Rail Express September 2022

From the Editor

Issue 8

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September 2022

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Ray Chan

Editor - Rail Express

Welcome to the September issue of Rail Express

We all know rail already plays a part in reducing carbon emissions. Passenger rail supports more than a billion journeys, and with a single commuter train able to take the equivalent of 578 cars off the road, significantly lessens pollution while relieving urban congestion in the process.

Freight rail services generate 16 times less carbon output than road freight, delivering improved health and safety outcomes.

However, there is a component of the rail sector which can be improved in terms of sustainability: and that is the construction of rail infrastructure, which continues to rely heavily on carbon-intensive materials.

As Australia experiences unprecedented investment in rail, industry should be encouraged to seize the chance to build in a more regenerative way, to benefit the environment and communities.

There’s an interesting news item in this month’s issue about how recycled glass is being used to manufacture kerbing for tram stops in Melbourne.

It’s a perfect example of how materials can be re-used in the rail industry, instead of ending up as end-of-life products in landfill.

These days, there is an enormous opportunity for operators to make an environmental impact by using recycled items within freight rail projects.

A large range of alternative options is available for the construction and maintenance of rail infrastructure, including plastic, ballast, concrete, water, rubber, glass and steel.

The act of recycling also forms the basis of adopting circular economy principles, with materials being used, processed and redirected back to their points of origin.

In this issue, we take a look at how some businesses are making genuine progress in helping the journey towards smarter, more sustainable rail.

Read about how Plasmar NewGen has developed a unique, co-mingled plastic process that allows for 100 per cent of multiple plastic polymer types to be integrated into a single proprietary product. It can be used to manufacture non-corrosive posts for substations, retaining walls around track infrastructure and as rail ballast.

Meanwhile, Access Recycling explains how it has grown to be one of the largest producers of scrap metal in Australia, providing an extensive range of recycling services to the track maintainers and rolling stock owners throughout the country. With a client list that resembles a Who’s Who of the rail industry, Access has scrapped more than 3000 railway wagons, 200 locomotives, 200,000 tonnes of railway line and 3.5 million sleepers, and the numbers are growing.

Sound control specialist STRAILastic discusses its noise attenuation toolbox, which uses rail track walls made primarily of fibrereinforced recycled rubber, and Link Asia Pacific details the benefits of the KLP hybrid recycled polymer sleepers, which are rapidly taking the place of concrete, steel and timber constructs.

Unipart reveals more about its range of composite sleepers, which are manufactured from waste plastics and glass fibre sourced from residential, commercial, industrial, or even ocean waste streams.

And global sustainability solutions leader ACCIONA even goes beyond re-purposing redundant rail by finding new uses for items such as used hi-vis vests, branded hoarding and small bits of scrap metal.

In other features, we turn the spotlight on to the Victorian Government’s aim to improve the freight rail network in the state.

This year’s State Budget contains a massive investment that brings Victoria closer to delivering a gold-class rail freight network tailored to the fast and efficient movement of exports to port.

Discover how the fillip will deliver new track, new sleepers and new ballast on lines in the north and north-west of the state, particularly those that handle grain.

Elsewhere in this edition, Wabtec and Alstom discuss more about their emission-reducing fleets of locomotives, and we continue our profiles on people in the workforce, the essential cornerstone of any successful business.

As always, there are also the regular contributions from our industry partners, a round-up of news from across the country, and a quick look at some of the contracts and tenders awarded in the past month.

ray.chan@primecreative.com.au

Independent review of Infrastructure Australia

The Australian Government has announced an independent review of statutory body Infrastructure Australia (IA).

To be led by Nicole Lockwood and Mike Mrdak, it will consider the organisation’s role as an independent adviser to the Commonwealth on nationally significant infrastructure priorities and report on what changes may be needed to IA’s focus, priorities and – if necessary – legislation.

Lockwood is the chairperson of Infrastructure WA, and Mrdak was a former Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development.

Federal Infrastructure minister Catherine King said the review was an important first step in restoring IA to its rightful place as an expert advisory body of national significance.

“The Government looks forward to a revitalised IA helping the Commonwealth deliver a better future for all Australians through its infrastructure policy and investment decisions,” she said.

A draft report is expected within two months, and a final report shortly thereafter.

“The organisation was created to provide expert advice to government regarding infrastructure priorities across the nation,” King said.

“In recent years, the entity has been allowed to drift with partisan board appointments and a lack of clear direction. It’s clear a review has been necessary and that’s why Labor committed to one before the election.

“In Nicole Lockwood and Mike Mrdak, we have two of Australia’s pre-eminent infrastructure experts who will conduct a thorough and independent review of Infrastructure Australia and make recommendations to get it back on track.

“Our nation has big challenges ahead, whether that be in dealing with population growth, managing skills shortages, decarbonising the transport and infrastructure sector or dealing with the uptake of electric vehicles.

“This review and the changes it proposes will be essential in ensuring that the Australian Government receives the expert and non-partisan advice it needs to build a better future.

“I thank the board members, some of whom have agreed to step down, for their understanding and contribution as the Government reviews and refreshes the infrastructure adviser.”

1. The Review will examine IA’s role as an independent adviser to the Commonwealth on nationally significant infrastructure priorities, as well as its capacity to deliver on this role.

2. The Review will make recommendations on reforms that may be required to ensure IA is able to fully deliver on its responsibilities, including but not limited to:

a. Functions

i. the advice and products for which IA is responsible, and whether these remain fit-for-purpose

ii. how IA’s work relates to the work of statelevel infrastructure bodies

iii. how the organidsation’s work addresses the priorities and requirements of the Australian Government.

b. Governance and administration

i. the optimal size, mandate, responsibilities, and composition of the IA Board, including the experience, skills, and expertise of members

ii. whether IA’s administrative arrangements are appropriate to support delivery of its role and functions

iii. the organisation’s relationship with the responsible Minister.

c. Legislation

i. any legislative changes that may be required.

3. The Review will be conducted by independent reviewers and supported by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.

4. The Review will provide a report to the

The review will report on how IA can fully deliver on its responsibilities.

Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government.

OPPORTUNITY FOR ENGAGEMENT

In welcoming the move, Australian Logistics Council (ALC) chief executive officer Hermione Parsons said infrastructure was a key part of ensuring the safety, efficiency and future sustainability of the Australian supply chain.

“Participants across the supply chain acknowledge the need to continue investment in world-class transport infrastructure and it is important that the criticality of infrastructure to the supply chain is considered, to support the economy and meet the growing freight task,” she said.

“ALC looks forward to IA refocusing efforts on achieving greater productivity and all levels of government continuing to invest in the interest of the national economy.”

Dr Parsons said the review was an opportunity to streamline engagement between various levels of government to identify and agree on priority infrastructure.

“We must see investment in infrastructure continue and the development of projects that will deliver real efficiency gains and drive an uplift in productivity,” she said.

“To do that all governments and industry must work together to align our priorities, consistent with achieving the objectives of the National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy.

“ALC looks forward to continued engagement with the Australian Government and IA to support the considerations of the supply chain, freight, logistics and transport sectors to achieve modal shift, reduce emissions and improve outcomes for all Australians.”

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ACCC green light for One Rail acquisition

The Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC) will not oppose the proposed acquisition of One Rail by Aurizon, after accepting a court-enforceable undertaking from Aurizon to divest One Rail’s east coast business.

Without the divestment of One Rail’s east coast business, the ACCC considered that the proposed acquisition would reduce the number of main competitors in the supply of coal haulage in New South Wales and Queensland from three to two, likely resulting in higher prices or decreased service levels.

Aurizon and One Rail both supply rail haulage services for coal in NSW and Queensland and are the two of the three main suppliers of coal haulage in these states, along with Pacific National.

Aurizon is the largest supplier of coal haulage in Queensland, and the second largest in NSW. One Rail is a well-established third supplier in NSW and has recently emerged as a third competitor in Queensland that is having a significant impact.

Aurizon offered a proposed undertaking to the ACCC early in the process to divest One Rail’s east coast business, which includes its coal haulage operations in NSW and Queensland. The undertaking allows Aurizon to sell the business either by a trade sale or demerging it as a new separate ASX-listed entity.

ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said the

three main suppliers of coal haulage in NSW and Queensland.

“The ACCC also considered the impact of the proposed acquisition on competition in one or more regional markets for the supply of rail haulage services for bulk commodities, other than coal,” she said.

“We are also satisfied that the divestment of One Rail’s east coast business would preserve it as a potential competitor to Aurizon for the supply of non-coal bulk rail haulage in the future, and Aurizon would continue to be constrained by a number of existing bulk rail haulage competitors.”

Following the acquisition, Aurizon will retain One Rail’s bulk haulage operations and rail network assets in South Australia and the Northern Territory.

One Rail’s ownership of rail networks in SA and the NT allow it to continue to favour One Rail’s bulk rail haulage services to the detriment of competitors, as well as the ability of the regulation in place to adequately address the competitive impact of vertical integration in these regions.

“Our merger assessment is limited to competition effects that are the result of the proposed acquisition and cannot address concerns with the existing rail industry or its regulation,” Cass-Gottlieb said.

“We are however satisfied that the transaction does not result in Aurizon having a greater ability and incentive than One Rail currently does, to prevent or impede a rival rail operator from competing on the SA and the NT networks.”

Climate action report puts sustainability in its place

Sydney’s Parramatta Light Rail project has been used as an example of how infrastructure can be used to achieve net zero targets through place-based solutions.

In essence, the approach incorporates the transport habits of each region or city where sustainable construction methods are employed, which in turn support broader benefits to the local community.

The Place-based Approach to Net-zero report, written by the Infrastructure Sustainability Council and consultants Mott MacDonald, highlights the method which focuses on climate action in actual locations, rather than just assets and materials.

Mott MacDonald environment and sustainability technical director Cathy Chesson said the report was inspired by similar action taken in the United Kingdom.

“It’s putting a systematic approach to decarbonisation of cities and regions, rather than

thinking about individual infrastructure assets or projects,” Chesson said.

Mott MacDonald Australia Precincts lead Marianna Southwick said the challenges of urbanisation and the need for climate action were common to all countries.

“The place-based framework in the original report is robust and applicable to multiple different places, enabling a targeted response to the challenges of each location,” she said.

She said the Parramatta Light Rail Project’s use of green track, which involves planting grass or groundcovers between and beside the light rail tracks, was a good example.

The laying of 1.3 kilometres of the vegetation will result in 81 per cent less concrete, reduced carbon, reduced urban heat, improved dust filtering, reduced stormwater and enhanced natural habitat. Plus, the benefits will extend to localised social and community outcomes.

Creating and connecting communities was a

key goal for the Parramatta Light Rail. Use of the green track and overhead wire-free technology though heritage parklands and reserves, ensures the light rail will seamlessly pass through valuable green spaces, rather than acting as a major infrastructure barrier.

Optimising local green space connections will further contribute to health and wellbeing benefits, protect heritage values, and support increased community participation.

“It’s very encouraging that all tiers of government, industry, business and communities are coming together to resolve how we can work together to optimise outcomes,” Southwick said.

“We’re at an important point politically regarding the net zero conversation, and I think this report is well timed for Australia.

“A place-based approach enables more effective cross sector solutions, working more effectively across jurisdictions, and mobilising local community engagement.”

Aurizon will retain One Rail’s bulk haulage operations in SA and the NT.

Project generates grain supply chain data

The Victorian Government is investing in a major new study to help keep the grain supply chain moving well into the future.

Funding of $125,000 has been provided for the Western Victoria Grain Industry Supply Chain Study to identify changes to production and the volume of grain likely to be harvested and transported over the next 25 years.

It will also assist in freight industry efficiencies and improve the competitiveness of the grain industry.

The SouthWest Victoria Alliance will deliver the project, along with local government, industry and input from the Department of Transport.

Modelled on the successful Dairy Supply Chain Study undertaken in 2018, the assessment will also generate valuable, essential information and technical insight to plan for and manage the future needs of the state’s road and rail freight network.

The role of rail in the grain industry supply chain will be considered, along with opportunities to increase its share in the freight task.

Existing grain silos will also be mapped and examined while optimal locations for new ones will be identified together with

sites that could benefit from additional intermodal hubs.

Other areas of focus will include projected routes, such as the transporting of grain from farms to grain receival centres, as well as viewing the supply chains from processing and manufacturing facilities to key export gateways.

The Victorian Government’s investment

Flexible Local Transport Solutions Program, which supports evidence-based transport and freight studies that aim to inform investment decisions leading to the more efficient movement of freight at local levels.

The remainder of funding for the project will come from Great South Coast, Wimmera Southern Mallee and Central Highlands Regional partnerships and associated Local Government Authorities in the region.

Safer tram stops with recycled kerbing

New separation kerbing made from world-first polymer concrete that includes recycled glass from old tram windows and windscreens will be used in the latest upgrades at key tram stops in central Melbourne.

The State Government has worked with Victoria-based business Orca Products to supply five kilometres of raised kerbing as part of upgrades on Latrobe, Flinders, Swanston, Spring, Market and Spencer Streets in Melbourne.

The specially made kerbing will be installed between the tram tracks and the closest traffic lane and will help prevent dozens of near-misses and crashes on Melbourne’s tram network each year.

The project will be delivered during night works between August and November, with work sites moving progressively, in sections along each of the routes.

This latest round of separation kerbing follows the installation on Collins, Bourke and Elizabeth Streets last year, which reduced

The kerbing made of the new polymer.

vehicle to tram collisions by 30 per cent in the city.

The kerbing used as part of this upgrade contains up to 80 per cent recycled glass. Orca has used more than 2000 tonnes of recycled glass to create kerbing and bike lane safety products, preventing it from going to landfill.

Orca employs 30 Victorians in Laverton and Lara. It had been based in China, but moved to Australia in 2014. It partners with a Ballaratbased engineering company that produces moulds used to create the kerbing, resulting in more cost-effective and higher quality product.

Public Transport minister Ben Carroll said the state was using more recycled products in transport projects than ever before.

“Whether it’s recycled rubber in our road maintenance works or recycled glass kerbing to make Melbourne’s tram network safer, we’re looking for more sustainable ways to deliver improvements to our networks,” he said.

Alan Travers from Orca Civil Products said the company had worked with Deakin University over four years to develop the recycled glass kerbing product, which involved rigorous testing and trialling before it went into the market.

Read our feature on RECYCLABLES IN RAIL: pages 25-43.

The study will look into the role of rail in grain freight.

LEADING THE WAY TO GREENER AND SMARTER MOBILITY IN AUSTRALIA

Historic return to rail on the Bendigo line

Trains are once again traveling to and from the northern Victorian towns of Huntly and Raywood, following the opening of two brand-new stations.

The first train arrived at Huntly Station in July after a 68-year absence, while trains returned to Raywood the day after for the first time in more than 40 years.

The booming towns are now better connected to the rail network, including Goornong Station, which opened in December 2021 after almost 43 years without train services.

Community celebrations were held to mark the opening of the new stations – delivered ahead of schedule as part of the State Government’s $49.6 million investment in Bendigo Metro 3.

As part of a revised timetable, 18 services a week will now stop at Huntly Station on the Echuca Line and 28 services a week will stop at Raywood Station on the Swan Hill Line.

Finishing touches completed at Huntly and Raywood in the past month include installing platform handrails and fencing, line-marking, landscaping, and site clean-up works.

Work to improve rail services in the region is continuing as part of the Bendigo and Echuca Line Upgrade, with more than 12,000 sleepers replaced in June to improve the tracks between Goornong and Rochester.

Trenching and pipe installation to enable improvements to train detection technology at 10 level crossings between Bendigo and

Eaglehawk stations also took place while trains were not running due to Sunbury Line Upgrade works.

Timetables for the new stations are now available at vline.com.au, ptv.vic.gov.au and the PTV journey planner app.

Transport Infrastructure minister Jacinta Allan said decades after trains last departed Huntly and Raywood, the services have been brought back to the growing communities.

“Thanks to our huge investment in Victoria’s rail network, kids growing up in Huntly and Raywood will be able to hop on a train at their local station and get to Bendigo, Melbourne and, via Melbourne Airport Rail, the rest of the world,” she said.

Crossings going, going, gone at Glen Huntly

Victorian Level Crossing Removal project crews worked around the clock over eight days in July in preparation to remove two dangerous and congested level crossings at Neerim Road and Glen Huntly Road, with a new station planned in 2023, to be named Glenhuntly.

While buses replaced trains on sections of the Frankston Line, crucial works were completed including extensive piling along the rail corridor.

Piling will create strong and stable foundations ahead of digging a 1km walled trench next year to lower the Frankston Line under the two roads.

