangara train manufacturing and maintenance contract. Goninan was in 1999 sold to United Group. A few years later it was rebranded UGL. In 2013, citing a lack of support for rail manufacturing from state and federal governments, UGL shut up shop at Landsdowne.

ABOVE: The site is at 586 Landsdowne Road, Kundle Kundle.

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OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE

Railway digitalisation: Answering Australia’s congestion challenge Australia, already one of the most urbanised countries in the developed world, must find a way to deal with ongoing population growth while transport networks are already pushing capacity. Thales Australia’s Sam Keayes spoke with Rail Express about the crucial role railway digitalisation will play.

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RAIL EXPRESS | ISSUE 5 2018

OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE

AM KEAYES IS THALES Australia’s VP for Ground Transportation Systems and Secure Communications & Information Systems. Keayes, who hails from the UK, says Australia may just be the global hotspot for railway digitalisation over the next decade. “A lot of our customers have big ambitions, but I don’t think there are many customers globally that have as big ambitions as the various state and federal governments within Australia, in terms of improving the way people and freight are moved around on rail,” Keayes told Rail Express in August. “There’s a huge population growth forecast in Australia, concentrated in an incredibly urbanised environment. We’re simply not going to be able to deal with that growth in passenger and freight volumes using the current technology. “We’re going to need to push more rollingstock down the existing infrastructure; we’re also going to need to build more infrastructure; and we’re going to need to get the elements of transportation working more effectively together.” New technology also allows the transportation network to be more reliable,

ISSUE 5 2018 | RAIL EXPRESS

and for maintenance to be more efficient. “The huge amount of data we’re getting off every centre and every device that we’ve got on the rail network now provides huge opportunities for predictive maintenance, asset management, and giving passengers more information to plan and bridge their journeys. “That technology, I think, can make almost as big a difference as building new infrastructure, and adding more capacity to existing infrastructure.”

Thales poised to take part

Thales’ Ground Transportation division employs 8,200 around the world, out of a total Thales workforce of around 65,000. Its systems operate in more than 40 major cities, like London, Paris, Dubai and Hong Kong, and help move 3 billion passengers every year. The company has worked for major clients like the London Underground, which is using Thales’ SelTrac CBTC to modernise its signalling infrastructure. “Essentially Thales is the partner of our customers to provide them with innovative, high tech solutions,” Keayes explains. “Whether they’re trying to connect

people to their jobs, or create a ‘thirty minutes to anywhere’ city, or to provide a safer, more secure transportation solution, they rely on us to provide the innovation and the right technology solutions to be able to achieve their objectives.” Thales splits its railway digitalisation capabilities across three main offerings: rail signalling, passenger safety, and passenger services (see infographic). Thales employs 3,600 people in Australia working across several industries and a multitude of disciplines. At any one time a team of up to 100 are working on ground transportation systems out of the company’s Rydalmere office, west of Sydney. “Incidentally,” Keayes notes, “we are desperate to get the Parramatta Light Rail and Sydney Metro West projects up and running as quickly as we can to service our own facility at Rydalmere.” Thales counts Sydney Trains as a key ongoing customer, but has also delivered projects like Auckland’s contactless ticketing system, the AT HOP card. Keayes isn’t shy about Thales’ ambitions to do more work in the region. “In Australia we’ve had a long history

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of selling train protection products like axle counters, like track protection warning systems for customers like Metro Trains Melbourne, Queensland Rail, Aurizon, Rio Tinto and others around the country. “Our aspiration is to expand that business, to build the full suite of signalling and rail traffic management systems into Australia, to ensure trains can run smoothly and safely throughout the rail network.”

on both greenfield and brownfield projects: a significant portion of the Sydney Metro Northwest route is newly constructed railway, but the project also involves converting the existing rail line between Epping and Chatswood to a new Metro standard. “When you’re building a greenfield system, you have the space, the ability to work throughout the day, and the ability to test systems in the lab before putting it out into the field,” Keayes explains. “Operating on brownfield sites, you need to understand what’s there first. That’s very often the most challenging part of the project; getting a handle on the legacy systems that are there, their configuration state, what documentation and engineering underpins it. “Only then can you understand what you need to replace, what you need to interface with, and then develop those interfaces if they’re required, so that the commissioning goes smoothly.”

platforms, and new signalling systems,” Keayes states, “and it allows us to maintain these systems for our customers.” Thales’ Advanced Railway Management and Information System (ARAMIS) is one example of a product benefitting from ongoing R&D. In place in 16 countries, ARAMIS controls around 52,000 trains each day. “That is not a simple product development,” Keayes says. “It requires continual investment to take advantage of new digital technologies, upgrades of old systems, and the like, with a future technology roadmap. “In our DNA we are a technology company. We invest in R&D for our own technology, and to better understand the technology that’s around to interface with. We really put the time and effort into understanding how different systems will behave under different networks and operating conditions, so that our customers can make the right technology choices.”

R&D giving a competitive edge

Culture key to Australian success

Thales invests close to a billion Euro into research and development annually, and a huge amount of that work applies to its ground transportation capabilities. The company’s global reach allows it to conduct and apply this research in many markets. As an added layer of value, Thales does a significant amount of work in cybersecurity, and this capability enhances the company’s ground transportation offering. “Our R&D investment allows us to develop new digital solutions, new software

Keayes says Thales’ commitment to growing its local capabilities, combined with a strong customer focus, should help it grow in the Australian market. “One of the reasons I’m so confident in our ability to bring more of Thales’ global portfolio into Australia, is because over the last few years we’ve had a very good track record of delivery, and we’ve got a culture to do whatever it takes to deliver for our customers,” he says. “Delivery, delivery and delivery are our top three priorities.”

Sydney Metro work a demonstration of value

Thales is working on Sydney Metro Northwest, where it is delivering the project’s Central Control System and Communication System, as a key supplier to the Northwest Rapid Transit consortium. Keayes says the Northwest work is a prime example of Thales’ local capabilities integrating both software and hardware. “In Sydney Metro Northwest,” he says, “all of the CCTV cameras, help points, access control, intrusion detection, telephony, passenger information systems and PA systems are integrated together with the control system software.” Northwest is also a demonstration of Thales’ local and global experience working

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RAIL EXPRESS | ISSUE 5 2018

MAJOR PROJECTS & ENGINEERING

Light rail driving urban renewal along George Street

The new building (to the right of the image) will add a new 270-metre-high tower to Sydney’s iconic skyline. Artist’s impression: Architectus

Businesses along Sydney’s new light rail line are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, with architects named for a new $1 billion retail and residential tower on George Street.

“

The private sector is demonstrating confidence in the Sydney economy off the back of major transport projects.

”

IRVAC AND COOMBES PROPERTY Group named architects Ingehoven and Architectus to design Sydney’s newest residential skyscraper at 505-523 George Street in late July. The $1 billion development means more than $3 billion of private sector development is now planned or occurring along George Street, and the Sydney Business Chamber says credit for this urban renewal must, “in part”, be given to the CBD and South East Light Rail project. The project has received heavy criticism from businesses along the route, who have suffered reduced foot traffic and revenue figures due to hoardings along the road as construction work takes place in multiple sections. “Despite the inconvenience, business is seeing beyond the hoardings to a reimagined George Street as a major new boulevard of Sydney,” said Sydney Business Chamber executive director Patricia Forsythe. “From Circular Quay to Central Station, urban renewal is underway due to the uplift in land values

ISSUE 5 2018 | RAIL EXPRESS

and the impact the light rail network has on the urban amenity of the city.” Forsythe said the renewal painted a fresh future for George Street beyond its key role in the commercial heart of Sydney, as a “major destinationstreet” that will stimulate the local economy and expand the city’s reputation as a retail mecca. “The private sector is demonstrating confidence in the Sydney economy off the back of major transport projects,” Forsythe said. “Sydney will have its version of international shopping and restaurant strips, like Bond Street in London or Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles. “The city centre has always been a major drawcard for international and local visitors, shoppers and workers, and with its ongoing transformation, the attraction to the CBD will flourish.” The CBD and South East Light Rail project will deliver a 12-kilometre, 19-stop route from Circular Quay along George Street to Central Station, through Surry Hills to Moore Park, then to Randwick and Kingsford.

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Port boss makes case for Newcastle container terminal The Port of Newcastle’s new chief executive has committed to build a world-class container terminal to boost jobs and business opportunities in the Hunter Region.

RAIG CARMODY, APPOINTED Port of Newcastle CEO in May, has outlined economic modelling from Deloitte Access Economics which shows Newcastle could have a state-of-theart container terminal which could compete against any other port in terms of efficiency and productivity. “The potential for a container terminal in Newcastle to diversify and grow the NSW economy is far bigger than the NSW government seems to realise,” Carmody said on August 1. “We are already exploring a range of options based on global best practice and I am looking forward to discussing our plans with the State government and port developers who have expressed an interest in this exciting project.” The plan is to build a deepwater container port at the port’s Mayfield site, which the Port describes as “the largest and best connected vacant port land site on the eastern seaboard”. The Mayfield site has capacity for a 2 million TEU per annum container terminal, and could be accessed via a shipping channel which could handle vessels carrying up to 10,000 TEU.

The container development would benefit local Hunter businesses and residents with reduced freight costs, reduced port congestion, higher freight efficiency, lower infrastructure costs, and a catalyst for regional growth. Port of Newcastle chairman Roy Green said without efficient port access, economies are unable to grow to their full potential. “They are at a competitive disadvantage in the fastest growing areas of global trade, such as advanced manufacturing, agribusiness and renewable technologies,” Green wrote in July. “Newcastle is proud to be the world’s biggest coal port, but we are also realistic about coal’s prospects. With the end of the mining boom and the need to transition to a more knowledge-based economy, the composition of Australia’s trade is changing. And much of this trade will be carried in containers.” Green said the Mayfield site possesses “unrivalled” sea, rail, and road connections.

Restriction will need to be lifted

Earlier plans for a container port at Newcastle were stifled when the State

Newcastle could become NSW’s second major container port.

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Government sold Port Botany and Port Kembla to the private sector, and included in that sale – to maximise price – a restriction blocking the development of a container terminal at Newcastle. “This restriction is now the subject of an investigation by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission,” Green wrote. “Clearly, privatisation was meant to foster competition, not stifle it with a new monopoly. Especially as this one would effectively confine Newcastle to a future of bulk commodities.” With freight set to double in NSW over the next 20 years, competition may soon be the least of the freight sector’s concerns, Green added. “In most countries, as industrial land becomes more expensive around city ports, new ports are developed where land is cheaper and access more efficient,” Green wrote. “A prime example is Tauranga port outside of Auckland, with its own dedicated freight rail line. Even with more than $27 billion in infrastructure spending planned to “decongest” Sydney, most containers there will still be moved by road.” Green also disputes claims that 85% of container imports end up in Sydney, so a container port outside of the city would not be viable. “This claim is disingenuous,” he wrote. “First, if there was any substance to it, surely there would be no need to impose an anti-competitive restriction on a container terminal at Newcastle. “Second, the claim is only true until the containers are unpacked and the goods sent around NSW. A recent study by Deloitte Access Economics found that the Hunter region and northern NSW is the destination of over a quarter of NSW container imports, and the source of 40% of exports. “Hunter exporters are paying a premium of 30-50% in freight costs to send containerised grain, aluminium, wine, timber and manufactured products past the Port of Newcastle to ship via Port Botany. Such an absurdity has in effect created a non-tariff barrier to the region’s exports.”

RAIL EXPRESS | ISSUE 5 2018

MAJOR PROJECTS & ENGINEERING Photos: Transport for NSW Testing on the 270-metre elevated section of track above Windsor Road at Rouse Hill.

Driverless Metro trains tested on elevated track Sydney Metro Northwest trains have been tested on the line’s elevated skytrain section, including over the 270-metre long cable-stayed railway bridge at Rouse Hill.

TATE TRANSPORT MINISTER ANDREW Constance in July applauded what he called an “historic” milestone for the project, as the country’s first driverless passenger trains were tested on the bridge, which spans Windsor Road. Testing of the driverless, automated trains was initially contained to the Sydney Metro HQ at Rouse Hill, but has now been expanded to the bridge, and the Skytrain towards the new Kellyville Station. “How incredible is this? That impressive new bridge over Windsor Road now has our driverless metro train doing test runs across it, meaning Metro is really becoming a reality,” Constance said. “This is a historic moment that will help change the way we get around our great city for generations to come.” The skytrain section takes Sydney Metro Northwest between 10 metres and 13 metres above ground for four kilometres between Kellyville and Rouse Hill, both elevated stations. Trains travelling on the skytrain are being tested at 60km/h, but speeds will eventually go up to 100km/h, before testing moves on into the new twin 15-kilometre railway tunnels between Bella Vista and Epping. Constance said 10,000 kilometres of train

ISSUE 5 2018 | RAIL EXPRESS

testing had been completed at Rouse Hill prior to the initiation of tests on the skytrain in July. Eventually the line will operate with 22 metro trains, which are being delivered by the project’s rollingstock provider, Alstom. “Sydney Metro is on track to open in the first half of next year – we’re getting on with the job of testing our new generation trains and finishing our stations to deliver a world class mass transit system to Sydney,” the minister said.

Testing began at the Rouse Hill headquarters, and is now taking place across the skytrain infrastructure, before it heads underground.

“

This is a historic moment that will help change the way we get around our great city for generations to come.

”

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Credit: Queensland Department of Transport & Main Roads

Gold Coast Stage 3A plan put to locals Stage 3A of the Gold Coast Light Rail project is coming closer to reality, with the state reviewing options and opening a dialogue with local communities.

OLD COAST LOCALS ARE HAVING their say on the third stage of the region’s popular light rail line, after the state released new footage of its plans. Concept designs are in place for the third phase of Gold Coast Light Rail, which is actually the first half of the planned third section of the project, after Gold Coast Council decided splitting the stage in two would make the project more “viable and affordable”. The state has invested $5 million to plan Light Rail Stage 3A, which will extend the existing line from Broadbeach South to a new terminus at Burleigh Heads, with planning for up to eight stations along a 6.7-kilometre route. Dual track would be built down the centre of the Gold Coast Highway, with at least two traffic lanes retained on either side of the tracks. The current plan will call for five new trams to be ordered as part of Stage 3A, “similar” to the 18 existing vehicles, which are Bombardier’s Flexity 2 model. The state’s Department of Transport and Main Roads estimates once construction begins on 3A, it will take roughly three years to build.

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State member for Gaven Meaghan Scanlon said the four planned community drop-in sessions would help the state progress the detailed business case, which is still being developed. “The light rail has already proved to be an iconic and transformational project for the Gold Coast,” Scanlon said. “Since Stage 2 came online in December we have seen a 33% increase in light rail patronage overall, with more than 5.2 million trips taken in the first six months.” The growth represents an increase of around 51,000 trips each week in 2018, compared to 2017. “Population growth continues to place increasing pressure on the city’s road network which is why planning for this extension of the light rail system is essential,” transport and main roads minister Mark Bailey said. “As we saw during the Commonwealth Games in April, trams can carry many more people while occupying less road space than cars. Without a change in how people move around the city, continued high levels of car dependency will result in further road congestion and associated delays.”