In total, around 3000 piles will be installed to a depth of up to 18 metres along the rail corridor.

At Neerim Road, two cranes were used to

concrete beam, which will form part of the new road connection above the lowered line.

For now, the beam has been installed under the rail line, but once the soil has been dug out from underneath, the beam will end up positioned above the new rail trench.

Along Royal Avenue, 15 Canary Island Date Palms were temporarily replaced. The palms were lifted out of the ground using a crane and the root balls were carefully wrapped in hessian and plastic.

Once loaded on the back of a truck, the palms were driven to a specialist nursery at Keysborough where they will be temporarily planted and cared for, before being returned to Glen Huntly after major works are completed.

On platform 3, crews also demolished part of the station building and the platform, paving the way for the new Glenhuntly Station.

It will feature a vibrant forecourt with landscaping and seating, leading to a new tram stop in front of the station to make it easier for commuters to connect to tram and train services.

Installation of a 20-metre-long service beam that will form part of the new Neerim Road connection above the lowered line.

Removing the Neerim Road and Glen Huntly Road level crossings will reduce delays for drivers at Glen Huntly, as the boom gates can be down for almost 60 per cent of the morning peak, as up to 40 trains run through the two crossings.

Since 2016, 12 near-misses have been recorded at the Glen Huntly Road level crossing and 10 of those have involved pedestrians.

The Glen Huntly Road level crossing is used by both trams and vehicles and features one of the last remaining tram squares in Melbourne.

It makes it one of the city’s most dangerous level crossings as the manually operated crossing requires more than 200 trains passing through each day to travel at very slow speeds – causing huge delays for trams.

Other project features include stairs and lifts down to the station platforms, new car parking including six disability bays and three kiss-and-ride bays, secure bike cages, lighting and CCTV cameras throughout the precinct and a pedestrian and cycle path connecting Ormond and Caulfield.

A new pocket park will also open 700 square meters of land next to the rail line on Neerim Road, featuring shady trees and seating for the community to enjoy.

Once the boom gates are gone at Glen Huntly in 2023, the line will be level crossing free between Flinders Street and Moorabbin Station improving safety, reducing congestion and allowing more trains to run more often.

The works have been fast-tracked, with the job done in 2024 — a year ahead of schedule.

The Victorian Government is investing $4 billion in the Frankston Line to remove 20 level crossings and build 13 new stations by 2025 – with 16 level crossings already gone and 11 new stations opened.

Two more level crossings are being removed at Warrigal Road, Mentone and Parkers Road, Parkdale and a new Parkdale Station will be built by 2025.

Installation of a service beam that will form part of the new Neerim Road connection.

Open space designs win architecture plaudits

Two Level Crossing Removal projects have been recognised for their outstanding open spaces at Victoria’s Landscape Architecture Awards.

The dangerous and congested Toorak Road level crossing was removed via a rail bridge in 2020, which created new open space for public cycling and walking paths and 37,000 trees, shrubs and plants.

The project topped the architecture body’s infrastructure category for its design, which

includes a playground at Tooronga Park with fitness and play equipment, shaded garden elements, and a safer pedestrian and cycling route across Toorak Road.

Designed by ASPECT Studios, the project also used perforated green screens to partially shield trains from view and a vegetation buffer along Talbot Crescent to screen a retaining wall.

The judging panel said the elevated rail

design at Toorak Road had managed to elegantly resolve transport and infrastructure requirements alongside community spaces and the natural environment.

“The jury recognises both the leadership and care taken by the design team to support the creation of new useful landscape spaces, improvements to active transport connections and positive contributions to the site’s biodiversity,” the panel said.

In Melbourne’s northern suburbs, the Bell to Moreland project involved the removal of four level crossings from Brunswick and Coburg in 2020, by building a 2.5km section of elevated rail, with two new stations at Coburg and Moreland.

A section of the Upfield Shared Use Path was upgraded, and brand-new community open spaces created, including half basketball courts, table tennis tables, skate and parkour areas, playgrounds, exercise equipment and a dog park.

Tract landscape architects took home the Infrastructure Award of Excellence for their work on the project, with the judging panel particularly impressed with the urban renewal of the area.

“We commend the design team in seeing the successful transformation from an ageing rail line to a colourful and connected community asset,” the panel said.

New puff of life for signalling equipment

A range of railway equipment from the former Clyde Road level crossing in Berwick has been given to the Puffing Billy steam railway, fasttracking upgrade works at the popular tourist attraction in Melbourne’s Dandenong Ranges.

The donated equipment includes railway signalling parts, such as boom masts, from the former level crossing at Clyde Road, and will be used to upgrade the signalling at the Lakeside level crossing on the Belgrave to Gembrook line.

The crossing does not currently have any boom gates installed, so the installation of boom masts and motors will facilitate the attachment of new boom gates, effectively upgrading the crossing and improving safety.

Puffing Billy Signals and Telegraphs Manager, Andrew Wheatland, has been volunteering at the railway for 52 years and said the donated equipment would expedite upgrade works.

“We’re so grateful to receive this donation – as we rely on ticket sales to fund upgrades, this gift means we’re able to accelerate our upgrade works at Puffing Billy and make our railway safer,” he said.

Passengers travelling through the Lakeside level crossing towards Gembrook will be able to view the new equipment, once it is installed next year.

Level Crossing Removal Project Program Director Andrew Pepplinkhouse said seeing railway assets being repurposed was satisfying.

“It’s fantastic that railway assets used in metropolitan Melbourne can be given a new lease of life at this heritage railway, which brings joy to over 400,000 passengers a year,” he said.

The full list of donated equipment from the Clyde Road level crossing includes pedestrian gates, signalling location cases, boom masts

and motors, flashing lights and cross arms, and pedestrian lighting.

The Level Crossing Removal Project removed the dangerous and congested level crossing at Clyde Road, Berwick in February 2022 by building a road underpass beneath the rail line.

As part of the project, an upgraded bus interchange is being built at Berwick Station, as well as walking and bike riding connections.

The Puffing Billy railway was built in 1910 to serve the local communities that live in the Dandenong Ranges and is now the world’s largest volunteer-based heritage steam railway tourist attraction. Puffing Billy recently unveiled a new visitor’s centre at Lakeside Station, which opened in November 2021.

The tourist attraction relies on revenue from ticket sales to fund operations and is always on the lookout for new volunteers to join its 300-strong team.

The Bell to Moreland project playground.

Suburban Rail Loop and Panku see eye-to-eye

As part of the Victorian Government’s support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, workers on Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) East sites will be supplied prescription safety glasses from Melbourne-based, Indigenous-owned distributor Panku Safety Solutions.

With a name meaning ‘united, together’ in the Nyiyaparli language of the Pilbara region in Western Australia, Panku has been in the industry for 25 years.

As well as supplying the glasses, Panku also gives workers on SRL East sites access to optometrists for eye tests, or the option to have existing prescriptions fitted.

SRL East from Cheltenham to Box Hill is expected to provide a massive pipeline

of opportunities for the next generation of Victorians, and outstanding opportunities for Victorian businesses and workers to be involved in this city-shaping project.

Construction is now underway, creating up to 8000 direct local jobs, and offering opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through the Government’s Barring Djinang program – a five-year Indigenous employment strategy designed to support and enhance the career development of Aboriginal employees.

During initial and early works for SRL East, around 14 per cent of the total hours will be undertaken by Victorian apprentices, trainees

Sun shines on Yarra Trams network

Yarra Trams has flicked the switch on nearly 100 kilowatts of solar panels recently installed on the roof of its Southbank Depot, the first of seven tram facilities to have renewables installed on-site.

The 200-panel array will help power ongoing depot operations, as well as feed into the network when excess power is produced.

Installed with funding support from the Victorian Government’s Greener Government Buildings program, the seven depots will collectively produce more than 550 megawatt hours of power annually, that will help power depot operations and keep the network running. In total the new solar panels are expected to cut CO2 emissions by up to 350 tonnes and save approximately $370,000 on energy costs each year.

Yarra Trams is also installing skylights and energy efficient LED lighting in five depots across the network, a move that is expected to reduce emissions by a further 700 tonnes a year. The remaining solar panels and LED lights are expected to be installed in coming months.

Already one of the most sustainable and efficient ways to get around Melbourne, the network will be made even more environmentally friendly with these solar panels, which will reduce the overall draw on the power grid.

The average single-occupancy Victorian car produces more than 240 grams of CO2 emissions per person per kilometre travelled, while trams produce about 20 grams, all while reducing traffic congestion on Melbourne’s road network.

This is not Yarra Trams’ nor the Victorian

Government’s first investment in renewable power for the tram network, with all of Melbourne’s trams powered by electricity fully offset by solar-generated power produced by two solar farms in the state’s north.

Yarra Trams, owned by Keolis Downer, is the world’s largest tram network, with 1400 drivers operating about 500 trams across more than 250km of double track through Melbourne’s streets.

The organisation is currently recruiting more than 150 new tram drivers over the course of 2022, and people who are interested in exploring a change of career, or re-joining the workforce, are encouraged to visit Yarra Trams’ careers webpage.

Public Transport minister Ben Carroll said

Aboriginal and disadvantaged Victorians –contributing to the next generation of highly skilled workers.

The first subcontractor employed on the construction of SRL East, Wamarra, has worked on several Victoria’s Big Build projects, and provides long term employment for Aboriginal Victorians.

As part of ground investigations, members of Wurundjeri Council have also been involved in important archaeological examinations, searching for signs of Aboriginal artefacts and items of cultural heritage.

Trains will be running on SRL East by 2035, with a trip from Cheltenham to Box Hill taking

tram travel was already one of the most sustainable ways to travel.

“We’re continually looking for opportunities to make our transport networks more sustainable,” he said.

“These panels have been made possible through our Greener Government Buildings Program, slashing C02 emissions significantly and helping to power Melbourne’s tram system.”

Yarra Trams chief executive officer Julien Dehornoy said working with the Government to install hundreds of solar panels on the depots was a natural next step after the 2019 agreement to offset the power required by all our trams with solar generated power.

“We’re incredibly proud to have solar depots housing our solar trams,” he said.

Yarra Trams chief executive officer Julien Dehornoy amid the solar panels.

Sydney Metro reinforces commitment to deliver

Sydney Metro has released an update to its corporate plan for 2022-24, a three-year program outlining the organisation’s strategic direction and alignment to government priorities and objectives.

It refreshes the Sydney Metro Board’s strategic direction and intention for the transport project that was set in July 2021, demonstrating alignment of NSW Government and Transport for NSW strategies and plans into a single strategic vision for the business.

The plan helps convey to the public and stakeholders how the organisation intends to work towards achieving the NSW Government’s priorities and objectives by outlining the focus areas, high-level budget, and measures of success.

Sydney Metro chief executive Peter Regan said the Government agency was tasked with delivering a high-capacity, high-frequency metro network across the Greater Sydney region.

“Its role is to plan, build, operate and optimise metro serices and create vibrant and attractive precincts and places, contributing to an integrated public transport network that focuses on customer and community outcomes,” he said.

“Sydney Metro’s strategic objectives and key areas of focus set out in this update support the creation of enduring value for our customers, communities and our state, in the current operating environment.

“They underpin our statutory objectives, describe the way we strive to fulfil our legislative mandate, and respond to the risks and opportunities in the near-term.

“The lead-up to 2024 is a truly exciting time for our organisation, as we get ready to launch services on the Sydney Metro City & Southwest, which will extend from the north west, under Sydney Harbour through the central business district and on to Bankstown.

“At the same time, construction continues on our two other mega projects at Sydney Metro West and Sydney Metro–Western Sydney Airport.”

The document outlines five key targets:

• Delivery commitments

“We will deliver high quality Metro infrastructure and places – safely, on time and on budget.”

• Successful engagement

“We will collaborate with our communities and our partners to drive sustainable, cityshaping transformation.”

• Operational excellence

“We will work with partners, keeping customers at the centre of everything we do, to deliver a world-class, integrated metro.”

• Financial responsibility

“Our unique role means we constantly strive for excellence to achieve world-class results in customer satisfaction, and to guarantee the safety and security of our systems, stations and day-to-day operation of the network.”

The strategic focus for 2023–2024 involves:

• Partnering for high performance, achieving all operational performance targets and maintaining high levels of customer service, with positive customer, government and local community sentiment.

• Achieving timely and vibrant activation of all precincts, in line with integrated transport and land use vision.

• Assuring operational readiness of transitioning to the Sydney Metro City & Southwest project from delivery to operation.

• Safeguarding the physical and cyber security of the networks.

“Our financial and commercial focus will drive value-formoney outcomes, and overall business success.”

• Organisational capability

“ We will attract, nurture and develop a talented, diverse and innovative workforce who are enabled by fit-for-purpose systems and processes, and highly capable delivery partners.”

Regan said excelling in operations hinged on delivering integrated metro services to a worldclass standard, as well as working collaboratively to plan future metro corridors.

“Our high-frequency turn-up-and-go service will continue to be designed, delivered and operated around the needs of our customers and communities,” he said.

“The development of activated and vibrant precincts and places that surround our stations further enhances the customer experience of our operations. We are committed to delivering multi-modal integration of transport services and being data-driven to gain a deeper understanding of the needs of our current and future customers.

“We need to be prepared to innovate and respond to changing expectations to understand which aspects of mobility our customers value over time. Readying ourselves, our partners and the community for commencement of passenger services on the future Metro City & Southwest Line is of paramount importance for Sydney Metro.

“We remain guardians of our customer outcomes by working closely with our operating partner to maintain a level of high performance across our expanding networks.

“Sydney Metro has evolved significantly, with one metro line in operation and three lines in delivery,” Regan said.

“By the end of the decade there will be four metro lines in operation across Sydney.

“Sydney Metro will meet the growth of our delivery portfolio and operations with the appropriate organisational capacity and capability – with a deliberate focus on our people and their wellbeing, and our technology, systems and processes.”

Regan said safety and wellbeing was a core value and Sydney Metro is committed to creating and maintaining a healthy and safe work environment.

“We believe that today’s people are central to tomorrow’s outcomes. Our long-term goal focuses on creating an environment where our people feel cared for and valued.,” he said.

“Our health and wellbeing plan enables access to the support that people need to maintain and improve their own mental, physical, social health and wellbeing, and support the wellbeing of their colleagues.

“We must also attract and retain capable team members and delivery partners, embrace inclusivity and diversity outcomes, and remain committed to growing industry capacity to deliver on our commitments to transport and the expectations of the NSW Government.

“At an enterprise level, we will uplift our technology, systems and approach to support strategic workforce planning, resource management and team mobility.

“By virtue of the NSW Government’s investment, Sydney Metro also has an opportunity to positively influence the broader workforce development of our state.”

The plan pledges high quality infrastructure and work practices.

sound protection

New STRAILastic_mSW 730

mini soundprotection wall with high absorbing surface

The new version of the STRAILastic_mSW adds a higher wall to the product range. This version is used for train speeds of up to 120 km/h.

Due to the higher design, it gains even more e ect in the area of the wheel.

STRAILastic_mSW 730 is fastened to both rails with an insulated, decoupled substructure or directly in the subsoil using ground screws.

STRAILastic_mSW 730 > mini goes maxi.

Benefits at a glance

¬ No foundation required for installation

¬ easy and quick installation

¬ Short delivery times > noise hot spots can be supplied with products quickly

¬ Closer to the noise source than any other sound protection

¬ Break-proof due to bre-reinforced rubber compound with a cover layer of virgin rubber > UV and ozone resistant

¬ No material fatigue caused by vibrations or pressure and suction forces

¬ No problems with oversized loads

1. STRAILastic_mSW 730 new version of the mini sound protection wall

2. STRAILastic_IP the infill panel

3. STRAILastic_mSW the established mini sound protection wall

4. STRAILastic_A inox 2.0 rail dampers

Housing secured for Inland Rail N2N employees

Inland Rail has agreed to sign long-term leases on new homes for the usage of employees working on the Narromine to Narrabri (N2N) section of the network.

These long-term agreements have given Gilgandra Shire Council (GSC) the financial assurance they required to spend about $5 million on the construction of the new houses.

When Inland Rail construction has finished in the region the homes - to be situated in Aero Park, a largely undeveloped residential subdivision on the western fringe of townwill be made available for purchase or rental by local residents, with a particular focus on attraction of skilled workers for essential services and local business.

The housing project comes at an opportune time for the GSC region, as there is currently extremely low housing vacancy in the GSC area, and it is hoped that in the future these houses will assist in attracting people to work and live in the region.

Given the shortage of available local housing, Inland Rail did not want to take much needed existing housing stock for its own employees when they move into the area.