“

Since Stage 2 came online in December we have seen a 33% increase in light rail patronage overall, with more than 5.2 million trips taken in the first six months.

”

RAIL EXPRESS | ISSUE 5 2018

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HEAVY MACHINERY

Victorians asked to name TBMs as city gears up for tunnelling The Victorian Government is whipping up public excitement ahead of the arrival of six large tunnel boring machines (TBMs) for the Metro Tunnel and West Gate Tunnel projects.

HE MACHINES WILL START arriving early next year. TBMs are traditionally given female names, a tradition the Victorian Government says tems from the 1500s, when miners prayed to Saint Barbara for protection. Victorian transport minister Jacinta Allan said the Government wants the public to suggest inspiring or groundbreaking women, after whom the machines will be named. A preference will be made for Victorians suggested for the honour. “This competition gives the public a unique opportunity to learn more about the monumental engineering feat we are undertaking to build the massive public transport and road projects Victoria desperately needs,” Allan said. “Just like the tunnel boring machines will break through ground to create city changing infrastructure, we’re looking for groundbreaking women that changed our state.”

Herrenknecht, the German tunnel boring machine (TBM) manufacturer (and who is delivering the TBMs for Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel project), has also announced that it will establish Melbourne office and maintenance facility. The company will investigate potential redeployment of these machines in future Victorian infrastructure projects. Premier Daniel Andrews said the developments would support the governments planned infrastructure projects over the coming decades, including the massive Suburban Rail Loop announced recently.

“This is the biggest-ever pipeline of transport projects in Victoria’s history,” Andrews said. We’re not only creating thousands of jobs as we deliver these vital projects – we’re making sure local workers have the skills they need to build them.” New and existing Holmesglen Insitute courses will be offered at the new tunnelling centre, including certificate and diploma qualifications as well as safetybased training for working underground. By 2021, it is estimated up to 5,000 students will participate in training courses at the centre each year.

Six tunnel boring machines will soon be working beneath Melbourne’s streets.

Tunnelling centre to be built

Australia’s first tunnelling training centre will be established in Melbourne to provide the skills necessary to deliver the city’s transport projects, including the potential Suburban Rail Loop promised by the state government. The $16 million Victorian Tunnelling Centre will be built at Holmesglen Institute’s Chadstone campus in Melbourne’s south-east. It will train workers in underground in construction and tunnelling techniques. It is planned to open next year. “The Victorian Tunnelling Centre will train and upskill thousands of local workers, so they can play their part in building the rail and road projects people need,” state transport minister Jacinta Allan said. The centre will include a replica tunnel with a full-height entrance, three multi-purpose engineering workrooms and training facilities including tunnel shaft and concrete lining spray simulators, as well as virtual reality experiences.

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RAIL EXPRESS | ISSUE 5 2018

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PRODUCTS & TECHNOLOGY

Latest in PA system technology on show at AusRAIL PA systems specialist TM Stagetec will be exhibiting at AusRAIL for the first time this year. Ahead of the event, the company spoke with Rail Express about its technology range.

A SSENGER RAIL OPERATORS rely on clear, consistent public address (PA) systems to convey information to passengers. For all commuters, a good PA system can be a helpful tool – especially in the case of disruptions or service changes. But for a significant group of travellers, the presence of a clear, reliable PA system is absolutely critical, every day of the week. 1.6 million Australians live with a disability and use public transport. Those who are sight, hearing, or otherwise impaired frequently rely on the network’s PA system, complete with well-designed hearing loops and help points, to get where they need to go. A recent ABC survey found a quarter of Australia’s 960 train stations are not independently accessible, and a further 18% were reported, by a large surveyed group, to have additional accessibility issues. Most of these issues were related to physical flaws in the stations’ layout, like a lack of lifts or ramps, or appropriate parking. But a number of stations were also cited as having inadequate audible announcements and communications systems. TM Stagetec aims to provide operators with high quality, easy to operate, and secure PA systems, with a focus on speech intelligibility, and a high level of accessibility.

TM Stagetec’s digital PA system

Commuters accessing most of the stations on the Sydney Trains network can already hear TM Stagetec’s digital PA system in action. The product is designed to operate on any scale, and to be highly intuitive for users to operate. From a straightforward system with just one speaker, to configurations involving many speakers,

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TM Stagetec says its digital PA is designed to be effortlessly customisable, and completely networkable. High quality, reliable matrix and paging systems make digital PA suitable for larger areas. The systems feature audio prioritisation, DSP, ambient noise control, and the ability to incorporate paging stations. An operator’s digital PA system can be monitored and managed from a single webpage, providing customised control from a central point – particularly useful for larger scale venues like large train stations. Already useful for transport operators, the system’s automatic digital voice announcement capabilities are enhanced with a web-based GUI designed to be easy to operate, with multiple languages and text to speech capabilities. And a mobile PA platform lets staff make announcements from mobile phones and computers without any additional hardware. The system is further supported with audio archiving capabilities which store high quality audio recordings for later use, as well as hearing assistance capabilities, and help point integration.

allowing integration of analogue, AES input and output, and 100/70 Volt systems outdoors. DIO offers a 2 port Ethernet switch (1x 1Gb Copper and 1x SFP cage, allowing for various fibre or copper connections) and more. It is powered by PoE (Power over Ethernet) or runs via an external PSU and redundancy is provided between both power sources. TM Stagetec will show off its fully customised outdoor audio, PA and broadcast systems at AusRAIL in Canberra, from November 28 to 29. Come and visit them at Stand #7 to hear a demo. Contact: www.tm-systems.com.au BELOW: digital PA’s Network Amplifier Module can provide 4 amplifier channels with up to 24 Watts per channel.

Hardware

The digital PA’s Network Amplifier Module (NAM) can be installed in the field near the location of speakers, and are capable of providing 4 amplifier channels with up to 24 Watts per channel. The NAM routes the audio taken from the Dante network right to each individual speaker. IP connectivity, using Digital Audio Network Through Ethernet (Dante), allows for complete control and monitoring of the system in a multitude of applications. To allow further control and flexibility, the systems have built in delay and can also be used in time aligned installations. TM Stagetec’s Dante Input/Output device is also available in an IP 66 version

ABOVE: The Dante Input/Output device is powered over ethernet, or runs via an external PSU.

RAIL EXPRESS | ISSUE 5 2018

ROLLINGSTOCK & MANUFACTURING

Artists discuss Melbourne’s 2018 Art Trams Melbourne’s 2018 Art Trams will hit the Yarra Trams network as part of the Melbourne International Arts Festival. The Festival recently profiled each about their work, which will hit Melbourne’s tram network in October.

Valerie Tang

Image: Valerie Tang

Valerie Tang, a Year 9 student from Huntingtower School in eastern Melbourne, designed her ‘Marvellous Melbourne’ work based around the city’s recent status as the most liveable city in the world. “We are a multicultural school and we visit the city to see our community: we see faces that are different but the same,” Tang says. “My artwork is about faces, the colours and life we all bring as individuals to the community of Melbourne. This reflects the liveability of Melbourne as people from different countries can be greeted warmly and accepted no matter what race.”