Inland Rail interim chief executive Rebecca Pickering said it was exciting to see the GSC vision come to fruition in partnership with ARTC Inland Rail for this housing development.

“Our commitment to long-term leases will

The housing development will leave a strong legacy for Inland Rail in the Gilgandra district.

ease the burden on the Gilgandra community for the project’s accommodation requirements,” she said.

“Once these homes are completed and Inland Rail construction completed, they will be utilised to attract other critical workers to Gilgandra.

“Gilgandra is strategically located between two civil works packages, and this housing development will leave a strong legacy for Inland Rail in the district.

“The GSC should be complimented on leading this initiative to capture an additional legacy from the Inland Rail project for their community.”

GSC mayor Doug Batten said for several years, council had the vision of Gilgandra being a significant construction hub for Inland Rail.

“Housing availability is already an issue in the community and increasing the housing stock reduces the competition with locals,” he said.

“There are numerous well documented examples around the country where locals struggle to get housing when these major projects enter the community, and their arrival has not been planned.

“The project shows both ARTC Inland Rail understand this and are committed to partnering with Council to mitigate this situation.”

$40 million South Coast Line upgrade complete

The New South Wales Government has completed a $40 million rail upgrade to 13 kilometres of track on the South Coast Line, allowing bigger freight movements and providing a major boost to the region’s economy.

Regional Transport and Roads minister Sam Farraway said the enhancements would play a significant role in ensuring more freight can be transported by rail in NSW.

“The NSW Government is securing a brighter future for NSW families. We are achieving this by building infrastructure that increase productivity around the state to ensure people have their goods and services sooner,” he said.

“Rail freight is the most sustainable and cost-effective way to transport large quantities over long distances – one 600-metre-long train can carry the equivalent load of more than 54 trucks and enough wheat to make more than 250,000 loaves of bread.

“With growing freight demand along the South Coast rail line, being able to increase capacity will make a significant difference, allowing users to reach markets quickly and efficiently.

“Thanks to this upgrade, it is anticipated an additional 350,000 tonnes of rail freight will be moved along the South Coast Line each year, which will provide a welcome boost to the local economy.”

Australian-owned agribusiness Manildra Group, which employs 1000 people and sends its homegrown products to every continent, is one of the many businesses which will benefit from the rail line upgrade.

Manildra Group National Transport and Logistics Manager Mark Ownes said the track upgrade to 25t axle loading between Berry to Bomaderry, and the tunnels between Kiama and Berry, allowed the company to

operate heavier and longer rail services through the network.

“This ultimately means we can meet both our current and future growth targets for both inbound raw materials to our Bomaderry facility and for our export freight to the Port of Botany to meet the export market, which benefits both regional employment and the NSW trade and economy,” he said.

Parliamentary Secretary for Wollongong and Illawarra, Peter Poulos, said the Government is improving NSW’s supply chain network so communities can get the goods and services they want when they need it most.

“Since 2011, $5.15 billion has been committed to upgrading the Princes Highway from Albion Park to the Victorian border,” he said.

Larger freight trains began operating on the South Coast Line in July.

Railway supporters in arms over rail trail bill

Shackles have been raised over a bill aimed at building rail trails on non-operational rail corridors in regional New South Wales.

Introduced by Regional Transport and Roads minister Sam Farraway, it seeks to amend the Transport Administration Act 1988 to enable the regulations to authorise the use of disused railway lines for certain purposes.

In his second reading speech, Farraway explained that the bill would create more streamlined processes for the creation of rail trails and new road and road infrastructure projects that cross disused rail lines, including those that provide access to special activation precincts.

The proposed amendment introduces a legislation that allows the minister to authorise the temporary re-purposing of all or part of a non-operational railway corridor in non-metropolitan areas. It also enables the minister to remove tracks and other works from unused corridors required for transport infrastructure proposals.

The bill said the benefit of making regulation-making powers would support a quicker approval process, while allowing Parliament to retain oversight of all temporary uses of rail lines.

But the Northern Railway Defenders Forum said the bill gave preferential treatment to two forms of transport: road and cycling.

Spokesman Siri Gamage said it did not

make it clear what the government’s approach would be towards rail transport, even for recreational and tourism purposes.

“Will it negatively impact on private and community-oriented rail initiatives, for example, tourist trains or freight?” he said.

“The government’s attitude to passenger rail in non-metropolitan areas on unused rail lines is also unclear.

“A Transport Amendment Bill that is

designed to protect rail lines and corridors cannot discriminate one form of transport over others.”

Gamage said by contrast, the Victorian government is spending more than $4 billion for regional rail renewal.

“Are we going backwards in NSW when it comes to regional rail services?” he said.

“Once permanent and semi-permanent infrastructure is built on non-operational rail corridors, it will be hard to argue that they be demolished to re-open rail lines for freight, passengers or tourism.

“We hope the MPs and MLCs in opposition, cross benches and independents will read the bill carefully, defeat or amend it significantly and indeed refer it to an inquiry so that the people in the regions can send submissions.”

Another pro-rail organisation, the Northern Rivers Railway Action Group, said the Northern Rivers region had a high proportion of elderly and disabled, people on benefits, indigenous people, students and backpacker tourists.

It said business-people and workers travelling to and from their jobs also require commuter rail services, with the lack of public transport causing inconvenience and more cost to many, and suffering to the most vulnerable groups in the community.

Objectors say once a corridor is used for recreational purposes, it will be difficult to re-use for rail.

It also highlighted rail services on the Casino to Murwillumbah rail line as having lessened the impact of climate change.

Derailment sparks braking system warning

A Safety Advisory Notice has been issued to all rolling stock operators as part of an ongoing investigation by the Office of Transport Safety Investigations (OTSI) into the derailment of a grain train near Wollongong.

The Notice has arisen from the assessment being carried out by OTSI on behalf of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) into the incident, which involved a loaded grain train on the 1-in-30 grade rail line between Robertson and Unanderra, New South Wales, on December 15, 2020.

During the descent, the train driver lost control of the train.

As the train continued to increase speed, the driver did not apply the emergency brake, believing an emergency application of the air brake would disengage the dynamic brake. Dynamic braking is the use of an electric traction

motor as a generator when slowing a vehicle such as an electric or diesel-electric locomotive.

The ATSB identified that the locomotives involved had an electronic braking system that allowed the dynamic brake to remain active while the emergency brake was applied.

This feature was unknown to the operator and the train driver.

Had the driver been fully aware of the braking functionality, it is likely they would have applied the emergency brake which may have slowed the runaway train and lowered the risk of derailment.

The ATSB identified similar functional changes on locomotive braking systems more broadly across industry that were also unknown to rolling stock operators.

Importantly, dynamic brake functionality is not consistent across all locomotives with electronic braking systems.

While some locomotives will disengage the dynamic brake when an emergency brake application is made, in other locomotives the dynamic brake remains functional.

OTSI Chief Investigator Dr Natalie Pelham said the advisory instructed all rail operators to review specifications and test locomotives under their control to understand how the braking systems are configured.

“Operators must have a complete understanding of the operation of their locomotives,” she said. “Identifying safety critical information from technical specifications and testing locomotive operations must be completed and used to inform the organisation’s procedural and training material.”

OTSI conducts rail investigations in NSW on behalf of the ATSB under the Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003.

Western Australia

Prefabs sprout all over METRONET stations

With 22 new stations being built across Western Australia’s METRONET Program, various materials are being prefabricated offsite to save time and support local manufacturers.

Prefabricated platform walls, noise wall panels, bridge beams and lift shafts are being delivered by local Western Australian suppliers like Humes, Permacast, Delta Corporation, BGC and Vertex Facades, who are all playing a huge role in shaping each project.

On the METRONET Yanchep Rail Extension Project, more than 150 platform walls have been poured offsite and close to 500 structural planks for station concourses are ready to be delivered and pieced together at the future Alkimos Station.

Lift shafts and escalator pits are also in the prefabrication production pipeline and will be installed as station structures progress.

Prefabrication is also centre stage on the METRONET Thornlie-Cockburn Link Project.

More than 660 noise wall panels are being poured at BGC’s precast yard in Kwinana while works continue onsite in Thornlie.

With around 1425 cubic metres of concrete

Western Australian suppliers are all playing a huge role in shaping each project.

of works for the surrounding community.

For the METRONET New Bayswater Station Project, prefabrication is helping achieve significant project milestones such as manufacturing 2600 square metres of aluminum cladding for the station’s rail-overroad bridges.

200m and complements the design of the new bridge piers.

Supporting local manufacturers across the program of works forms part of the METRONET Sustainability Strategy to provide economic opportunities through procurement for local and Aboriginal businesses.

Array of abundant art dazzles at Kelmscott

An array of public art has popped up in the Kelmscott Station Plaza in Perth, in a nod to the nearby Darling Ranges, the local flora and fauna, and Noongar language and culture.

Patterned pavers, terrazzo sculptures and colourful metallic leaves installed in the Plaza and Davis Road underpass are brightening up the area and celebrating what is unique about

to the natural environment and waterways that extend from the Darling Ranges.

When driving past, the leaves offer a splash of shape and colour but when walking past, pedestrians will discover detailed engravings on each leaf of local plants, animals and the Noongar place name for Kelmscott, Goolamu, meaning ‘the place of

Kelmscott, with the patterns taken from doilies hand-crafted by local textile artists Mo Woltersdorf and Aggie K Azzam.

Adding to this are 23 animal sculptures made from concrete and stone from the Darling Scarp. Playfully positioned on seating in the plaza, the sculptures create a family-friendly public space around Kelmscott Station.

The works are an example of how the METRONET Public Art Strategy is creating a distinctive identity for each project area, delivering enjoyable environments for local communities and creating opportunities for both emerging and established local artists.

The initiative has been developed to guide the delivery of public art across the METRONET program and draws inspiration from and responds to Perth’s Aboriginal and local culture, history, landscape and place.

This display represents flora and fauna in coloured terrazzo.

The program-wide approach supports the creation of a distinctive identity for station buildings and transport infrastructure, and contribute to the station environment, structures and precincts around them, becoming stimulating and enjoyable environments for the community.

• Proven Performance - installed in 20 countries and has numerous international network approval certificates including Network Rail and Deutsche Bahn

• Outstanding Value - After 50 years, it can be mechanically shredded and easily recycled into a new Sicut sleeper, allowing for a further 50 year service period.

• The Environment - Sicut delivers substantial saving in embodied carbon compared to wood, concrete and steel.

• Tamper damage resistant, termite proof, waterproof, UV and chemical resistant.

• Handled and installed in the same manner as timber sleepers.

• No electrical conductivity risk (no internal steel reinforcement).

Tel: +61 (0) 422 07 1234 email: uga.enquiries@unipart.com

Railway tracks keep low profile in Brisbane

Rail tracks are lying deep underneath Brisbane for the first time in the city’s history, after the first section of rail was installed in Cross River Rail (CRR)’s twin tunnels.

Installation commenced from just south of the future Albert Street station, and is headed towards the Brisbane River and future Woolloongabba station.

Currently progressing at around 50-100 metres a day, the 40-strong track installation crew will fit out the project’s 5.9-kilometre twin tunnels with around 25km of rail over the next 10 months, creating Brisbane’s first below-river rail crossing in the process.

Unlike surface tracks where rails are laid on top of sleepers and ballast (or rocks), rail in the tunnels is placed on concrete blocks, which are then embedded into the underlying concrete slab.

While track installation is underway below the CBD, rail has also arrived at the project’s northern tunnel entrance at Bowen Hills, with fit-out set to start there later in the year.

CRR’s Boggo Road site is also a hive of

activity, with thousands of tonnes of concrete and steel being used to build the new underground station.

Around 120 workers are onsite everyday building the new station inside the 27m-deep box and underground cavern.

Crews have so far poured enough concrete to fill six Olympic swimming pools and installed enough steel to outweigh the Eiffel Tower.

Two of the strongest tower cranes in the world – each capable of lifting 330 tonnes at once, or the equivalent of about 47 African elephants – are being used to help move the steel reinforcement into place.

The new Boggo Road station will become South East Queensland’s second busiest interchange when it opens, with almost 23,000 people expected to use the station each weekday.

All up, about 17,000t of concrete (41,000 cubic metres) and 16,000t of steel will be used for the permanent station.

Within the cavern, works are progressing on the back-of-house structure, which is where

mechanical, electrical and service equipment for the new station will be housed.

The two tower cranes on site are the strongest (largest capacity) in the world, capable of lifting 330t each. The station’s 220m-long platforms will be about 19m below surface level.

Queensland ETCS locomotives pass the test

The new world-class signalling technology at the heart of Queensland’s rail revolution has taken a major step forward, with the first phase of testing on South East Queensland’s rail network now complete.

In a Queensland first, a train equipped with European Train Control System (ETCS) technology was successfully tested in Level 2, or under “full

During the tests, newly installed onboard and trackside equipment communicated with each other, and Queensland Rail’s Rail Management Centre, as expected.

The testing provided the team implementing the technology with a wealth of information, and is a massive milestone for rail in SE Queensland.

ETCS will allow trains to be scheduled closer

Transport and Main Roads minister Mark Bailey said the world-class signalling system enables increased capacity on the rail network.

“It means services are more reliable, safer and allows the wider rail network to run more efficiently,” he said.

New technology fitted to test trains include axle sensors that detect the train’s speed and two new touchscreens added to the drivers’ cabin.

“When they’re up and running, the trains will essentially be talking constantly to the rail management centre via a radio system, trackside technology and onboard equipment, allowing the train’s exact position, direction and speed to be known at all times,” Bailey said.

“It means trains can travel closer together more safely and train schedules can be updated automatically, giving commuters more accurate and timely information.”

The technology also ensures trains stop accurately to align with platform screen doors that will be installed at Cross River Rail stations.

In total, a fleet of 64 trains is being fitted with ETCS at Queensland Rail’s Redbank facility over two years under a partnership between Hitachi Rail, Queensland Rail and CRR.

Rail in the tunnels is placed on concrete blocks.

Trains being fitted with ETCS at Redbank.

‘Mammoth’ task undertaken to repair Mt Isa line

Crews have worked tirelessly to open up the Mount Isa line between Nelia and Nonda following the derailment of a third-party freight train.

Queensland Rail Head of Regional Jim Benstead said it had been “a mammoth task”,with the remote location requiring complex planning and logistics with sourcing and deploying the required machinery, materials and resources.

Transport and Main Roads minister Mark Bailey praised the efforts of crews on the ground.

“In just over a week, a crew of more than 100 people worked to have the region’s livestock and resources industries moving again,” he said.

“It was a big job, with over nine kilometres of impacted rail track in need of repair, but I’m pleased to see it safely completed.”

Benstead said machinery and materials were sourced from all over the state.

“From Malbon to Maryborough, we had 4500 sleepers collected and delivered to replace those that were damaged in the incident,” he said.

“This sort of recovery can only happen thanks

to the hard work and dedication of Queensland Rail crews and contractors.

“We stood up a taskforce of more than 100 staff and contractors, and within hours we had all concrete sleepers and more than 10 pieces of machinery including excavators, bobcats and loaders, required for the re-sleepering works.

“Inlander customers travelling between Townsville and Mount Isa were conveyed by road coaches.”

Safety investigators from Queensland Rail and relevant authorities are continuing their examinations into possible causes of the derailment.

Tenants sought for Rockhampton rejuvenation

The rejuvenation of Queensland’s historic Rockhampton railyards took another step forward recently when an Expression of Interest (EOI) to shortlist potential tenants was launched.

The EOI kicked off at an industry briefing and is underpinned by a vision to create a hub for rail supply chain manufacturing right in the heart of Rockhampton.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the EOI would provide a unique opportunity for established manufacturing businesses – or those growing their capability – to be a foundation member of the precinct.

“Our government’s Rail Revolution is delivering jobs all over Queensland and now it’s Rockhampton’s turn,” she said.

“The rejuvenation of the Rockhampton railyards will generate significant local opportunities, driving business growth and jobs.

“Critically, we want the railyards to become part of the supply chain for the Queensland Government’s $7.1 billion Queensland-made Train Manufacturing Program.”

Member for Rockhampton Barry O’Rourke said the government wanted to hear from businesses that can help us achieve the vision of a rail supply chain manufacturing hub.

“The railyards include a variety of unique spaces such as the sheds, warehouses, office space and of course the iconic heritage-listed Roundhouse, a unique structure that can provide a range of opportunities, including hospitality and tourism offerings.

“We also want to hear from or restaurant or micro brewing entrepreneurs who can

respond to criteria which include site activation, connection with the industrial precinct, community benefit and commercial.

“Understanding how industry would like to use the site is the first step. From there we plan to undertake consultation in 2023 to seek feedback on how parts of the precinct can be rejuvenated for broader public use,” he said.

A taskforce of more than 100 Queensland Rail staff and contractors helped with the recovery.

The historic railyard facility.

Recently, when we approached the installation of 88km of new rail, we chose to deliver the rail in 165-metre strings from Port Augusta to the Ararat-Maryborough corridor by train, using less than a quarter of the diesel needed by a fleet of trucks, and cutting greenhouse emissions by a similar magnitude. We estimate that rail delivery has cut carbon dioxide emissions by 679 tonnes, compared to the emissions generated by truck delivery.

A

DIFFERENCE IN EVERY PROJECT

Recyclables in Rail

Improving rail sustainability using recycled materials

A ground-breaking report has been released that aims to make the most of recycled materials within freight rail and infrastructure projects.

The Australasian Centre for Rail Innovation (ACRI) and the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) are aiming to reduce waste and the rail industry’s impact on the environment by informing and upskilling Australasian rail providers about opportunities to use a wide range of recycled material options.

Together with professional services firm Arup, they have researched the use of material including recycled plastic, ballast, concrete, water, rubber, glass and steel, and their context for use in the construction and maintenance of rail infrastructure.

The report hopes to empower the sector to invest in these materials and drive an increase in research, trials, and implementation across rail networks in Australasia.

As Australia experiences unprecedented investment in rail freight and infrastructure projects, the report calls for the industry to seize the opportunity to build our cities’ infrastructure in a more sustainable way, to benefit the future natural environment and our communities.

Australasian Rail Leader at Arup, Alice Reis, said the research highlighted how recycled materials would assist with adopting circular economy principles, which also had applicability to passenger rail.

“I’m excited to see our industry making genuine progress on the journey towards smarter, more sustainable rail,” she said.

“The rail sector is an essential contributor to Australia’s sustainable growth, with freight rail services generating 16 times less carbon pollution than road freight, delivering improved health and safety outcomes.

“In 2018, passenger rail supported more than a billion journeys, playing a crucial role in the daily lives of millions of people – with a single commuter train able to take the equivalent of 578 cars off the road, helping to relieve urban congestion and mitigate lost economic productivity.”

Despite these benefits, the construction of rail infrastructure continues to rely heavily on carbon-intensive materials.

Arup Foresight Consultant James Macken

said delivering the research with ACRI and ARRB was a collaborative effort that brought stakeholders across the rail sector together to unpack the challenges being faced with sustainable material.

Recycled plastics

The report states that in 2017–18, the annual consumption of plastics in Australia was more than 3.4 million tonnes, of which only 9.4 per cent was recycled, with the remainder directed to landfills.

On top of that, only about 46 per cent of recycled plastics were reprocessed in Australia. Utilising plastics as an alternative material in rail infrastructure is expected to encourage recycling and reprocessing.

There are several use cases for recycled plastics in rail infrastructure, which include rail sleepers, noise walls, fencing, signage, decking and drainage applications in pipes and pits.

Recycled plastics also offer significant sustainability benefits when used in rail infrastructure, Macken said.

“Utilising recycled plastics as an alternative to virgin resources supports industry innovation, and more sustainable infrastructure practices in the construction of sleepers, noise walls, and drainage components,” he said.

Using recycled plastics addresses responsible consumption and production by reducing demand for resources such as timber, concrete and steel. Infrastructure made from recycled plastic such as sleepers has the added benefit of being easily recyclable, reducing the impacts of disposal to landfill.

Recycled plastics help to reduce the embodied carbon in rail infrastructure, supporting climate action. For example, concrete and steel materials used in products such as sleepers require at least seven times the amount of energy to produce than sleepers made from recycled plastic.

Unlike most wooden sleepers, recycled plastic sleepers do not require being chemically treated with creosotes, a hazardous substance.

Other benefits include:

• For each kilometre of track using recycled plastic sleepers, more than 54t of plastic waste are diverted from landfill

• Using recycled plastics in sleepers could reduce the embodied carbon to as little as 8.9 per cent of what is produced with concrete and steel sleepers

• Recycled plastic materials have good resistance to chemicals and other forms of corrosion, providing a longer use life. The life span for recycled plastic sleepers is greater than 50 years

• They do not conduct electricity, making them a safer option in accidental electrical exposure

• They are less susceptible to weather, chemicals, insects, and fungi. They require less maintenance than traditional materials

• Recycled plastics have a high rate of material recapture because of their ability to be reground and repurposed

Sleepers being recycled into firewood or mulch.

Recyclables in Rail

Recycled ballast

The report points out that used or degraded rail ballast can be recycled or reused for several applications in the rail sector.

Even when damaged or contaminated, some treatment options can offer more sustainable solutions for reusing ballast rather than disposal. For example, degraded ballast can be mixed with fresh ballast in quantities up to 30 per cent for use as bedding with no impact on ballast performance.

“Recycling non-reusable ballast into an aggregate for concrete used in rail applications, including sleepers, drainage pits and decking, is also an option. Fine ballast generated during cleaning processes can be re-used in surfacing access roads.,” Macken said.

“The primary sustainability benefit of reusing or recycling ballast is reducing the quantity of natural resources extracted to create new ballast.

“Recycling ballast for uses such as an aggregate in concrete reduces the demand for virgin materials in this secondary process. Keeping this material locally and within the same industry has the benefits of reducing emissions from material transport and allowing a quick turnover of the waste ballast materials for new applications for rail.”

Compared to materials such as granite in concrete application, used ballast performs better as an aggregate in providing better strength and resilience to weather erosion.

Recycled concrete

Macken said that concrete represents over half of the total construction and demolition waste in Australia.

Recycling this concrete into a recycled

concrete aggregate (RCA) usually involves crushing and cleaning. RCA is usually composed of about 95 per cent recycled concrete, with the rest being gravel, crushed mortar or cement.

The report states that in Australia, construction uses RCA mostly as coarse or fine aggregates. About 7mt of recycled concrete and masonry are available in Australia each year, and this market is growing.

RCA can replace concrete currently used in rail, including sleepers, platforms, beams, drainage pits and bedding.

Recycling concrete as an aggregate provides significant benefits over virgin sourced materials.

Making recycled concrete aggregate will still involve crushing, washing, and sieving, which consumes energy, but not as much as when processing crushed virgin aggregate, Macken said.

Material providers will often provide design recommendations or have them made available.

Recycled water

Using recycled water in rail construction and operations significantly reduces environmental impact.

Decreasing demand for freshwater supplies is the primary benefit, as well as eliminating the need to transport water long distances.

The pros include resilience to disruptions of freshwater supply by establishing a decentralised source for water; reduced costs of operations by eliminating the use of freshwater supplies; low-cost investment for station or site amenity use.

Supplementary cementing materials

For all concrete applications, rail or other, it is possible to reduce the carbon footprint by using waste materials, or low carbon-intensive alternatives, such as SCM in concrete. Two of these types of materials commonly used are slag and fly ash.

Slag is a by-product of smelting ores and used metals, and fly ash a by-product of coal combustion in power stations. While it’s possible to completely replace the cement with these waste products in concrete applications, legislation does not always support such mixes.

Slag and fly ash have specific standards in Australia and globally. There is a standard for concrete and rail applications specifying what can be blended and the percentage of substitution for recycled SCMs.

It has been used in many applications globally, and there are many case studies available that demonstrate its efficiency and other benefits.

Recycled rubber

Recycled rubber in Australia is often derived from waste truck tyres but can also come from passenger car tyres, mining vehicle tyres, and conveyor belts.

According to the report, estimates showed that in 2019, 465,000t of Australian tyres were reaching their end of life, with an approximate domestic, high-value recycling rate of 14 per cent.

Recycled rubber has been employed as an energy-absorbing material to aid in the stability and longevity of track formations through mitigating ballast degradation.

It has several applications in the rail sector, including geogrids, retaining walls, crumbed rubber as an aggregate, and pads and mats between rail, sleeper and ballast.

Recycled rubber has high dampening properties, reduces noise and vibrations, ballast degradation and impact or damage to track from heavy vehicles.

Products such as geogrids and crumb rubber concrete can help to stabilise rail track substructures by distributing the forces from rolling stock to a larger surface area, helping to improve the life of ballast and reduce ongoing maintenance costs.

Recycled glass

Waste glass has a relatively high recycling rate compared to other waste materials, such as plastics.

But Macken sair not all glass waste types are recyclable, and in most countries, the rate of glass waste recycling can range from 10–60 per cent.

The onus is on every sector to contribute toward regenerating and replenishing damaged ecosystems.

is essential for glass recycling, can be challenging when working with small pieces or glass fines.

Co-mingled recycling with glass also presents issues with contamination. Issues commonly arise when glass and organics like sugar and plastics are mixed.

Because of contamination, significant portions of waste glass are stockpiled or landfilled. In 2016, Australia disposed of more than 570,000t of glass to landfills.

“Recycled glass has many applications in rail but is most used as a coarse or fine aggregate or used to manufacture foams or fibres,” Macken said.

It can be used as a substitute for virgin material aggregates in concrete for rail substructures.

Recycled glass fibres can reinforce some novel composite sleeper products. For example, recycled glass in foam aggregates can be applied as a track embankment fill, crushed recycled glass as a bedding sand replacement and an embedment material for piping and drainage.

Using recycled glass as an alternative to virgin resources is the primary sustainability benefit, reducing the amount of natural resources extracted and energy used.

This waste material reduces stockpiling and the amount of waste sent to landfill.

Legislation bodies enforce strict guidelines

making this a more reliable sustainable material option.

Recycled glass is tested and approved by many authorities globally in several rail applications.

The glass fines and coarse aggregates have broadly available guidelines and approvals from several rail authorities in Australia, while certified products are readily available by a broad range of suppliers.

Recycled steel

The railway industry is one of the largest scrap metal producers in Australia.

The report warns that removal and recycling of used rails and associated services present

controls, especially where rail corridors pass through sensitive areas.

“Steel manufacturing is responsible for around 7 per cent of global emissions. The Australian steel supply chain faces an expensive and technically challenging low carbon transition as currently the only readily available steel in Australia is emissions-intensive blast iron furnace steel,” Macken said.

“Recycling steel reduces the consumption of virgin materials, diverts scrap steel from landfill, and reduces air and water pollution by reducing the need for conventional waste disposal methods.

“It also reduces energy consumption and

Waste glass has a relatively high recycling rate compared to other waste materials.

Used or degraded rail ballast can be recycled or reused for several applications in the rail sector

Recyclables in Rail

Some of the rail contexts in which various recycling options could be applied.

greenhouse gas emissions compared to virgin steel production.

“Scrap steel is regularly collected and recycled in Australia, providing a reliable supply chain.”

Lubricants

Sustainable alternatives for track consumables, such as lubricants, have been explored in the rail industry.

Industrial waste-based lubricant designs typically perform better than diesel oil-based products, with added benefits being lack of environmentally harmful compounds.

Examples of bio-based rail lubricants can

Recycling specialist Access Recycling scrapping a railway wagon.

be found internationally, such as US-based products comprised of vegetable oils and lithium-based thickener.

Other alternatives include using liquid nitrogen coolant in place of lubricants to prevent wear to locomotive wheels.

Designs include compact units developed to expel liquid nitrogen to the contact surface of the wheel using a pipe system.

The primary use for lubricants in rail is of course at the interface between locomotive wheels and the rail.

Lubrication improves the life span of both the wheels and rail assets and reduces the noise of vehicles in transit.

IN CONCLUSION

The report states that each set of materials brings with it disadvantages as well, and the pros and cons of each need to be weighed up before making firm decisions.

The researchers collaborated with stakeholders across the rail sector to understand the current state of recycled material use, the challenges faced and the opportunities these materials unlock for improving the sustainability of the rail sector.

As the uptake of recycled materials increases, promoting increased competition and innovation between providers will be essential, enabling the sector to strive towards greater sustainability outcomes and improved accessibility through reduced costs and broader material applications.

The researchers explain that efficient and local supply chains need to be established to ensure suitable supply for infrastructure needs and allow recyclable materials to be effectively captured and maintained at their greatest value in the circular economy waste hierarchy.

“The challenges of risk aversion to adopting recycled materials will need addressing through industry collaboration. Sharing the knowledge and experience from trials, simplifying the processes for approvals, and establishing clear standards for use of recycled material are ways the industry can respond and take steps towards greater sustainability outcomes,” the paper concludes.

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Future-proofing a greener economy

The Australian rail industry now has the option to recycle the bulk of its waste plastics into long-life products and participate in the growing circular economy while supporting local manufacturing.

Plasmar NewGen is offering the opportunity for rail operators to join the growing list of corporate clients seeking a sustainable plastic recycling outcome with an auditable “chain of custody” for the bulk of their waste plastic.

Backed by decades of experience in the recycling and manufacturing industry, the company offers a range of long-life products made from a recycled plastic composite called Plasmar, made by co-mingling multiple polymer types and integrating it into a single proprietary material.

CSIRO-validated testing has shown that life span of Plasmar is over 50 years, and doesn’t require UV stabilisers or other additives to strengthen or expand its performance.

Via an extrusion process, the recycled plastic is moulded into hardwearing plastic fence posts, strainers, square posts, bollards, sleepers and pallets used in agricultural, commercial and civil industries.

Plasmar NewGen is a joint venture between Plasmar developers Australian Composite Technology and The Holloway Group, an Australian-owned innovation facilitator with a background in injection moulding for many years, so both companies are specialists in the

Many of the products are ideally suited to rail applications, including fencing, signage, drainage, soil stabilisation, transport dunnage, retention wall sleepers, street furniture, bollards and other custom solutions.

Smithers said the company had a very strong focus on in-house manufacturing.

“That’s because it’s our belief that you can’t recycle plastic sustainably unless you’re directly making product with it,” she said.

“Recycling without a guarantee of remanufacturing into product is problematic and can lead to accusations of greenwashing.”

Smithers is especially proud of the company’s model that replaces end-of-life products with a regenerative system.

“It provides solutions for many complex plastic waste streams, keeping them out of landfill and ensuring they are manufactured into long-lasting, fit-for-purpose products that are environmentally friendly and recyclable,” she said.

“Government and industry can achieve significant circular economy outcomes through the sustainable procurement of 100 per cent recycled content Plasmar products, which can incorporate plastic waste generated on Government and infrastructure projects, thereby providing them with a further demonstrable example of sustainable recycling.

“If organisations want to recycle but can’t buy back product for their own purposes, we give them the opportunity to participate in our school and community programs where Plasmar products are needed, and this participation enhances their social charter.”

PLASMAR BENEFITS

Plasmar material offers a longer product life cycle due to immunity from marine, insect and fungal attacks.

Unlike timber, the material requires no chemical treatment to prolong service life, thus reducing chemical pollution in both land and marine applications.

Smithers said can Plasmar can be recycled indefinitely and fastened in many ways: it can be pile-driven, nailed, screwed, bolted, stapled

added products including decking structures and fencing systems.

“The materials are consistent in quality (with no splintering, knots or warping), and superior in performance to timber when used in an automated industrial environment, and they are therefore ideally suited to new technology cassette and robotic packaging lines,” she said.

“It also does not stain, as many timber dunnage and pallet products tend to do, therefore offering superior product protection during transportation for high value products including aluminium, ceramics, tiles and masonry.”

Plasmar material contains no significant moisture as well, thereby eliminating shrinkage, resulting in vastly improved transport strapping performance and non-moisture contamination of transported products.

“Plasmar is an ideal replacement for hardwood in many applications, especially where concrete and steel are also not a preferred option,” Smithers said.

“Our product is impervious to moisture, termites and other infestations, and it’s a nonleaching product, with very long life. Our sleeper products are also often used under walkways, and for retention of rail track ballast.”

Plasmar square profile posts are also often used for non-conductive, isolation fencing around sub stations/ electrical kiosks, used in between the steel panels.

“The products have endless applications and provide a unique and proven Australian circular economy solution that can be implemented by businesses today,” Smithers said.

“Start by buying Plasmar products and continue the recycling conversation for a holistic outcome for your organisation.”

Plasmar Products are available for purchase now. For participation in the invitation-only Plasmar NewGen recycling solution, and for more information, contact admin@plasmar.com.au or visit the web site www.plasmar.com.au

Plasmar NewGen managing director Rose Smithers talks to Rail Express about an engineered proprietary blend of polymers that ticks all sustainability boxes.

Anti-static substation fencing.

Plasmar used for rail track ballast retention.

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Recyclables in Rail

sustainable recycling solutions, which can include developing the concept, manufacturing the equipment, providing all the heavy lifting and transport as well as marketing the recovered resources.