David Larwill

David Larwill (1956—2011) was a prolific Ballarat-born artist known for his distinctive, exuberant style. Larwill was commissioned to paint a W-Class tram in 1986 as part of the Transport Art project, which inspired the Art Trams program. The W-Class tram that sported Larwill’s work, which he designed in recognition of the UN’s International Year of Peace, has been preserved for more than 20 years. This year it was carefully photographed, so it can be replicated as a 2018 Art Tram.

Nick Howson Hayley Millar-Baker

Image: Hayley Millar Baker

Hayley Millar-Baker is a Gunditjmara woman from south-west Victoria, Australia. She says her design for Art Trams 2018 aims to confront past, present and future stories of Aboriginal existence within south-east Australia before, during, and after colonisation. “As a direct result of Australia’s colonial occupation, my family has had to make certain sacrifices,” Millar-Baker says. “However, what was never sacrificed was our deep connection to land. “We rely on bushland for answers, for growth, for clarity, for satisfaction and for cleansing. Playing a vital role as the creator, I explore the inclusion of Aboriginal dreamtime story characters and totems, as well highlighting the contemporary Indigenous experience of the physical country we stand on today.”

ISSUE 5 2018 | RAIL EXPRESS

Image: David Larwill

Image: Nick Howson

Nick Howson is a painter and printmaker, and was a magazine illustrator for the Sunday Age from 1997 to 2001. He has had over a dozen solo exhibitions, and has work on display at Parliament House in Canberra. He says his Art Tram reflects the fact that trams are made for people. “[Trams] are part of the street; passing shops, parked cars, pedestrians,” he says. “Commuters are packed in tight; office workers with their briefcases, university students carrying iPads, city shoppers, backpackers, and the splash of colour of high school blazers. “There’s always a distant giggle of school children, music leaking from headphones, a few heavy sighs, but never a word spoken. As the tram takes a sharp right, and the people fly left, the only real noise is the rattling of the tram.”

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Troy Innocent

Image: Troy Innocent

A visual artist, academic and game designer, Troy Innocent is investigating code in mixed realities, particularly its capacity to decode and reimagine the world in playful ways. His 2018 Art Tram is literally playable. Through an augmented reality app, which will be available when the Art Trams hit the tracks, viewers will be able to use their smartphones to reveal another layer of animation and sound when Innocent’s tram passes. “Playable cities connect people and place, appropriating urban environments and infrastructure—such as the Melbourne tram—through playful takeover, changing and renegotiating its meaning,” Innocent says. “Playful citizens see their town or city in a new way, feeling a new sense of connection, and sensing new ways it could be.”

Oslo Davis

Stephen Baker

Stephen Baker works by sitting and sketching his physical surroundings, and the stories he interprets, before taking these sketches and reimagining them with geometric shapes, and a carefully-arranged palette of colours. “I sought to represent Melbourne’s cultural hub graphically as an ever-growing series of geometric shapes,” Baker explains, “each shape representing a unique aspect of Melbourne’s rich and diverse culture that defines this city for both locals and visitors alike. “Exploring further with this idea I wanted to represent the mosaic as an evolving cultural form that changes and grows. This has been added using figurative elements to represent people contributing their own cultural individuality, their unique shape to Melbourne’s larger mosaic.”

Image: Oslo Davis

Entitled ‘Swimming Through Traffic’ this design comes from frequent Age cartoonist Oslo Davis – most commonly known by his mark, ‘OSLO’. “Who doesn’t like to get wet?” Davis asks. “Whether it be at the local pool, the bay or the ocean, swimming is a massive part of our lives in this city. And almost as much, we love to watch people swim and play as we lounge about poolside.” Davis says his tram is designed to bring swimming to the city; for people to enjoy the fleeting sight of random people bobbing around together. “My tram image is a reminder of another state of being, and is an invitation for Melburnians to seek out a pool and get wet.”

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Image: Stephen Baker

Oli Ruskidd

Image: Oli Ruskidd

A Melbourne-based street artist, Oli Ruskidd has painted the vibrant laneways and streets of the city, experiencing and creating within one of the world’s most unique cultural centres. He says his Art Tram aims to illuminate Melbourne’s streets with a splash of brilliant cover and movement. “My work features a balance of bright light and colour, with organic swirling patterns, along with abstract creatures and hidden entities complimenting the vibrant energy that Melbourne creates as a cultural and creative hub,” he says. “The movement of the colour and line vibrates off the design, highlighting the tram as a beacon of energy.”

RAIL EXPRESS | ISSUE 5 2018

ROLLINGSTOCK & MANUFACTURING

Five-train order buys time for Alstom’s Ballarat Workshops Photo: Alstom Each of Alstom’s X’Trapolis trains can fit up to 1,238 passengers.

Alstom will deliver another five of its X’Trapolis trainsets to the Metro Trains Melbourne network under a circa $95 million deal.

LSTOM ON JULY 24 SAID it had signed a contract with Transport for Victoria to supply an additional five X’Trapolis sets under an agreement worth approximately €60 million. The order will grow Melbourne’s fleet of the single-deck, six-car trains to 106 sets, or 636 cars, making them the single largest fleet of single-deck passenger trains in Australia. Mark Coxon, Alstom’s managing director in Australia and New Zealand,

ISSUE 5 2018 | RAIL EXPRESS

said the deal would secure work for the Ballarat Workshop until December 2019. “We are pleased to supply the Victorian government a further 5 trains from our industrial base in Ballarat.” Coxon said. “This contract will provide workload for the site between April and December 2019, while we continue to work with the State to secure the long-term future of the Ballarat Workshops and the local supply chain.” Alstom says the trains it supplies

to Melbourne have been designed to optimise capacity – the 145-metre trains can fit up to 1,238 passengers – while still maximising passenger experience, comfort and safety. The new trains will also feature enhanced accessibility and improved automated safety features, Alstom said. Alstom has put more than 4,600 X’Trapolis cars into service around the world in the last 10 years, in countries including Australia, Chile, Spain, South Africa and France.

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SAFETY & MAJOR INCIDENTS

Lessons learned from 2016 Melbourne derailment Metro Trains Melbourne has installed new electronic lubricators and changed its track management procedures after a derailment near Rushall station in Melbourne’s north-east in February 2016.

E LBOURNE METRO TRAIN TD1064 was citybound on the South Morang Line (now called the Mernda Line), when it derailed between Merri station and Rushall station, in north-east Melbourne. The train comprised two 3-car Alstom X’Trapolis sets coupled as a six-car train. The leading bogie of the second car derailed on a small-radius curve heading into Rushall station around 4:50pm on February 6, 2016. The train came quickly to a stop. There was one minor injury reported. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which handed in its final report into the incident earlier this year, said the derailed car was foul of the adjacent track and there was potential for more serious consequences had a train from the opposite direction been passing at the time. The ATSB found that leading righthand wheel of the train’s second car had climbed the outside rail curve. Contributing

ISSUE 5 2018 | RAIL EXPRESS

factors were the high coefficient of friction between wheel and rail, and the geometry of a rail joint. “The train was being operated within the speed limit for this curve and the manner of its operation did not contribute to the derailment,” the Bureau noted. Five days after the derailment, a track regulator derailed on the same curve, a short distance from the first incident.