The main salvage yards and scrap metal depots are located in Barmedman, New South Wales, and Fyshwick, Canberra.

The continued investment in processing equipment and technology has enabled continued growth and direct access to steel mills throughout Asia. Access Recycling processes in excess of 100,000 tonnes of scrap metal and 20,000t of concrete and timber products each year.

ON THE RIGHT TRACK

The railway industry is one of the largest producers of scrap metal in Australia. As a buyer for scrap metal, Access Recycling provides an extensive range of recycling services to the

through sensitive areas, and our dedicated staff work closely with our railway clients to deliver the best possible service.

“So far we have scrapped more than 3000 railway wagons, 200 locomotives, 200,000t of railway line and 3.5 million sleepers.”

Access Recycling has been involved in railway recycling projects since the early 90s.

“Back then it was scrapping wagons for NSW Freight Corp, and Vic Rail,” Perry said. “Railway recycling projects have been our focus ever since then.

“While we are also involved in a range of other metal recycling activities on a day-to-day basis, we always seek out rail projects.

“Of particular interest to us is working in remote areas; we tend to avoid bidding on projects in the cities. We are country-based, and our team loves to travel and work away from home, but not always in the cities.”

Access was heavily involved in Australian

“We have a well-equipped fabrication division in our business, responsible for making all manner of machinery, tools, bins, etc, used to support our recycling,” Perry said.

“There we were able to build some innovative machinery to help us with the railway sleeper recycling, which included attachments for excavators to pull the base plates off timber sleepers.

“We built a mobile sawmilling plant that could cut a sleeper into nine pieces every 12 seconds, to sell as firewood, and a shredding machine to mulch the poor quality/rotten sleepers in the rail corridor.”

Access Recycling also focuses on re-railing.

“We have purchased and removed large quantities of worn rail, including Geelong to Albury, Whyalla to Broken Hill, Parkes to Cootamundra, and Adelaide to Tarcoola,” he said.

The Access Recycling team scrapping wagons for the Manildra Group in Tottenham, NSW.

“On most of these projects the rails were left on ballast shoulder, so again we had to implement some innovations to solve the collection problem.

“We modified some farm tractors by making them hi-rail, so that they could drag the 110+m strings of rail down the four-foot to an extraction point.

“Front-end loaders have been commonly used to drag rail. But with tens of thousands of tonnes to remove, and extraction points up to 10km away, the large farm tractors could drag a lot of rail quite quickly.

“We also recently completed the collection of 30,000t of rail in South Australia, and were able to sell that into the Whyalla steel mill for recycling.

“We worked with Liberty Steel to load its contracted trains. We would gather the scrap rails to various sidings and load open wagons.

“Large sections of the rail corridor were many kilometres from the nearest road, and serviced only by minor maintenance tracks. Over-using these tracks to remove hundreds of truckloads of rail would have been very damaging for equipment and the tracks that local farmers rely on.”

Access Recycling’s client list reads like a who’s who of the rail industry.

“We’ve worked for all the major rail operators: Patrick Port Logistics, Aurizon, Qube, Gemco, Freight Australia-V/line,

National Rail, and Pacific National, to name a few,” Perry said. “As one of ARTC’s recycling contractors, we have worked with their key track maintainers on a regular basis, including John Holland, Transfield, Leighton, Abigroup, and Laing O’Rourke.

“We do not use sub-contractors, as we have a comprehensive in-house capability that includes trained Track Protection Officers, mobile cranes, excavators with shears and magnets, and road transport fleets.”

Perry is proud to say that Access Recycling has never had an incident or injury within a rail corridor or on a railway worksite.

“Our rail services team possesses the experience and qualifications to simplify recovery and recycling solutions for the rail industry, while minimising disruption to their ongoing operations. Well-known throughout the Australian rail industry, Access Recycling is a clear market leader in rail recycling,” he said.

Loading railway line onto a train to be transported to a steel mill and melted to make new railway lines.

Removing a coal loading loop at a decommissioned mine for Glencore Coal, with the rail sold back into the network.

Recyclables in Rail

Defining sustainable standards

Governments and businesses are under pressure to commit to net zero as part of international climate change mitigation initiatives, with infrastructure managers and their suppliers working to improve the sustainability of track technology.

Although rail is one of the most environmentally friendly modes of transport, recent severe weather events and the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have underlined that more action is needed to reduce the carbon footprint even further.

Rail infrastructure company Pandrol has been addressing the challenge from two angles: making the track components more sustainably, and minimising the impact of their installation and maintenance.

Reducing the environmental impact of track infrastructure and maintenance is not only a contribution to safeguarding the planet, but it also improves working conditions and makes good business sense.

RECYCLED MATERIALS

Pandrol’s Tim Hoare said the company’s Sustainable Resilient System (SRS) track fastening products are made from recycled or upcycled tyres to provide resilience to rail infrastructure, mitigating noise and vibration, reducing need for maintenance and increasing the life of the railway, and manufactured using energy from renewable sources.

“Every kilometre of track laid with SRS instead of conventional products saves up to 40,000 tyres from disposal in landfill or by burning,” he said. “The recycled rubber gives improved stiffness and creep resistance compared to raw microcellular polyurethane or foam alternatives, when tested to the same rigorous performance standards.”

Pandrol has recently received Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) for four products in the SRS range — the Under Ballast Mat, Floating Slab Mat, Under Sleeper Pad and QTrack embedded rail system.

“They are registered as part of the International EPD System, which provide reports on transparent, independently verified environmental data for each product, drawing on a detailed assessment spanning raw material supply to delivery to the customer,” Hoare said.

“Each report concludes with a typical carbon footprint for the product, which will benchmark continuous improvement, as well as offering

environmentally-friendly product choices.”

The EPDs reveal that Pandrol SRS products have an impressively low impact on the environment. All are made from at least 90 per cent recycled rubber granules from end-of-life tyres, with adhesive and either geotextiles or a micro-filament fastenings bonding layer making up the remaining 10 per cent.

All are maintenance-free and are manufactured using renewable, hydraulic energy.

When the EPD team ran the same scenarios for each product with virgin polyurethane rather than Pandrol recycled rubber, the carbon footprint doubled for the Floating Slab Mat and Under Ballast Mat, and tripled for the Under Sleeper Pad.

“The new EPDs are clear evidence of Pandrol’s determination to help reduce the rail industry’s carbon footprint,” Hoare said.

The company plans to use this information to benchmark continuous improvement, while railway operators and infrastructure designers can use it to support environmentally friendly product choices.

Pandrol said the EPDs provide irrefutable evidence that the recycled SRS products are the right choice when it comes to quality, performance and sustainability.

UNDER SLEEPER PADS

Pandrol’s Under Sleeper Pads are made from end-of-life tyres, using around 2.3 kilograms per sleeper, producing a carbon footprint that is less than half of the same product made using virgin rubber.

or burning.

In fact, Pandrol uses the pads to help reduce the impact of CO2 emissions, by financing labelled green energy production projects in developing countries.

Pandrol’s ambitious approach to this product has an outstanding impact, verified by Belgian-accredited inspection and certification organisation Vinçotte.

This commitment contributes to the collective goals of carbon neutrality Pandrol shares with many other organisations and companies across the world.

During their own life cycle, the Under Sleeper Pads will also contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of railway lines, by increasing their lifespan and reducing the need for maintenance.

“Since the EPDs were received, we have taken action to reduce our environmental footprint for the products which can be most improved,” Hoare said..

“This change will limit the carbon impact of our Under Sleeper Pads, allowing us to reduce our footprint and support certified climate projects at the same time.”

GREENER MANUFACTURING

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing plants is another priority.

In recent years Pandrol plants have installed solar panels and harnessed wind energy to power its facilities, as well as using biomass. More than half of all sites are now fed with electricity from renewable sources, and others will follow.

Rail infrastructure company Pandrol makes sustainable track components that minimises the impact of their installation and maintenance.

The Pandrol QTrack embedded, ballastless track system, manufactured from over 90 per cent recycled materials.

Pandrol cast iron baseplates, manufactured from 86 per cent scrap steel using over 60 per cent renewable energy.

“As a result, the company’s annual emissions decreased significantly between 2018 and 2020, from 88,522 to 49,312 tonnes of CO2 equivalent,” Hoare said.

“At the same time, we have prioritised a circular economy, using water sparingly, sorting waste, reusing materials and repairing equipment whenever possible.

“As an example, baseplates and shoulders that are cast into railway sleepers are produced from up to 86 per cent scrap metal that is carefully mixed and monitored for quality.

“Most of the scrap metal comes from end-oflife cars and building demolition materials. This, combined with renewable energy, contributes

CASE STUDY - Sydney Light Rail

over 60 per cent of the power needed to manufacture cast components.

“Cast iron manufacturing for Pandrol products now recovers more than 61 per cent of its waste. Scrap iron is reused in production, while the sand left over from the casting process is used in paving product and garden products, a high percentage is spread on sandy soils, helping to improve the crop yield on agricultural land.”

GREENER MAINTENANCE

As well as reducing the environmental impact of production, Hoare said Pandrol was also looking at ways to improve installation and maintenance.

“This includes exploring the use of

battery-powered tools. While not 100 per cent emissions-free, this significantly reduces emissions at the point of use with no loss of functionality,” he said.

“The equipment is compact, powerful and reliable. It also requires less maintenance, which along with the reduced spending on fuel helps to cut operating expenditure.

“The battery-powered equipment is lighter and easier to carry than a petrol or dieselpowered equivalent.

“The standalone tools can be operated without wires or cables, making them less of a trip hazard than those powered from a generator.

“But perhaps the most noticeable improvement to working conditions is the lack of fumes. This is not only a positive benefit for the users, but also for lineside residents, which can be a key issue on urban lines.”

Pandrol’s E+ range also includes an emissions-free hydraulic power unit that can be used to power tools in tunnels. This is designed to be compatible with existing hydraulic tools, including grinders, rail saws and weld shears.

Hydraulic tools produce less vibration than their self-powered equivalents, and can thus be operated for longer with reduced risk to the user.

More information: https://www.pandrol.com/

The Sydney CBD and South East Light Rail has been in great use, with passenger services now operating on both the L2 Randwick Line and L3 Kingsford Line.

It serves the busiest areas in downtown Sydney from Circular Quay at the northern end of the Central Business District along George St and to the south-eastern suburbs of Randwick and Kingsford.

Due to its central location, the project required an innovative and flexible approach, including the necessity of a fast and forward installation taking place over weekends which could guarantee a minimum of interruption of the busy streets.

Pandrol was appointed to this project as a supplier in 2016. The main technical challenges lay in the need of mitigating the ground-borne vibration issues of a project located in the CBD of Sydney, and the high electrical stray current isolation that was required.

A further requirement challenge was the high demand for large volumes and the need for great flexibility in the delivery program. This challenge was met by Pandrol increasing factory production capacity, establishing several production moulds to work in parallel with each other.

It combined a solution of two systems: Pandrol Qtrack and Pandrol Floating Slab Mats, which provided the perfect solution for work in a congested urban environment.

Pandrol was chosen because of the company’s high capacity for production – required on such a large volume project and also because of Pandrol’s extensive global experience.

The Pandrol QTrack system was specified for the Sydney Light Rail, which is a continuously supported and fastened embedded slab track system.

The rail is encapsulated by elastic resin bonded recycled rubber profiles providing a broad range of benefits, such as vibration mitigation and electrical isolation, which was especially important for this project.

Pandrol has developed a specialist solution to issues with stray current named QT ELEC, an electrical insulating film used on the Sydney tramway project.

Pandrol QTrack is renowned for being easy to install and the Pandrol team provided technical support throughout the process, from design to installation stage. On-site training was also provided by the Pandrol team..

The system is widely recognised as a cost-effective and long-lasting performance solution, consistent with the need to reduce ground-borne noise and vibration, and is compatible with special track works such as drainage and electrical boxes, insulation joints, axle counters, switches and crossings, and other typical depot equipment.

It is compatible with the need for sustainability as it includes few components and is therefore eco-friendly.

Pandrol QTrack is durable, maintenance-free and offers reduced life cycle costs. It is available for grooved and Vignola rails for different axle loads, such as light rail transit, metro, high speed and heavy haul trains.

Today it’s waste, but tomorrow it’s track infrastructure

The rail sector is striving to become more sustainable in its use of resources and to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, even though rail traditionally accounts for 1 per cent of global transport emissions.

While renewable energies in rail remain important to achieving sustainability targets, the embodied carbon within the infrastructure itself cannot be ignored.

There are significant opportunities to be found within a circular economy approach to re-using and re-purposing waste materials into track infrastructure.

That’s where Sicut composite sleepers have come to be valued. Since the technology behind Sicut’s product was developed by a team at Rutgers University in the USA in 1996, more than 300,000 have now been installed across 20 countries around the world, safely handling more than two billion mega gross tonnes of traffic.

In fact, the Sicut range is now the preferred composite sleeper for Network Rail in the UK and Deutsche Bahn in Germany, and is the first composite sleeper to have passed the Union

According to Unipart Group Senior Sales and Business Development Manager, Matthew Costin, the real beauty of the Sicut product is its use in a closed loop recycling system.

“It manages to divert post-consumer waste from landfill into infrastructure materials for many decades rather than weeks, as seen on bottle-to-bottle processes. A legacy that any network could be proud of,” he said.

Sicut composite sleepers are manufactured from 99 per cent waste plastics and glass fibre sourced from residential, commercial, industrial, or even ocean waste streams.

“To put this in perspective, the 300,000 Sicut sleepers installed across the globe have effectively repurposed 1.2 billion plastic bottles worth of consumer waste into an asset that will serve millions of passenger and freight journeys for decades to come,” Costin said.

“At the end of each Sicut sleeper’s extremely long first service life, the sleeper can simply be reused, repurposed, or returned to Sicut for shredding and reformed to make a new sleeper, effectively creating a new closed recycling loop for a material that is 100 per cent recyclable.

“As Sicut sleepers do not contain any reinforced steel or non-recyclable components, they are easily returned to a pellet form without extensive processing.

“Lack of steel also eliminates any risks to signalling or safety infrastructure that may need fixing to sleepers in track.”

The Sicut range also delivers some serious savings for networks looking to achieve their carbon reduction targets.

More traditional sleepers such as concrete and hardwood timber have carbon weightings per sleeper of 125kg and 157kg of CO2e respectively. The Sicut range starts at 36kg of CO2e per sleeper for a 25 metric tonne equivalent.

Networks and operators can also benefit from Sicut’s independently verified carbon traceability via their PAS2080:2016 reporting (PAS 2080 is a global standard for managing carbon in infrastructure).

The reduced construction depth of the Sicut range also delivers savings as up to 33 per cent

Sicut composite sleepers are manufactured from 99 per cent waste plastics and glass fibre.

less crib ballast is required, resulting in lower construction and raw material costs.

Sicut’s product range for infrastructure components varies from 25mt light rail, freight and passenger rail sleepers, up to 35mt heavy haul sleepers.

Sicut can also make custom composite bridge structures, marine pilings, I-beams, heavy-duty boards and ground mats. In the UK and USA, complete road and rail bridges have been constructed from their recycled composite technology.

They’re also being used in tunnels worldwide for passenger rail. In Milan, Sicut sleepers have been embedded in concrete and have been in service since 2006 and in the New York subway since 2013. They were also chosen for the King’s Cross Station Gasworks Tunnel project by Network Rail in the UK in 2021.

One of Sicut’s additional benefits in tunnel and bridge environments is that of noise and vibration attenuation.

“Sicut is well established in the UK and the USA, with plans to expand their production facilities into Australia with support from Unipart in 2023,” Costin said.

“The arrival of Sicut’s purpose-built manufacturing facility in Australia will provide the rail sector with a great opportunity to consider how composite sleepers can provide significant economic benefits, as well creating positive long-term impacts on the Australian environment.”

Sicut composite sleepers may just be the perfect material to help networks decarbonise their track infrastructure for decades to come.

The Sicut range is the preferred composite sleeper for Deutsche Bahn in Germany.

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Rail

Recycled tools for a quieter railway

Managing the noise and vibration from railways and tunnels is becoming an increasing issue on major rail corridors in Australia – particularly those within proximity of housing and offices.

Today’s solution typically involves building unsightly concrete walls with high embedded energy to manage track-generated noise.

But rail sound control specialist

STRAILastic uses a different approach to such barriers, offering solutions that are not just environmentally effective, but made of recycled materials erected close to the noise source, for a third of the cost.

As STRAILastic Australia Managing Director Rod Pomroy tells Rail Express, the company’s high absorbing walls can reduce noise by up to 11dBA, and do not create a large barrier in the landscape, allowing residents as well as passengers an unobstructed view with significant noise reduction.