Lubrication an issue

“It was found that the train’s wheel flanges and the rail’s gauge-face had low levels of lubrication,” the Bureau noted. The report states the outer rail at the point of derailment was clean and dry, with no visual evidence of either lubricants, or contaminants and with a roughened surface. Below the worn gauge-face there were steel filings on the rail foot and ballast. “The presence of both the rough gauge-face surface and metal filings below the rail were indicative of high friction

and wear conditions and hence indicated a probable deficiency of lubrication between gauge-face and wheel-flange.” The Bureau’s report found the performance of rail lubricators on Melbourne’s metropolitan network had diminished prior to the derailment, “probably the result of a decline in lubricator maintenance”. “Rail lubricator maintenance was being transferred from contractors to Metro Trains Melbourne (MTM) staff and this transition was not adequately managed,” the Bureau said. MTM uses mechanical rail lubricators, known colloquially as ‘grease pots’, to dispense grease to the rail gauge-face at certain locations. The grease pot intended to prepare trains for the Rushall curve, travelling towards Melbourne, was located roughly 20 metres past Merri Station, around 330 metres before the curve. Throughout 2015, maintenance for MTM’s grease pots was contracted out

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to Sunstone Resources. MTM documents show the last monthly inspection of the grease pot in question took place in December 2015, but after that the contract with Sunstone was ended, with MTM to take over grease pot maintenance and inspection. “MTM advised that it had been difficult to organise safeworking arrangements for access to the track during this transition period and that lubrication activities were subsequently fully re-established in February 2016 … monthly inspection and maintenance had been conducted through to December 2015, [but] no further maintenance had then occurred until after the derailment (on February 6, 2016).”

Curve was unique

In addition to lubrication, the Bureau found the derailment could, potentially, have been avoided with changes to the track. “The derailment at this point on the curve was triggered by a lateral angular discontinuity at a mechanical rail joint, resulting in a localised increase in the wheel-to-rail lateral force,” the Bureau wrote. “The network’s track geometry standard did not preclude the presence of such a discontinuity.” Known as the ‘Rushall curve’, the section of track is a 118-metre radius-curve, the most severe mainline curve on the MTM network. It had a permanent speed restriction in the Up direction of 30 km/h at the time of the incident. “This small-radius curve existed as a remnant of a triangular junction that originally connected the (then) Epping Line to the Royal Park-to-Northcote Loop (also known as the Inner Circle Line),” the report states. “The connection was severed in 1965 and the Royal Park-to-Northcote Loop was subsequently closed. The curve that formed the junction’s eastern leg remained as a portion of the main line between Merri and Rushall Stations.” Travelling towards Melbourne, the Rushall curve is on a 1-in-70 downgrade, and was constructed using wooden sleepers supporting typically 13.7-metre rail joined by mechanical (fishplated) joints in a staggered pattern. Around the point of derailment, rails were on double-shoulder base plates generally attached by plate screws, and were mostly secured using resilient fasteners with some use of dog spikes, the ATSB report explains. “The most recent MTM engineering inspection of the curve was on 2 March 2015 at which time the track was reported as being fit-forpurpose for one year,” the report states. “Examination of the track following this derailment found evidence of pumping and angular misalignment at mechanical joints. The

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RAIL EXPRESS | ISSUE 5 2018

SAFETY & MAJOR INCIDENTS

Guage-face at the PoD.

gauge-face of the outside rail (high leg) had sustained noticeable side wear.” The Bureau’s report suggests the presence of a check rail on the Rushall curve, installed adjacent to the inner rail, would have provided an additional defence against flange-climb and derailment. “A network standard to potentially address derailment risk at higher-risk locations was under consideration at the time of this derailment,” the Bureau wrote. In addition to these factors, the Bureau identified a number of other safety factors that were “not directly causal” to the derailment. These include the ineffective locating of some rail lubricators within the network, a high tolerance on allowable track geometry deviations at this and similar low-speed mainline locations, and a failure to address a wide-gauge defect on this curve, according to the final report.

Communications failed driver

While not a contributing factor to the incident itself, the ATSB identified communications as an issue in its aftermath. Immediately after the derailment, the train’s driver was unable to contact Metrol via the train’s radio system, and subsequently established contact using a company-issued mobile phone, about six minutes after the derailment. “It was another minute before any approaching rail traffic could be halted,” the Bureau said.

What’s been done as a result

Since the derailment, MTM has shifted to a new maintenance schedule for its grease pots. “MTM advised that their maintenance plan required that lubricators be inspected every three months, although up to December 2015, lubricator inspection was reportedly on a monthly cycle,” the Bureau reported. “MTM track managers were aware of

ISSUE 5 2018 | RAIL EXPRESS

the specified maintenance cycle of three months and this may have influenced them in taking several months to establish an effective lubricator maintenance regime. “Fleet rolling stock wheel condition indicated that the degree and standard of network rail lubrication had started declining in December 2015 and had further deteriorated through January and early February 2016. The most probable reason for this deterioration was a reduction in the effectiveness of rail lubrication across the network. This probably resulted from inadequate lubricator maintenance during the transition from contracted to internal maintenance. “MTM was aware of the fleet-wide deterioration in wheel condition, but the response was inadequate to prevent this derailment.” The operator has also taken on new advice as to where its grease pots should be located. Specialist advice presented to MTM in 2000 and 2007 suggested track lubricators should be located at the lead-in to the target curve, but “many of the lubricators examined during these studies were located on sections of tangent track distant from the curves being serviced,” and more recent advice suggests this is not a suitable position for efficient lubrication. “A recent MTM audit found that 43% of lubricators were in fact located on tangent track,” the ATSB said. “This would have resulted in an inefficient use of lubricant and the potential for lubricator performance to be less effective than desired.” The lubricator intended to service the rail in question in this incident was located on tangent track in advance a curve. “This would have led to less-effective pick-up of lubricant, and where pick-up did occur, too much of that lubricant being deposited directly back onto the track,” the Bureau said.

Since the incident, MTM has updated its rail lubrication strategy based on an assessment of alternative lubrication technologies. This has resulted in the roll-out of electronic lubricators across the network, with technical information and training to support this change. The operator has also implemented a network-wide lubrication strategy resulting in the relocation of many of the mechanical lubricators, until they are replaced by electronic lubricators.

Radio system addressed

It was found the train’s Digital Train Radio System (DTRS) did not allow a Train Emergency Call to override an initial lower-priority call in the aftermath of the derailment. As a result, “MTM has enhanced its driver training to highlight the operation of DTRS for normal and emergency use, including the need to cancel a lower-priority call prior to initiating an emergency call,” the Bureau reported. “MTM is also reviewing the functionality of similar digital radio systems used by other rail operators, and options for changing the functionality of the DTRS.”

Additional measures

The ATSB said MTM had taken additional safety steps in light of the investigation. This included a number of proactive safety actions. “MTM has introduced new and revised standards for wheel turning and flange surface roughness,” the report states. “MTM has also established a program of cultural change that has included retraining in the management of track defects and reinforcement of accountabilities.”

The grease pot in question.

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SAFETY WEEK

Industry holds Safety Week

OMMUNITIES AND businesses across Australia and New Zealand are recognising the 2018 Rail Safety Week from August 13 to 19. TrackSAFE Foundation patron Tim Fischer AC said on August 13 more than 70 rail, police and government organisations would work together to increase awareness surrounding all aspects of rail safety. “Community members will once again be able to engage in free public events all with a strong rail safety theme, from police bands and demonstrations at rail stations and level crossings to barbeques and a special visit from Thomas the Tank Engine in Sydney,” Fischer said.

“Volunteers from the rail industry are cued to visit thousands of school students in metropolitan, regional and rural areas throughout the Week. “Events such as these are important and effective for sharing rail safety knowledge, insight and experiences.” Conducted by the TrackSAFE Foundation and the Australasian Railway Association, Rail Safety Week aims to draw attention to the behavious that could lead to incidents on the rail network. “These behaviours are seemingly innocuous, such as looking at screens, not removing earphones or taking short cuts across tracks,” Fischer said. “However, all of these actions could lead to deadly consequences.