“Whilst new rail projects have strict noise and vibration limits, this is difficult to apply to the existing networks where control of rail noise must be retrofitted into the existing network with minimal disruption whilst reducing the noise at its source,” he said.

“STRAILastic has developed a “noise attenuation toolbox” for dealing with sound and vibration for railways. It provides costeffective recycled proven options to allow acoustic engineers and asset managers various combinations to choose from, in new and existing transport systems.”

INSIDE THE TOOL BOX

STRAILastic products, made from 70 per cent recycled materials, are designed to trap and reduce the noise and vibration where it is generated by the railway corridor and, more importantly, as close as possible to the source.

Pomroy said these products offered the acoustic engineers and their noise maps the ability to overlay the recycled products within the tool box, to establish the right combination of mini-sound walls, acoustic panels, rail web dampers and vibration pads to most costeffectively reduce noise where it is generated.

“They come with various fixing systems to suit various situations, they can be provided with gates for maintenance vehicle access and they are positioned to not interfere with the tamping area.

“Alternatively, the walls can be bolted to their own foundations such as mini piles/ ground screws or concrete foundation, using the fully integrated steel frame moulded into the product.”

AN AESTHETIC RECYCLED SOLUTION

Although it isn’t always possible to substitute high noise barriers everywhere, in many locations these products eliminate the need for installing extensive retaining structures such as high embankments, viaducts and bridges, as well as dives and deep cuttings with mini sound walls replacing the need for highly engineered structures.

Mini-sound walls have a very low visual impact which can be further enhanced by attaching screen printed local scenes on the obverse side. Further, these walls don’t need planning approval to be installed, which can be another major cost and delay with large concrete panel walls.

The new high noise absorbing panels can substantially reduce the airborne noise by up to 11 dBA generated by the wheel rail interface and mitigate corrugation vibration from the top of rail to absorb it before it reaches the boundary of the rail corridor.

For best effect, STRAILastic recommends combining its heavy INOX 2.0 rail web dampers with the various mini sound walls.

• TP Panel – Recycled acoustic panels

In tunnels, airborne rail noise can travel into the passenger train compartment inside the rolling stock, where strict limits are imposed on manufacturers to manage this noise.

To mitigate this noise, the infrastructure designer/acoustic engineer normally installs various acoustic treatments inside the tunnels whilst ensuring they are easy to maintain.

“These acoustic panels have to be robust to withstand the extreme push /pull forces generated by pressure and suction forces that can be created by trains travelling very close to the panels through tunnels,” Pomroy said.

“To address these challengers, STRAILastric offers its TP high absorbing acoustic tunnel panels, with its internal steel frame supporting the paneling moulded for each tunnel’s unique curve to perfectly fit the contours in each tunnel.

“STRAILastic TP panels are mechanically fixed direct to the tunnel wall with mounting

STRAILastic_TP was specially developed for use in tunnels.

rails, allowing individual panels to be removed if required.

“The panels, with their noise-absorbent acoustic surface and robust frames, can withstand the extreme pressure and suction forces allowing for speeds of up to 160km/h.

“A typical rail tunnel application is to use these curved panel on the open side of the tunnel and install a mini sound wall on the other services side of the tunnel, which can also support the evacuation walkway.”

• Purasys vibration management

Railway vehicles generate rolling noises and vibrations during operation. This is due to roughness and imbalances on both the wheels and corrugations on the rail running surfaces.

Surface defects such as head checks, corrugations and slip waves on the rails are known to be among the most common sources of vibration interference.

Pomroy said these vibrations are transmitted to the ground via the trackway and spread to adjacent structure buildings where vibration transfer can also occur via their foundations.

“The buildings will begin to vibrate and at the right frequency or intensity, be perceived by humans as perceptible vibration or noise disturbance which can cause the emission of vibrations from building parts, including ceilings and walls, into the environment. If this happens, the air vibrates and then becomes audible as socalled secondary airborne sound,” he said.

STRAILastic’s PuraSys vibration systems specialise in economically isolating and managing that vibration impact by combinations of sub-ballast mats, bearings for mass-springsystems and other special elastic supports made of dense polyether urethane.

“STRAILastic Rail products are designed to protect you and fight noise where it is created, close to the rail,” Pomroy said. “We can close our eyes – but not our ears.”

Noise attenuation is an important sustainable community requirement, and STRAILastic does that with recyclable materials.

Recyclables in Rail

Plastic fantastic for sustainable rail

KLP hybrid polymer sleepers, produced from recycled plastics, helps make rail road track more sustainable and reduces life cycle management costs.

“The CO2 emissions during producing recycled polymer is 1.1 kg CO2/kg KLP.

“By using recycled polymers, up to 2.8kg CO2/kg of emissions in producing new polymer is avoided.

“The nett CO2 footprint is negative (a nett store of CO2): -1. 7kg CO2/kg KLP.

SUSTAINABILITY ANALYSIS

Klooster said it was interesting to note a safety and sustainability analysis commissioned by the Dutch government to ascertain what alternatives are available for use in the country’s predominantly concrete sleeper network.

The report examined six sleeper types: recycled steel-reinforced polymer; coppertreated wood; untreated wood; virgin steelreinforced plastic; glass-fibre-reinforced plastic; and sulphur-based concrete.

The report concluded with the following observations about the sleepers:

Sustainability analysis: recycled polymer sleepers had the highest circularity.

Benefit next life cycle: the largest benefit is from recycled polymer sleepers.

enhouse gas emissions current life cycle: recycled polymer and sulphur-concrete are the most sustainable of the sleepers.

enhouse gas emissions - next life cycle: the potential for avoiding future greenhouse gas emissions is from recycled polymers.

Environmental impact manufacturing ess: recycled polymer, sulphur concrete and wood show benefits compared to concrete, virgin PE, or PU-glass fibre.

“The recycled hybrid steel/polymer sleepers show a clear benefit in sustainability and reduced environmental impact compared to cement concrete sleepers,” Klooster said.

Provided there is a genuine business case for it and meets internal minimum quality and commercial requirements, Lankhorst is willing to consider local Australian production of KLP hybrid polymer sleepers.

Copies of the reports are obtainable from Link Asia Pacific at: info@linkap.com.au

Used polymer being transformed into KLP sleepers.

Recyclables in Rail

Coleman Rail employees on board for the sustainability journey

From project goals – like shifting more freight from road to rail transport – to the guiding principles of its global Sustainability Master Plan 2025 and a host of on-site practices, sustainability and promoting the circular economy are at the forefront of ACCIONA’s planning and execution of projects.

Global leader in sustainability solutions, ACCIONA delivers renewable energy projects using multiple technologies: wind, solar PV, solar thermal, hydro and biomass. After completing projects generating 10,400 megawatts of power in 16 countries including Australia, the company has led the global rankings of Energy Intelligence’s Top 100 Green Utilities for the fifth year in a row.

The heritage and principles of ACCIONA have filtered down to its subsidiaries, including its rail infrastructure business Coleman Rail, with the results evident in many of its rail projects.

Recently, when it approached the installation of 88 kilometres of new 47 kilogram per metre rail, it chose to deliver the rail in 165m strings from Port Augusta to the Ararat-Maryborough corridor by train, using less than a quarter of the diesel needed by a fleet of trucks, and cutting greenhouse emissions by a similar magnitude.

ACCIONA estimates that the rail delivery has cut carbon dioxide emissions by 679 tonnes, compared to the emissions generated by truck delivery. And because six 27.5m rail lengths were welded off-site to form each 165m string, less welding was needed in the rail corridor, resulting in a lighter footprint in an area with sensitive native vegetation.

At another project site where new rail was not needed, redundant rail from another project in Melbourne has been re-used for the new siding road being installed.

The re-used rail is being laid on sleepers

made from plastic waste in Mildura, demonstrating another sustainability initiative. The 530 plastic sleepers have diverted some 18t of plastic waste from landfill.

Even modest sustainability initiatives can add up to resource and emissions savings.

Projects are trialling hi-vis vests made from recycled material. And they are not thrown away at the end of the project or because they become worn or damaged.

Victorian clothing upcycler Upparel collects old PPE and uniforms and converts them into sellable products. Upparel reported that in the March 2022 quarter, it has saved 98kg in greenhouse emissions.

Similarly, any branded hoarding no longer needed by a project’s completion will be donated and converted into products like bags and pencil cases, which will then be donated to schools in the project’s catchment area.

Some re-use initiatives have come about after employees spotted a use for scrap materials from projects. When thousands of rotting timber sleepers were being replaced on a line, the project had them tested, and, on being certified safe for human contact, some were mulched for landscaping.

Then there’s the scrap fasteners and plates, known in the rail industry as ‘jewellery’. A visit to a local Men’s Shed revealed that the shed members could rework a couple of barrels of donated jewellery in the shed’s metal workshop into windmills and firepits. This initiative helped the shed to raise $1200.

ACCIONA also promotes the circular economy by carefully selecting contractors with

sustainability values to supply products, like backpacks made from recycled material.

Employees are given reusable drink bottles and coffee cups to cut the use of single-use plastics. The company has used solar panels on site sheds and equipment, and solar-powered compounds will soon become the norm on Coleman Rail and ACCIONA projects.

Coleman Rail Murray Basin Project director Aimee Najdovski says her project lives up to ACCIONA’s sustainability principles.

“We’re always looking for new and innovative ways of doing more with less, and all our employees are on board for the sustainability journey,” she said. “Some of the initiatives our people come up with are just amazing.”

Coleman Rail executive general manager Sean Bonham said from an energy perspective, ACCIONA was one of the largest 100 per centrenewable energy companies in the world.

“We have no fossil-fuel legacy and generate over 13GW of renewable energy in more than 20 countries,” he said.

“We operate Spain’s longest-serving wind farms, first commissioned in 1994 and 1995, and the century-old Siera hydroelectric plant. We care for this heritage alongside the absolute newest technologies.

“Now the challenge is decarbonisation. And we need to do this now, rather than wait for hydrogen or electric-powered hi-rail equipment to be developed.

“As a result, we ask all our people to think about what they can do in their role to help us reduce our carbon emissions. As Thomas Edison said, ‘There’s a way to do it better — find it.’”

ACCIONA believes the future of sustainability is regeneration: replenishing and restoring what is lost and building economies and communities that thrive, while allowing the planet to prosper.

C M

CM MY CY CMY K

Coleman Rail is committed to a lighter on-site footprint.

Major

Victorians in the box seat for gold-class freight experience

The Budget’s $181 million investment in the freight-rail network has built on the $83m delivered as part of the Victorian Government’s COVID stimulus package.

The funding will deliver new track, new sleepers and new ballast on lines in the north and north-west of the state, particularly those that handle grain and will benefit most from the higher axle loads the upgrades will bring.

The end result will be heavier and faster trains that carry a greater volume and mass of freight.

The Government’s freight-improvement package in 2020 had focused on replacing sleepers, repairing ballasts and renewing level-crossing equipment along almost 400 kilometres of critical freight-only rail lines.

Recently completed works have reduced the number of temporary speed restrictions on the network to the lowest since the database commenced in 2005.

As a result, Victoria’s rail-freight network is in the best condition it’s been in a generation.

Freight Victoria executive director Praveen Reddy tells Rail Express that this Budget’s investment in the network will build on that work, shifting the focus from maintenance to capital upgrades.

“It complements a $125m investment in new rail infrastructure at the Port of Melbourne, which will deliver new sidings and rail connections to Swanson Dock,” he said.

“The Port Rail Transformation Project will make rail transport more competitive, cut the high cost of the last mile and reduce truck congestion at the port gate. The project is also crucial to the Port’s plans to handle 8.9 million containers annually, three times the current throughput.”

Better on-dock rail is a key component of the proposed Port Rail Shuttle network that will connect freight hubs in Melbourne’s

This year’s Victorian Budget contains a massive investment in freight rail that brings Victoria closer to delivering a top quality rail freight network tailored to the fast and efficient movement of exports to port.

A quarry train at Toorak.

Image credit: David Hill

The Budget invests in new intermodal precincts.

north and west to the port, which will deliver importers and exporters new efficiencies in their supply chains by moving more freight onto rail.

Reddy said rail has been underutilised in Melbourne for short-haul freight operations, with the entire metropolitan freight task currently undertaken by road transport, with 87 per cent of import containers handled by the port travel to a destination less than 50km from the port.

The Port Rail Shuttle Network will establish terminals in the city’s west, north and southeast, where import containers are railed prior to delivery by road to their final destinations.

It promises an efficient and cost-effective alternative to road transport, as well as catering for empty containers and potentially interstate rail freight.

The Victorian Government has partnered with the private sector to develop the network. Operators of terminals located at Altona, Somerton and Dandenong South have been selected to build new rail sidings and connections needed for the efficient operation of the network.

This year’s Victorian budget also funds an extension of the Mode Shift Incentive Scheme, which provides inducements to move over 42,000 export containers from regional Victoria by rail.

“This very successful scheme is now in its 13th year and removes 28,000 truck trips off country roads every year as well as reducing truck congestion around the Port of Melbourne,” Reddy said.

Victoria will also be seeking additional interstate rail capacity to capitalise on the benefits delivered by the Inland Rail project.

In addition, the Victorian Government is planning for a new intermodal freight precinct at Truganina in Melbourne’s west.

The role of the new precinct will be primarily to handle interstate freight, but also the import and export container trade.

In addition, the Victorian Government will protect land for a new freight precinct in Melbourne’s outer north for development in the longer term.

Reddy said Victoria’s freight volumes are expected to grow to around 900mt annually by 2050, up from around 400mt currently.

The new intermodal precincts will perform a key role in handling this forecast increase in the state’s freight volumes.

“The co-location of warehousing, distribution centres and other associated functions with the new precincts, combined with initiatives like the Inland Rail, are aimed at boosting rail’s share of the interstate freight task,” he said.

Currently, the state’s interstate rail freight task is handled mostly within the Dynon freight precinct.

However, Dynon has a number of limitations that preclude a significant increase in capacity.

They include:

• Lack of space to store and handle containers

• Conflicts with competing land uses

• Road connections that generate amenity issues for nearby residential areas

• Rail connections that preclude double stacking of containers on trains

• A track layout that limits the efficient handling of longer trains.

In the longer term, Reddy said the development of new intermodal freight precincts will:

• Significantly improve the capacity of interstate freight transport in the northsouth and east-west national corridors

• Complement other improvements to the north-south intermodal rail supply chain with matching capacity and service level improvements

• Enhance national productivity by lowering the door-to-door cost of freight for interstate movements

• Create opportunities for urban renewal in the North Dynon area

• Reduce truck movements through Melbourne’s inner west

• Improve rail access for port-related freight by removing many of the freight movements not related to port activities away from the Dynon precinct.

A Pacific National train at West Footscray.

A map of the Port Rail Shuttle network.

fine particles in tunnels on train networks through technology that drastically reduces friction brake emissions.

McMillan said it had been shown that the level of fine particles is too high in most tunnels within urban transport networks.

“This is a particular problem for metro users since networks are mostly underground, but there is similar room for improvement when it comes to main line trains operating in tunnels,” she said.

“The friction brake potentially has an important role to play in improving tunnel

“While modern trains have very efficient electrodynamic (E/D) brakes that put less strain on the friction brake than older trains, the lifetime of the average train is somewhere between 30 and 40 years, which means it will take years to replace the older trains with

“In addition, even on modern trains, performance of the E/D brake disappears at about 5km/h. This means the last few metres of deceleration still require use of the friction brake.

“Wabtec has developed a range of green friction materials which, in addition to ensuring the required performance for various applications, can reduce the emission of brake particles by up to 90 per cent for the finest particles (PM 2,5 and PM 1).”

The development of the Wabtec green friction range represents a milestone on the journey towards cleaner and healthier tunnels for passengers and network personnel.

“Hopefully it will lead to a worldwide rollout of this technology, making rail and metro safer for everyone,” McMillan said.

By innovating with purpose to develop responsible and sustainable products and operations that minimise the impact on the planet, Wabtec has its sights firmly set on the

A Wabtec hydrogen-powered locomotive.

Rolling out world-class automated metro systems in Australia

Cities around the world have begun to recognise the need to invest in sustainable transport networks. Not only to respond to the urgency of the climate crisis, but also to improve urban areas’ socio-economic standing, something that a robust and efficient public transport system can accelerate among local communities.

Traditionally, transport networks, particularly private transport such as road travel, have been large emitters of greenhouse gases. In Australia, transport is the third largest emitter (18.6 per cent), behind electricity (32.9 per cent) and stationary energy (21 per cent), according to data published by the Department of Industry, Science and Technology.