“The safety messages we push as part of Rail Safety Week are not new, but they continue to be the driving force behind incidents on our railways. We’re urging members of the public to take responsibility for their actions when on and around the rail network, I encourage individuals to take the time to tell a personal story and share rail safety tips with friends and family members. “Together we can make a difference and reduce the number of incidents happening on our rail network– rail safety is everyone’s responsibility.” Find out more: http:// tracksafefoundation.com.au/rail-safetyweek

Broad meets with McCormack, Fletcher to talk safety

ROAD MET WITH McCormack, Fletcher, and several top rail officials in Canberra on August 15. “Issues discussed at the meeting included rail safety awareness, the call for consistencies in level crossing safety and trespass penalties across the states as well as an analysis of future skills and workforce requirements and train control

interoperability and safety standards,” Broad reported. “We are encouraged that our nation’s political leaders recognise and support Rail Safety Week and are working closely with industry representatives to keep rail safety high on the agenda. “Emerging rail projects are set to maximise opportunities for the development our nation’s infrastructure,

regional hubs and future cities. “With so many rail projects to come, it’s important rail organisations continue to connect with government, along with road user groups and the police to promote rail safety awareness within communities across the nation.” The meeting coincided with this year’s Rail Safety Week, which runs until August 19.

Emma Woods, ARA; Naomi Frauenfelder, TrackSAFE; Deputy PM Michael McCormack; Paul Daly, RISSB; and Sue McCarrey, ONRSR.

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RAIL EXPRESS | ISSUE 5 2018

SAFETY WEEK

Queensland launches ‘rockin’ safety campaign As part of Rail Safety Week Queensland Rail launched a new level crossing safety campaign using music to grab the attention of road users.

N A CAMPAIGN TITLED “Heavy Metal Stops for No One”, short videos featuring a metal band warn drivers and pedestrians of potential risks around level crossings. “The campaign involves a heavy metal rock band approaching road users who are disobeying the signs and signals at a level crossing and shocking them with a heavy metal song featuring Queensland Rail’s safety messages,” state transport minister Mark Bailey said. “Ultimately, we want to see the number of near hits at level crossings reduced to zero, and this campaign will be aiming to capture the attention of Queensland road users and encourage them to rethink their behaviour next time they’re at a level crossing.” Over the 2017-18 financial year, there was a 3 per cent increase in the number of “near miss” incidents reported at Queensland Rail level crossings. 248 road users were reported experiencing a near miss between their vehicle or themselves and a train at

ISSUE 5 2018 | RAIL EXPRESS

Queensland Rail level crossings. Bailey said they were a result of drivers disobeying warning signs and signals. “This is in addition to 127 incidents last financial year, when road users collided with level crossing infrastructure in place for their protection, such as boom gates,” he said. “Our new campaign will be aiming to capture the attention of Queensland road users and drive home the message that trains are heavy metal juggernauts that travel at speed and cannot stop in a hurry for anyone.” During Rail Safety Week, the campaign will be rolled out at train stations, roadside billboards, and across social media, and continue through Queensland Rail’s sail safety education program for school students. The campaign was featured at Queensland Rail’s pavilion at EKKA, the state’s annual agricultural show. The stand featured heavy metal face painting, temporary tattoos, and a rock star karaoke competition.

“

Ultimately, we want to see the number of near hits at level crossings reduced to zero, and this campaign will be aiming to capture the attention of Queensland road users and encourage them to rethink their behaviour next time they’re at a level crossing.

”

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RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Rail in TraNSIT: The computer model shaping future supply chain strategies Rail Express spoke with the CSIRO about the model aiming to quantify and map out constraints across Australia’s vast supply chains.

In a northern NSW/southern Queensland study, TraNSIT was used to analyse supply chain options like larger facilities and the impact of future rail improvements.

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RICULTURAL PRODUCTION in northern NSW and southern Queensland comprise a diverse array of commodity types, including sheep, pigs, grains, cotton, dairy, and horticulture. Road and rail networks, and the processing and storage facilities along them, form the lifeline of these regional industries, linking farms to foreign markets via the Port of Newcastle and the Port of Brisbane, and various domestic markets across Australia. Distances of over 1,000 kilometres between production, processing and the marketplace are a regular feature of Australian supply chains, with transport costs often making up approximately 40 per cent of the market price. For producers trying to get their goods to processing and storage facilities, or directly to market, this complex of transportation networks, and their varying constraints and advantages in different locations, can make logistical decisions difficult. The Transport Network Strategic Investment Tool, or TraNSIT, was first developed by the CSIRO in 2012 and 2013 under commission from federal and state governments to identify bottlenecks in livestock supply-chains across northern NSW and southern Queensland. Today, it now covers 98 per cent of all agricultural and horticultural supply chains. The TraNSIT model serves to map out and quantify the various constraints affecting supply chains. Since 2012, the CSIRO has collaborated with more than a hundred different industry associations and government agencies to gain access to datasets from industry and government. “In relation to rail transport, TraNSIT has mostly been applied to grain supply chains so far,” said Dr Andrew Higgins, the CSIRO’s lead researcher working with the tool. “It looks at the potential benefits of upgrading loading facilities and improving load times, and the impacts of future train

RAIL EXPRESS | ISSUE 5 2018

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

configurations – how longer trains with more locomotives and higher axle-load limits can improve supply chain efficiency.” In the rail sector, the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) has used the tool to support its work on the Hunter Valley rail network, where it has been focussed on leveraging the significant expenditure within its heavy haul network to benefit wider regional supply chains. Over the past three years, the ARTC has introduced a number of initiatives to encourage modal shift to rail, including the lifting of axles loads and train lengths across the Intrastate network corridors between Dubbo-Gulgong and Narrabri-Moree. In carrying out these initiatives, the ARTC has worked close with rail operators at the agricultural sector to determine the impediments to the utilisation of rail. And, using the TraNSIT tool, the ARTC has been able to quantify the total transport costs for these agricultural commodities over their whole journeys, based not only on individual trip costs but across total production and likely end market destination, demonstrating the benefits of these upgrade projects and pointing towards further solutions. “The tool itself can not only indicate which infrastructure is the limiting factor but will give a transport cost (road or rail) according the route taken and the maximum payload and time taken for a for a specific route,” ARTC’s business development manager Michael Clancy said. “Individual infrastructure owners can then apply different parameters to test if a particular infrastructure change will provide an economic benefit great enough to proceed with further investigation or project initiation.” According to Clancy, the key advantage of TraNSIT is its ability to easily test scenarios across transport mode and commodity-type, providing a visual demonstration of cost impacts and outcomes. “All supply chains will eventually follow the least cost path to market, and while it may not currently include handling costs incurred during modal transfer, the tool can definitely provide insight into how lower payloads or increased transit time impacts on the cost of moving products,” Clancy said. “For ARTC, it assists on not only what we can directly change on our asset but

ISSUE 5 2018 | RAIL EXPRESS

Australia’s freight task is growing rapidly.

how we can work with our supply chain partners and governments to provide solutions. Some of these solutions are not necessarily purely infrastructure related, some are operational and supply chain coordination related that impact time or reliability.” Overall, TraNSIT is in its early stages regarding its possible applications within the rail industry. Nonetheless there are expectations that further opportunities would arise with the continued accumulation of commodity data. “I think historically we’ve been limited in our ability to rapidly test scenarios and seek a coordinated response to supply chain issues,” Clancy said. “The relatively long life of rolling stock, and the intergenerational permanency of rail infrastructure projects mean that we

can use the tool to make better informed design and purchase decisions.” Among the benefits of the tool is its ability to definitely demonstrate the benefits of improving road access to modal transfer locations, including the unit cost for stopping multi-combinational vehicles from transiting through built up areas to rail heads. “We have situations across the country where truck drivers are required to un-hitch trailers on the outskirts of town and make two trips to a transfer goods,” Clancy explained. “TraNSIT can not only identify unit costs, but the total cost for all product transported through the area, providing valuable information to both industry and councils as to the additional costs being incurred.”

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the aspects explored by a TraNSIT study conducted by the CSIRO in collaboration with ARTC. It found that some facilities in the southern Queensland and northern NSW regions are limited by train and wagon size. The study points to improvements that could be made in the future with longer, faster trains with higher capacity and with upgrades to roads that supply grain to these sites, pointing towards better integration between roads and rail. Savings of up to $10 per tonne could be made, it found, by moving from 42-wagon to 76-wagon bulk freight trains with a faster loading time of five hours. “The TraNSIT tool is being used to look at the areas in which Inland Rail can be beneficial in terms of the overall supply chain versus purely using road,” Higgins said. “We can use it to find out where the biggest benefits will be for industry and supply chains to use the rail corridor.”

Inland Rail

Indeed, recently the TraNSIT has begun to be used by shire councils in northern NSW and southern Queensland to quantify how transport regulatory change and upgrades to roads, rail and other supply-chain infrastructure can boost the efficiency of the transportation of goods. “Councils often have particular locations that have been earmarked for potential freight hubs,” Higgins said. “For example, the tool can tell us – with given inputs such as location, particular loading facilities and road linkages – what can be benefits of using a potential freight intermodal hub over a road-only system for supply chains of cotton or gains or other commodities,” Higgins said. The impacts of possible future improvements to rail networks were among

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With construction soon to begin on the 1,700-kilometre Inland Rail freight rail line between Brisbane and Melbourne, collaborative work is now underway between the Department of Infrastructure Regional Development and Cities and the CSIRO to explore the use of the TraNSIT model in building an understanding of regional supply chains, helping industry make the most of the project’s opportunities. Called the Inland Rail Supply Chain Mapping Pilot Project, it will build on previous TraNSIT studies while expanding its application to the future Parkes to Narromine section of the Inland Rail project. “The Australian government is committed to working with industry and the regions to realise the benefits from the delivery of Inland Rail as it moves towards construction in 2018. This is another step toward delivering this significant investment in Australia’s freight future,” federal transport minister Michael McCormack said. “The Inland Rail Supply Chain Mapping Pilot Project will be informed by local community leaders and supply chain participants. The Australian government will work closely with state governments and local councils to ensure the project informs planning and freight network strategies.”

The hope is that this application of TraNSIT will further demonstrate how Inland Rail will reduce transportation costs and become a catalyst for further business investment and a subsequent revival in regional rail transport, not only between Melbourne to Brisbane but throughout regional Australia. “The project will involve taking information about supply chains as they are and mapping them using the future planned Inland Rail corridor,” the CSIRO’s Andrew Higgins said. “It will focus on movements that will use particular parts of the corridor, and it will also look at what the potential is for different types of commodities that currently are transported via road to be put on the rail corridor.” It will also test the potentials of surrounding, complementary upgrades – such as road improvements – in heightening the benefits of Inland Rail. A CSIRO/ARTC study into northern NSW’s cotton industry using TraNSIT indicated the enhanced competitiveness of Inland Rail. The baseline cost of rail transport was calculated at $8.65 million per year or $234/tonne. With the introduction of Inland rail, the rail transport cost reduces to $5.77 million per year or $156/tonne or a potential 33% transport cost reduction. The ARTC’s Michael Clancy said that TraNSIT could help illuminate the benefits of Inland Rail and the problems it might be able to address via the development of supply chain strategies, especially in a context of continuing difficult climatic conditions throughout regional NSW and Queensland. “We are currently experiencing one of the worst droughts in history within NSW and Queensland and seeing grain transported from South Australia to Northern NSW in 3000t payloads,” Clancy said. “Inland Rail will enable +6000t payloads on 1:100 grades. In a normal season where will feed grain be sourced from? Will high grade, high protein, high value wheat still be trucked from the Golden Triangle between Northstar & Weemalah or will it be railed from Victoria direct to feedlots or distribution hubs? “These are some of the questions that TraNSIT can assist in providing key understandings and with cooperation across industry drive solutions.”

RAIL EXPRESS | ISSUE 5 2018

PRODUCTS & TECHNOLOGY

Less downtime, more flexibility: Providing a better fastening solution Stanley Engineered Fastening says it can provide rail manufacturers, track owners and maintenance businesses with an alternative swage locking system which benefits from the Enerpac service network. The placing tool is designed to be robust and durable, while still being lighter weight, ergonomic, and highly maneuverable. Large diameter Avdelok XT and NeoBolt lockbolts, as well as Avbolt fasteners can be placed securely in seconds with the 734 AV series of installation tools and pumps.

The Avdelok system Easy-to-change nose equipment and hydraulic hoses in different lengths enable the tool to be adapted to suit local assembly requirements.

HE 734 AV SERIES OF TOOLS aims to leverage a node-based system, as well as the reach of the Enerpac service network, to provide a better solution for its users. Swage locking systems have applications all around the rail sector, from the manufacturing or maintenance of wagons, bogies or locomotives, to installation of new or upgraded track, maintenance of heavy machines, and so on. Common swage locking systems leave users with common issues, however. Different tools are often to install differentsized lockbolts, and when a tool breaks down, it often must be sent away to be fixed. Stanley Engineered Fastening has designed a platform it says offers a better solution. The 734 AV system consists of four separate parts: a placing tool, pump unit, hose, and easy-to-change nose equipment. The pump unit is a high-performance custom Enerpac unit, with a high-efficiency 2-stage pump design with increased oil flow rate and bypass pressure, and 18% less current draw than comparable pumps. A spokesperson for Stanley Engineered

ISSUE 5 2018 | RAIL EXPRESS

Fastening told Rail Express the capabilities of the company’s system made it perfect for the rail sector, especially in a large, sparse country like Australia. “By using an Enerpac system, the system allows customers who have issues to take it to any Enerpac-authorised service centre,” the spokesperson explained. “That could be someone located in Port Hedland, for example. They don’t have to worry about sending the tool far away for servicing; they can go to their local area to have the tool serviced. “And that’s a big thing, because you can’t afford to have downtime on tooling when you’re undertaking a major project.” The electric hydraulic pump drives the power to swage the collar onto the pin, creating the fastening itself. By using easy-to-change nose equipment and hydraulic hoses in different lengths, the tool can be adapted to suit local assembly requirements. “The unit itself is unique because you can adjust its setting so if you’re doing a small pin, you only have the pulling power for that pin,” the spokesperson explained. “If you’re pulling a very big pin, the tool can be reset for more power.”

The 734 AV series is designed for the highspeed installation of larger diameter Avdel lockbolts. These lockbolts are designed to offer high shear strength, high controlled clamp, and a wide selection of materials, head sizes, and collar options, providing for an extensive variety of applications. The Avdelok system is designed to be quick to install, and easy to inspect for tampering, making it the ideal rivet for heavy engineering. Avdelok structural lockbolts come in steel, stainless steel, and aluminium alloy, and range from 4.8mm to 9.6mm. Headforms include brazier, countersunk, truss and large head, and collars can be full, half or flanged. For more information, visit: www.stanleyengineeredfastening.com

Stanley Engineered Fastening’s solution relies on a high-performance custom Enerpac pump unit.