RATP Dev general manager for Australia and New Zealand, Denis Masure, tells Rail Express it’s no surprise that MPs here in Australia are debating a climate bill that would enshrine emission reduction targets for 2030 and 2050.

“As engines of growth for the economy, cities play a pivotal role in responding to the climate crisis by reducing emissions – especially as they produce more than 60 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions,” he said.

“This is unsurprising given cities are catalysts for industry growth and home to millions of people often densely populated in small areas who rely on transportation.

“However, sustainable public transport networks offer a way to mitigate the risks associated with climate change – and many companies working in the industry are finding innovative ways of deploying cutting-edge technology to decarbonise the sector.

“Ultimately, the goal of such initiatives is to create cleaner, healthier and more affordable transport networks in cities around the world.”

Governments like Australia’s, France’s and Canada’s have begun to further invest in public transport networks to tackle climate change and provide the best mobility service to residents of cities, as well as boost local economies and provide tangible change for communities.

In France, the Government has invested in an automated transit network in the country’s capital region called the Grand Paris Express, which includes 68 new stations and 200 kilometres of additional tracks.

Similarly, Australia is investing an impressive $120 billion over 10 years from 2022-23 in transport infrastructure across the country. This is part of a broader strategy to reduce congestion and better connect communities.

ADDING VALUE TO CITIES

One of the most useful tools for cities looking to build sustainable transport networks has been automated metros, which are increasing popular in cities around the world.

As is well-known, this is because automated metros are a powerful and agile mode of transport best suited to an ever-changing urban environment to optimise the usage of rail infrastructure, should it be greenfield or brownfield.

Masure said not only are automated metros popular with urban residents because they offer an unparallel high-quality experience with frequency, speed, safety and access to information (real-time travel data), but they can offer social and environmental benefits as well.

“For example, automated metro systems add value to communities, particularly for citizens that may have been geographically isolated prior to the establishment of new lines. Their stations can transform suburban and/or deprived areas of the periphery of cities that will reinvigorate the surrounding area. This may take the form of greater investment in housing, schooling and entertainment,” he said.

“Take Line 4 of the Paris Metro – in connection with the new line 15 Grand Paris Express, it has helped to better serve the Victor Hugo eco-neighbourhood in the Bagneux area of the city. This has already helped to expand construction of new dwellings and revitalise the culture of the area.”

RATP GROUP THE PIONEERS

Masure said that companies such as RATP Dev, a subsidiary of RATP Group, the third largest international public transport operator in the world and a pioneer of the automated metro, are well positioned to support the deployment of public transport technology – particularly automated metro systems.

RATP Dev began its activity in France 20 years ago, then extended its offer in other

countries worldwide. The company now operates and maintains tens of thousands of kilometres of automated metro, urbaninterurban-intercity train, tram and bus networks in countries around the world.

“Automated metro holds the key to unlocking economic, social and environmental change in urban cities around the world. A mixture of greenfield and brownfield networks will turbocharge the development of automated metro. Local governments in cities must continue to develop their public transport capacity, and specifically, automated metro systems, in order to deliver real change to local communities,” he said.

“RATP Group is known worldwide for its innovative solutions. One example is its expertise in converting services to automation without disruption: for example, on the Paris Metro Line 1, the oldest and busiest line on the Paris Metro, and Metro Line 4, the second busiest line, both of which are brownfield projects.”

Line 1 of the Paris Metro was created in 1900 and has been 100 per cent automatic since 2012, which is the first 100-year-old high-capacity metro line to be fully automated without operational interruption and converted to GoA4 (highest grade of automation).

Similarly, Line 4 is the second 100-yearold metro being fully converted to GoA4 in coordination with its extension to Bagneux where it will link to the future Grand Paris Express Line 15.

One of the most unique aspects of RATP Group’s work is how it is able to work without interruption to regular service.

Line 14 is being extended in stages without major disruption to regular services and passengers. While there already had been an extension north in 2020, the final extension north to Saint Denis Pleyel will be completed with the southern extension to Orly airport by 2024 – in line with the Paris Olympics.

Grand Paris Express will be delivered between 2024 and 2030 with the new lines delivered in several phases. Line 14’s full extension will be delivered by June 2024.

This project resembles the Western Sydney Airport metro project, currently underway in

French mobility company RATP Dev, part of the RATP Group, is a pioneer of cutting-edge mobility solutions that can bring its expertise to the Australian market.

the city – not only because of connecting cities to airports more effectively, but also will give rise to a new economic corridor contributing to strong trade, freight and logistics.

LOOKING TO AUSTRALIA

In Australia, RATP Dev is leveraging its own work internationally, the experience of the RATP Group with the Paris Metro and 2000 in-house engineers, to roll out cutting-edge technologies in cities across the country.

In fact, the company brings 120 years of experience in metro operation and over 70 years in semi and fully automated metro (currently eight GoA4 lines globally) to the market.

Masure said RATP Dev also has a commitment to be a partner for governments through the development of real estate projects in cities.

“The company’s real estate projects are redeveloping public transport infrastructure in built-up urban areas,” he said.

“This is better integrating mobility into

communities. This has developed sustainable buildings, such as new neighbourhoods that have schools, housing and entertainment. RATP Group’s metro maintenance centres have been converted into buildings for public services, hanging gardens and urban agriculture.

“In Australia, RATP Group offers expertise in automated metro. This will provide safe, innovative, efficient and sustainable mobility systems to cities across the country.

“The company can help to create sustainable and innovative solutions for green mobility, responsible development and “more liveable cities” in Australia, which must respond to increase economic pressures utilising environmentally sound solutions.”

Fundamentally, the automation of metro systems is a sustainable solution for the future. The networks contribute to the energy transition of cities by encouraging the uptake of public transport as opposed to cars and other vehicles.

“Ultimately, this will contribute to the fight against climate change, respond to customers’ needs and improve socio-economic positions of citizens,” Masure said.

Rolling

Green and smart solutions for all

Society continues to face the major challenges of global warming, population growth, rapid urbanisation, and of course COVID, which are accelerating the demand for a more resource-efficient and sociallyinclusive economy.

Making a consistently positive contribution towards sustainability is multinational rolling stock manufacturer Alstom, which doesn’t just provide products and services: it develops, optimises, and markets a wide range of mobility solutions that are reliable, safe and provide sustainable foundations for the future of transportation.

Alstom’s ambition is clear: smart innovation for sustainable mobility.

The message is driven from the very top. Alstom’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Henri Poupart-Lafarge, tells Rail Express that the business is committed to maintaining its focus on innovations that transform mobility at large, by pioneering smarter and greener mobility solutions.

“Societies need to move decisively towards zero emission transport for both passengers and freight,” he said.

“Alstom has been putting environmental sustainability and social responsibility at

innovative technologies to reduce emissions and pollution in catenary-free operations.”

Alstom’s customers can choose from a portfolio of proven solutions based on unrivalled expertise in both hydrogen and battery propulsion. This includes both new and refurbishment options.

Its advanced signalling and digital solutions also aid in the company’s mission by supporting

FACING THE CHALLENGES

One of the certainties facing society is that the climate is warming, with greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activity already leading to an increase in average global temperatures.

Under the Paris Agreement, the global community has coalesced around the ambitious goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, in order to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C.

Deep decarbonisation is needed in all sectors, but has proven particularly difficult in transport.

Transport carbon emissions account for around 27 per cent of global emissions and have been increasing steadily. If current trends continue they could represent 40 per cent of total emissions by 2030.

Decarbonisation of transport requires strong emission reductions, even as increasing global populations and urbanisation trends drive up transport demand.

Decarbonisation of freight, which currently represents around 40 per cent of transport emissions, presents an additional challenge as the volume of goods being transported continues to rise rapidly.

Poupart-Lafarge said the transport sector

Multinational rolling stock manufacturer Alstom is making a positive contribution towards sustainability in the transportation sector.

Alstom Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Henri Poupart-Lafarge (right).

Rail accounts for eight per cent of global passenger travel.

still relied heavily on fossil fuels as a primary source of energy, representing 97 per cent of energy demand, with little progress towards a greener solution in recent years.

He said the crucial importance of reducing transport sector emissions in order to hasten achieving the Paris Agreement targets was now well recognised by public authorities.

Many countries in Europe, for example, have already scheduled a halt to sales of new cars equipped with combustion engines. Cities and provinces are also taking up the challenge and planning a ban of diesel or fossil-fuel vehicles at local levels.

Poupart-Lafarge said decarbonising passenger traffic through electrical transport powered by renewable energy is the most logical path.

“Hydrogen also offers a credible long-term alternative for applications requiring high autonomy,” he said.

RAIL IS THE ANSWER

In contrast to other motorised modes of transport, rail contributes an inherently low emission. Rail makes up just two per cent of total transport emissions, yet it accounts for eight per cent of global passenger travel, and seven per cent of freight activity.

In France, very high-speed rail can produce up to 60 times fewer carbon emissions per passenger kilometre than an equivalent flight.

“Highly efficient electric rail vehicles are already running with zero well-to-wheel emissions when supplied with renewable electricity,” Poupart-Lafarge said.

“Emissions from diesel rail operations can already be avoided for passenger transport using battery and hydrogen solutions; these technologies are also now being developed for freight applications.”

Alstom supports a shift of passenger and freight transport demand from higher emission modes, towards rail. Poupart-Lafarge indicated this should be accomplished by “increasing rail transport capacity through investment in rolling stock and infrastructure, incentivised by regulation.”

As well as a strong contribution to decarbonisation, investment in rail brings many other benefits. It supports equal access to transport, brings social progress and economic development, and has positive impacts on air quality and public health.

GOODBYE DIESEL

Today, about 25 per cent of rail operations remain dependent on diesel, with the proportion higher for freight transport in many countries.

In Europe 46 per cent of rail lines remain

unelectrified and 6000 diesel trains are set to be replaced or refurbished by 2035.

Alstom has a portfolio of solutions that provide an alternative to diesel and will accompany its customers in the shift away from diesel in rail.

The first hydrogen passenger train is already a reality.

Playing a big part in this revolution have been Alstom’s hydrogen-powered Coradia iLint locomotives, which run with emission-free comfort with ranges up to 1000 kilometres.

The first successful deployment of the Coradia iLint in Germany has led to multiple orders and the development of a broader range of hydrogen trains.

Alstom is also convinced that hydrogen has a key role to play not just in mobility, but also in industrial applications.

That’s why it has acquired Helion Hydrogen Power, a manufacturer of hydrogen fuel cells and fully integrated hydrogen systems for transport and energy applications.

Apart from hydrogen, battery-electric power is another source that Alstom has utilised. Irish Rail, for example, has selected Alstom to deliver 13 battery-electric trains as part of a considerable framework agreement for the Dublin Area Rapid Transport network.

Due to enter service in 2025, these solutions are capable of journeys up to 80 kilometres outside the electrified network under battery power.

With fast-charging stations and regenerative braking, it is a giant step for

making rail even more sustainable, while enhancing the passenger experience in the Dublin area, and beyond.

Alstom has also sold its battery-electric trains in Australian markets.

THE ALSTOM MISSION

Ultimately, Alstom believes sustainable mobility is key to sustainable development, and that everyone should have access to mobility through public transport.

Alstom’s core business and solutions directly contribute to sustainable development, providing access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all.

In the longer term, it has committed to net zero carbon in its value chain by 2050. Delivering on this promise means Alstom will continue to innovate to bring new and improved energy efficient solutions to the market, as well as to propose efficient alternatives to diesel in rail.

The company also aims to reinforce collaboration on decarbonisation with customers and suppliers.

Alstom’s mission to improve access to sustainable and equitable public transport is clear, and strongly underlined by the company’s priorities.

Following the successful integration of Bombardier Transportation, Alstom now has the widest global reach and breadth of product range in the industry.

“We are united in our purpose and together we will lead the way to greener and smarter mobility,” Poupart-Lafarge said.

Alstom’s hydrogen-powered Coradia iLint locomotive.

Condition Monitoring

Efficient wayside communications

RKS-G4028

The RKS-G4028 series is designed to meet the rigorous demands of mission-critical applications for industry and business, such as power substation automation systems (IEC 61850-3, IEEE 1613), railway applications (EN 50121-4), and factory automation systems.

The RKS-G4000 suite of switches.

Leading provider of a wide range of IP-based communications solutions, Moxa, continually contributes its networking expertise and innovative technologies to the railway industry through new market-specific solutions and its membership of the IEC railway committee and Shift2Rail organisation.

Railway operators from around the world have discovered new levels of operational efficiency by deploying Moxa’s unique railway technologies, such as intelligent millisecond-level Ethernet redundancy, and WLAN roaming solutions.

With more than 30 years of experience in industrial networking, and certified to International Railway Industry Standards (IRIS, Moxa has a proven record of developing longlasting, reliable devices. In addition, Moxa has been part of hundreds of successful deployments in major railway systems worldwide to enhance passenger comfort and network operations.

Moxa’s portfolio includes more than 400 railway-specific products ranging from onboard to trackside, and end devices to network architecture.

As Moxa ANZ rail market Business Development Manager Ray Chang explains, the company provides integrated IP solutions that enhance the safety and efficiency of railway operations.

“Our end devices include computers tailormade for deployment on trains, and controllers and remote I/O products for condition monitoring,” he said.

“For railway IP network design, we utilise our industrial networking expertise to provide a variety of Ethernet switches for onboard, trackside, train stations, control centres, wireless AP/client for train-to-ground communications, and smart network management software called MXview to help optimise network efficiency .”

Chang said rail systems operated on a decades-long life cycle, and are considered mission-critical applications that require highly reliable IP-based solutions.

“The hundreds of successful deployments of Moxa’s products in major railway systems such as CCTV, PIS (Passenger Infotainment Systems), CBTC (Communication-based Train Control), and TCMS (Train Control Management Systems), have proven that our leading IP solutions are capable of providing high reliability and network availability that meet the demands of the rail industry.”

WAYSIDE COMMUNICATIONS SOLUTIONS

One example of Moxa’s widely-used solutions are its wayside communication devices.

“Wayside systems that are used along the trackside require large networks to collect and transmit data between trains and back to the control centre,” Chang said.

“Some wayside systems also have to collect additional data from railroad turnouts and level crossings in order to ensure smooth daily operations.

“Moxa’s wayside Ethernet switches provide a wide selection of 10GbE, GbE, Fast Ethernet, fibre-optic connectivity, and PoE++ options.

“Furthermore, these switches are capable of Layer 3 traffic segregation, Layer 2/3 millisecond-level multicast redundancy, wide operating temperature ranges, and EN 50121-4 capabilities to allow diverse track equipment, signal, and control networks to be integrated into a single network backbone for durable wayside operations.”

In general, Moxa equipment provides:

• Versatile connectivity options including 10GbE, GbE, Fast Ethernet, PoE++, and fibre

• Layer 3 traffic isolation for segregating critical and non-critical data

• Millisecond-fast multicast routing and switching redundancy

• Easy-to-use network management for wayside operations

• Resilient and cost-efficient network expansion and EN 50121-compliant ruggedness

The RKS-G4028 series’ gigabit and fast Ethernet backbone, redundant ring, and 24 VDC, 48 VDC, or 110/220 VDC/VAC dual isolated redundant power supplies increase the reliability of communications and save on wiring costs.

RM-G4000

The RM-G4000 module series includes gigabit and fast Ethernet modules for the RKS-G4000 series rack-mount Ethernet switches.

Each module supports up to eight ports with a variety of interface types including TX, MSC, SSC, and MST media types.

Additionally, the RM-G4000-8GPoE and RMG4000-8PoE modules provide the RKS-G4000 Series PoE models with high-capacity IEEE 802.3bt PoE ports PoE functionality. IEEE 1588 interface modules provide hardware-based PTP functions for precise time synchronisation across the network.

WAYSIDE NETWORK REDUNDANCY

With the demand of connecting more and more systems in railway applications, it becomes more and more important to have resilient connections that can recover within milliseconds.

“To prevent data loss on layer 2 and layer 3 multicast networks, Moxa integrates Turbo Ring and Turbo Chain protocols and optimises multicast traffic to enable data, voice, and constant connectivity, especially for multicastintensive train station applications,” Chang said.

WAYSIDE COMMUNICATION NETWORKS

In order to provide seamless video surveillance monitoring at the control center, Moxa’s wayside communication networks provide Layer 2 and 3-managed Ethernet switches which support up to 48G and four 10GbE ports for large scale video over IP networks.

“MXstudio is a network management suite designed for installation, operation, maintenance, and diagnostics on rail networks,” Chang said.

More information: www.moxa.com.