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FREIGHT

Sides battle over Inland Rail’s equity funding model Infrastructure minister Michael McCormack and his Opposition counterpart Anthony Albanese have continued the war of words over the Government’s decision to fund Inland Rail via an off-Budget equity injection.

ABOR’S INFRASTRUCTURE spokesperson Anthony Albanese used the ARA’s Inland Rail conference in Parkes as a platform to call on the Government to review its decision to fund Inland Rail with an equity injection. Albanese criticised the Government for not acknowledging the flaws in equity finance for Inland Rail, pointing out the project will likely not make a commercial return on investment. The former deputy PM said while Labor supported the construction of the 1,700-kilometre freight link, the project’s price tag should be treated as an expenditure in the Government’s books. So far, the Government has instead provided $8.4 billion in equity financing, with no material impact on the balance of the Budget. But Albanese pointed to a 2015 study into Inland Rail, conducted by former deputy prime minister John Anderson, that found the project’s revenues would not be able to cover its capital cost for at least the first 50 years of operation. “The problem here is that for a project to be financed off-budget, it must be able to make a return to the Budget,” he said. “That is, a commercial rate of return on capital investment as well as on operating and maintenance expenses.”

He said the Coalition was trying to camouflage the extent of the problem by taking into account the overall revenue of the ARTC, including from the Hunter Valley Coal Network, as cover for the cost of Inland Rail, and thus “avoid any investment contributing to the budget bottom line”. He called on the government to end the “uncertainty” that it had created around the project’s funding status and reveal what its concrete plans were to pay for the project. “We need greater transparency over planning and an honest conversation about the project and how much grant funding the government expects will be required to make it a reality,” he said. “We all know that Inland Rail isn’t going to build itself.” The shadow minister also took the opportunity to point out that, going by the Coalition’s initial planning – which projected that construction would commence in the middle of 2016 – the project was running three years behind schedule. “Two years on from the expiry of that deadline, the final route alignment has still not been finalised and environmental approvals have not been sought, let alone given.” Inland Rail will provide an inland rail route between Brisbane and Melbourne.

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“We also have no details of the publicprivate partnership that will deliver the most challenging part of the project – the section through the Great Dividing Range in South East Queensland.” Albanese, who commissioned a feasibility study into Inland Rail when Labor were in power, said the Coalition had erred in not provisioning for the route to connect directly Brisbane or Melbourne ports. He commented that, while the $1.5 million study to investigate plans for a Port of Brisbane connection was a “good decision”, it was nonetheless a rather belated one. “Just because it’s called Inland Rail, that shouldn’t be taken so literally that it doesn’t go to a port,” he said.

McCormack defends equity model

Federal infrastructure minister Michael McCormack defended the Government’s equity funding decision. Asked if the Coalition’s equity funding model was “flawed,” McCormack was quick to tell ABC Melbourne’s Virginia Trioli, “No, it’s not”. “That’s why I’ve also put on board Warren Truss to head up the ARTC, looking after this project,” McCormack added. Truss, the former leader of the Nationals who was replaced by Barnaby Joyce and then McCormack, was named chair of the ARTC in April. The ARTC – the Government-owned track owner responsible for Inland Rail – is the body through which the Government is funnelling its equity injection. “Warren Truss is very well known right across the nation as far as stakeholder engagement, making sure that all the I’s are dotted and the T’s are crossed,” McCormack said on August 9. “He worked well with Federal Labor, indeed across the states, he’s continuing to do that.” McCormack also downplayed concerns

RAIL EXPRESS | ISSUE 5 2018

FREIGHT $7m in contracts awarded

Anthony Albanese has criticised the Coalition’s funding model.

from the Opposition that Inland Rail lacks clear and achievable deadlines. “We will get this project up and running,” he said. “It will be, as I say, transformational. It is going to get product from farm gate, indeed paddock to port to market within 24 hours to port. So that’s tremendous. “The first 600 tonnes of steel were dropped off at Peak Hill in Central Western New South Wales on 15 January. Red-letter day as far as the project’s concerned. It’s a goer. It’s going to be built. “This is going to be a great piece of nation-building infrastructure and the funding model’s right. The project’s right. We’re getting people on board. It’s a good project. And as I say it’s been discussed for many, many decades, time to get on and do it.”

Coalition pleased with progress

Later in August McCormack praised the ARTC’s progress, welcoming the establishment of the fifth community consultative committee for the project’s Queensland portion. The ARTC recently set up the community consultative committee (CCC)

ISSUE 5 2018 | RAIL EXPRESS

for the section of Inland Rail from Kagaru to Acacia Ridge and Bromelton. One of the 13 projects that comprise Inland Rail, the Kagaru to Acacia Ridge and Bromelton project will upgrade around 49 kilometres of existing track to enable double-stacking capability. It uses the existing Sydney to Brisbane Rail Corridor alignment. Double stacking will be made possible on the interstate route both from Kagaru to Bromelton, and north from Kagaru to Acacia Ridge, the major intermodal terminal south of the Port of Brisbane. The Kagaru to Acacia Ridge and Bromelton CCC is the fifth such committee established in Queensland, meaning all five sections of Inland Rail in the Sunshine State are now covered. “The Liberal and Nationals’ Government understands strong working relationships between ARTC, local communities, stakeholder groups and councils are critical to the success of this project,” McCormack said. “CCCs help ensure community issues are brought to the fore and addressed during the planning and design of each Inland Rail section.”

The Australian Rail Track Corporation in July awarded a pair of new contracts for the supply of ballast and capping for the first section of Inland Rail, between Parkes and Narromine. Parkes-based company Calvani Crushing won a $4.8 million deal to supply more than 150,000 of ballast and 75,000 tonnes of capping for the project, while Ausrock Quarries has been awarded a $2.1 million contract for over 45,000 tonnes of ballast and 45,000 tonnes of capping. Deliveries under the contracts will take place over the next 12-18 months, allowing for the first new Inland Rail track to be laid later this year on the Parkes-Narromine section, Inland Rail boss Richard Wankmuller said. “Inland Rail is securing jobs in regional Australia and our cities,” Wankmuller said. “We now have ballast and capping supplied from Parkes, concrete sleepers from Mittagong, steel track from Whyalla; and there are many other significant contracts to be awarded.” Inland Rail is expected to deliver 16,000 new jobs at peak construction, and an average of 700 additional jobs a year over the entire program. Calvani Crushing managing director John Calvani praised the Inland Rail team for maintaining a strong focus on local industry participation. “The Inland Rail contract is the biggest we’ve been awarded and it’s an advantage for everyone to source these products locally. It’s allowed us to create new jobs and it provides a good income for these people,” Calvani said. “It’s also a saving for Inland Rail as it doesn’t have transport product over long distances.” Ausrock Quarries director Simon Shannon agreed, saying Inland Rail was generating a lot of optimism locally. “We’ve been an ARTC supplier for five years, but this large Inland Rail contract means that we have been able to employ an extra eight people, which delivers many local flow-on effects,” Shannon said. Ballast is the small rocks that sits beneath, between and around railway sleepers, while capping is the smaller crushed rock that sits beneath the ballast to help form the track foundation, which keeps the track in position, allows for drainage, and reduces vegetation growth. Overall, the 1,700-kilometre Inland Rail project is expected to need around 3.6 million tonnes of ballast, and 3.4 million tonnes of capping.

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