Wayside systems that are used along the trackside require large networks to collect and transmit data between trains and back to the control centre. That’s where Moxa comes in.

Driving trains in Brocey’s blood

Brocey has a long and proud family history with Aurizon and the rail industry.

As a Bama (a person) from the Djabagay tribe in Kuranda, North Queensland, he was proud to share his story as part of the recent NAIDOC Week, which celebrates the history and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

“I have three tribes – the main one is the Djabugay people of Kuranda in North Queensland,” he said.

“Birri Gubba is my great grandfather’s side.

It is a combination of a group of nations from north of Rockhampton to the south of Townsville. My grandfather’s side is from Newcastle Waters and is part of the Jingili and Mudburra tribe which extends from Alice Springs to Tennant Creek.

“I was born in Cairns on Gimuy-Walubarra land and spent my younger years on the south side of Brisbane on Turrbal and Jagera land. I then completed my high schooling in Caloundra on Gubbi land.

“When I graduated Year 12, I worked for a number of years in hospitality. I gained experience in both front-of-house and back-ofhouse activities including getting my forklift licence to load and unload stock from trucks.”

During that time, one of Brocey’s cousins was driving coal trains in Bluff in Central Queensland, which piqued his interest.

“I applied to be a trainee driver and was thrilled to get the position,” he said.

“Since completing my training, I’ve driven freight trains along Queensland’s North West line – from Townsville to Mt Isa, as well doing suburban load and unload jobs in Townsville and ‘hook and pull’ jobs for Queensland Rail.

“For the last eight years, I’ve been based at Aurizon’s Stuart Depot in Townsville as a train driver hauling a diverse range of products such as lead, copper, zinc, silver and fertiliser through to hauling containerised freight for the mines and ballast and sleepers for the railways.

“It’s rewarding and I love it. Where else can you drive a train hauling steel and product at 80km an hour!”

Brocey’s family has a long and proud history with the railways in Queensland, part of the reason why he loves driving the trains.

“I’m very proud to work for a company that has a strong history of working with Indigenous people,” he said.

“Queensland’s rail industry has been a very proud employer of Indigenous people, and one of the first mainstream organisations to support the employment of Indigenous Australians.

“Going back, my grandfather was a ‘ganger’ working on the Mt Isa line. He was really proud to be in the track gangs, working to maintain the rail. He also worked out west as a fettler, welding the rail and grinding it to make sure it was safe to drive.

“My mum is Australian-Scottish, and her grandfather worked the stock trains between Yeppoon and Rockhampton in the 1950s. Her great-great uncle was a Brisbane city driver during the Great Depression - one of the few jobs they kept on, to keep the state running.

“Our history with the railways is long and it’s really cool to keep that history going.”

While driving trains for Aurizon, Brocey also helps to deliver on commitments under the company’s Reconciliation Action Plan to build relationships, respect and opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

“I have the opportunity to do things for work around my culture and my heritage, as well as supporting the development of young Indigenous men through Aurizon’s partnership with the Clontarf Foundation,” he said.

“I’m extremely proud as an Indigenous Australian and an Aurizon employee to get involved with this partnership and show these guys what they can achieve, and that if I can do it, they can do it too.

“It’s great to share that there is a whole range

of work you can do at Aurizon, not just driving trains – you can work on machines, maintain wagons, administration, and support roles, and now Aurizon’s got the new port services business, you can drive forklifts and do a whole range of other roles.

“If I can just get these guys to chat for five minutes, I’ve done something for my people, and to do it with the Aurizon uniform on is great. As with the NAIDOC theme this year, if they can get up, stand up and show up, they can have a great life – it doesn’t matter if it’s for school, sport, your family or your job.

“We can all get up, stand up and show up to be part of NAIDOC Week, and learn, share and celebrate our culture. Each year, we get involved with my children’s activities at school and we go to the Townsville NAIDOC March and celebrations.

“It’s great to see more of my colleagues wanting to know more about my history and culture each year.

“I’d encourage everyone to learn more –whether you’re Indigenous or non-Indigenous. There’s a lot of people willing to share their stories and our state libraries and our cultural tourism organisations are also great places to start.

“I’ve always made sure my kids are proud of who they are and where they come from, and that they remember the people who came before them – they were pioneers to get to us to where we are today, and we are continuing to work hard to give them a good future and carry on their Indigenous names.”

Proud Djabugay man and Aurizon train driver Brocey Fletcher encourages his peers to learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the areas they live and work.

Brocey finds his job as a train driver extremely rewarding.

Curiosity sparks career in rail

With experience working across frontline, operations, service delivery, planning and safety roles at Pacific National, Emma has an impressive track record of taking on new professional challenges.

Emma’s rail journey began when she esponded to an advertisement calling for expressions of interest to become a trainee driver.

After becoming a qualified train driver, Emma took the opportunity to apply her operations experience gained from her years in aviation to rail and she has since worked across a number of key service delivery roles including crew scheduler and superintendent.

Now she is Pacific National’s SPAD (Signal Passed at Danger) prevention program manager where she is focussed on mitigation and applying the latest research and industry know-how to manage risks.

“SPADs can have serious consequences on our people, our rollingstock and the networks we travel on, which is why my role is focussed on ensuring we take precautionary measures to prevent incidents from occurring,” Emma said.

“While every week our trains navigate thousands of signals without risk, vigilance is key to ensure every worker and members of the public get home safety every day.”

SPADs are an industry-wide challenge and can lead to a collision with people, other trains, infrastructure, or vehicles and potentially cause fatalities, injuries and damage.

Emma said while there are different approaches to prevention across the rail industry, SPAD mitigation is primary focused on addressing speeds at stopping locations, improving communication with network and among co-drivers, determining the best stopping distance from signals, and encouraging train crew to focus only on critical tasks in a safety zone.

“Currently different engineering solutions and technology systems to prevent SPADs are still being investigated or trialled, that’s why we currently focus our efforts on safe driver behaviours to mitigate risks,” Emma said.

In her critical safety role, Emma works with the training and operations teams, reviews current controls and their effectiveness, and travels to depots to meet with drivers to ensure safe behaviours are understood and practised.

“Safety comes first, which is why we

As a mother, Emma said her current role offers her both flexibly and purpose.

embed safety behaviours in our Rail Resource Management training to ensure our people have the essential skills to do their jobs safely and effectively,” she said.

“Each year SPAD awareness week is an opportunity for us to renew our focus and mitigation approach and ensure it is a priority across the business.”

Emma’s track record in operations also led her to apply to join Pacific National’s Planning and Delivery team, where she was a team leader for four and a half years until she accepted her current role.

“I really enjoyed my experience working in the Integrated Planning Service (IPS) team because every day was different,” she said.

“IPS is the nerve centre controlling the operation of the rail corridor and without this team working 24/7 around the clock, train schedules and crew rostering would be chaos.

“They are the eyes and ears of Pacific National, the main communication point between the network operators, drivers and operations helping ensure everything runs safely and smoothly.”

As a working mother, Emma said her current role offers her both flexibility and purpose in her life.

“It allows me to be there for my daughter, but importantly the variety of work keeps me stimulated and makes my job rewarding because I know what I am doing is valued and a priority for the business,” she said.

“Working in rail and across Pacific National has given me a sense of purpose and development both on a personal and professional level.”

Emma’s approach to her career over the years has been driven by her curiosity to learn more and expand her skills.

“To motivate us to do our best work at Pacific National we’re encouraged to embrace our business values which are – curiosity, own it, make it simple, share more, gratitude, and kindness,” she said.

“I’m certainly proud to work for a company that has embraced my curiosity to learn more and tackle new challenges because it’s been an exciting ride so far and I can’t wait to see where to next.”

From managing operations for an airline in Central Queensland, Emma Villamarin made the jump to rail more than 12 years ago and hasn’t looked back.

Industry Associations

Focus remains on national policy priorities

The Australian Logistics Council (ALC) has named Dr Hermione Parsons as its new chief executive officer.

ALC Chair Philip Davies welcomed the appointment and said Parsons brought a wealth of knowledge and real-world experience across the end-to-end supply chain.

Parsons has had a career spanning the food industry, ports, economic issues, policy and research.

“The ALC Board is excited to have appointed Dr Parsons to this key leadership role and we are all looking forward to working closely with her, as we continue to advocate for a stronger supply chain and support our members,” he said.

“Dr Parsons has held executive leadership, research and public policy roles at a number of leading Australian institutions, including serving as the director of a centre for supply chain and logistics, at two universities and as co-founder of Wayfinder, an initiative focused on increasing female participation and diversity in the supply chain workforce.

“Never before has the supply chain been front and centre in the public debate and

awareness around the freight and logistics sector to the national economy.

“This is an important time for the sector: we believe that Dr Parson’s insight, knowledge and experience, combined with our members spanning the supply chain will build on ALC’s work to shape safer, more efficient and sustainable supply chains.

“The ALC Board also extends our sincere thanks to outgoing CEO Brad Williams for his leadership and hard work. He leaves the ALC with a strong and focused team, as well as a solid platform and strategy for membership growth.”

Williams has joined the public sector after less than year with the ALC. He previously held senior corporate affairs and government relations roles at the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, mining company South32 and Japanese oil and gas producer INPEX.

The ALC Board and staff

remain focused on its national policy priorities and continuing to build momentum with government, industry and policy-makers to affect positive change for the freight and logistics sector.

Seasoned leader new standards body head

Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board chief executive officer Deborah Spring has stepped down from her position, and will resume her former role as RISSB’s Independent Chair.

She has been succeeded by industry leader Damien White.

David George, who previously served as RISSB’s chair, will continue his association with the organisation, reverting to the role of independent director at the end of August.

George said Spring had provided strong leadership to RISSB through a successful growth phase, driving its contribution to

the rail harmonisation and interoperability agenda in Australia.

“She has been relentless in her pursuit of operational and technical excellence and increasing RISSB’s contributions to industry and members in a range of areas,” he said.

During the past three years under Spring’s leadership, RISSB:

• grew membership numbers by more than 150 per cent

• took over stewardship of the Australian Level Crossing Assessment Model (ALCAM)

• developed a framework for national harmonisation of rules

• expanded its data and risk capabilities with a significant increase in the usage of the Australian Rail Risk Model (ARRM)

• launched its culture tool, Culture Hub

• increased its range of member engagement options including MasterClass webinars

• added online Learning Express courses to the RISSB training suite.

George said White was the “right person to lead RISSB on its next growth phase”.

“His track record, depth of experience and focus on transformative change makes him the ideal leader to deliver our new strategic plan and continue to build on the work of Deborah and the rest of the RISSB team,” he said.

White is an experienced logistics executive whose previous positions include chief executive officer of TasRail, where he led a major investment and change program to transform Tasmania’s struggling rail network into a modern and dynamic freight logistics business.

His other roles have included being Executive General Manager of Inland Rail Integration for the Australian Rail Track Corporation, and most recently, Group Executive, Safety, Engineering and Technology for the ARTC.

RISSB Independent Chair Deborah Spring and new CEO Damien White.

Incoming ALC CEO Dr Hermione Parsons with outgoing CEO Brad Williams.

Major Projects portfolio delivers

As was reported last financial year, we had a tremendous outcome in delivering RISSB’s inaugural Major Projects package of work across such important themes as track worker safety, noise and interoperability.

We can report that our second year of Major Projects has been equally successful.

We delivered our second, and historic, Australian Harmonised Network Rule – Walking in the Danger Zone, and linked to that, our Network Rule Books Code of Practice.

We published a ‘National Interoperability Framework’ to help decision-makers make local decisions while paying respect to broader interoperability considerations.

We released guidance on ‘ Achieving a Positive Safety Culture in the Rail Corridor ’, as well as an explorative study (in partnership with the Australasian Railway Association) into the fitness for purpose of industry-type approval processes.

And we contributed to the report ‘Freight Train Visibility Review’ in partnership with the Australasian Centre for Rail Innovation, the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator, the Freight on Rail Group, ARA, and Track Safe.

RISSB also delivered successfully to the National Rail Action Plan, administered by the National Transport Commissions, with Standards on HVAC (AS 7482), Energy Storage (AS 7486) and Wheelsets (AS 7517), a Code of Practice on Train Horn usage, and a National Rolling Stock Register (a precursor to a National Vehicle Registration scheme, or at least a common platform feeding existing registration schemes), which is being populated now.

These projects are designed to increase harmonisation across the industry, stimulate local manufacturing capability and therefore support the Australian jobs market.

RISSB is proud to contribute to such important outcomes.

HORIZONS PROGRAM 4.0

Nearly 120 young professionals gathered at Sydney Trains Hub in Clyde and online for the final two-day forum of the H4.0 program in late July.

The forum included presentations from chief executive officers and industry leaders, workshops focused on key skills and Horizon participant groups presenting on their “new idea for rail”.

With participants from 40 rail organisations around Australia – from the Pilbara to Townsville – the Horizons Program continues to provide an opportunity for talented future leaders to learn, grow and build a network of contacts.

Well done and congratulations to all of the Horizons 4.0 graduates, many thanks to our network of industry leaders who gave their time to be part of the Program, and an equally big round of appreciation to our participants’

• Railway rolling stock - Heating ventilation and air conditioning: AS 7482

This document provides heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) design principles, comfort parameters and test requirements for new and modified locomotive, freight, passenger, and infrastructure maintenance rolling stock. It covers the design, construction, and maintenance of rolling stock and is applicable for rolling stock operating up to 160 km/h nominal maximum speed.

• Railway energy storage - Rolling stock onboard electrical energy storage: AS 7486

This Standard helps Australian rolling stock operators specify and utilise onboard batteries and electric double-layer capacitors used mainly for traction purposes (propulsion and

This month RISSB marked the two-year anniversary of its Major Projects portfolio, wrapped up its fourth Horizons Program, and released two new Standards.

Participants at the H4.0 program.

Industry Associations

Shining a light on rail safety

Now in its 17th year, Rail Safety Week is an initiative of the TrackSAFE Foundation and is supported by the ARA to foster education and awareness and engage both the wider and the rail community on safe rail practices when near, or on, the rail network.

This year’s event once again highlighted the importance of industry, government and the community working together to support a safe rail network for all of us.

WHAT THE DATA TELLS US

Since 2001, there has been on average of 104 fatalities per year on the Australian rail network, with an average of 74 of these people taking their own life. These figures equate to two people being killed on the Australian rail network every day.

There are also as many attempted suicides as suicides each year, in addition to 37 injuries at level crossings or because of trespassing on the network, and 1854 level crossing and trespass near hits.

This data confirms the importance of initiatives such as Rail Safety Week to promote a safe rail environment for both the community and rail industry workers.

CAMPAIGNING FOR RAIL SAFETY

Paralympian and TrackSAFE Rail Safety Ambassador Vanessa Low continued her support for Rail Safety Week this year, sharing her lived experience as a rail accident survivor.

Vanessa lost both her legs after accidentally stumbling from an overcrowded platform and into the path of an oncoming train and has since become a passionate advocate for rail safety.

Her support for the Rail Safety Week’s call for people to STAND BACK. LOOK UP. STAY RAIL SAFE. provides a powerful reminder that pedestrians, commuters and rail workers can all play an active role in rail safety.

Beyond the human loss, injury and grief resulting from safety incidents, these events can also cause trauma and work-related stress to both the rail staff and recovery staff involved with incidents.

This, and the cumulative impact of near hits, can result in an absence from work and the risk of acute and chronic health and wellness issues for rail staff.

WORKING COLLABORATIVELY

There are more than 23,000 level crossings in Australia. Around half of these crossings are on public roads and another half on private land.

Improving level crossing safety requires a collaborative approach between industry, government and the community.

To support these efforts, the TrackSAFE Foundation hosted its National Level Crossing Safety Forum to coincide with Rail Safety Week this year. It was held to explore issues related to the new National Level Crossing Safety Strategy, with the topics discussed to be considered by the National Level Crossing Safety Committee as it progresses the strategy’s implementation.

The Committee includes representatives from the ARA and TrackSAFE Foundation, government agencies, the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) and rail operators, track owners and managers from across Australia and New Zealand.

The forum was attended by a host of experts from the rail and road industries, government, police and other groups.

It was pleasing to see strong support for the event by national safety bodies such as ONRSR, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, with all

improving level crossing safety and discussing the role industry can play in these outcomes.

Attendees also heard about new technology innovations including Queensland Rail’s trial of Rail Active Crossing Safety System in rural and remote areas, Transport for NSW’s use of Minecraft to teach level crossing safety to younger audiences, and Rio Tinto’s use of lasers and other technology to improve level crossing safety near its autonomous train route.

SUPPORTING SAFE PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Beyond Rail Safety Week, the ARA is committed to working with the wider rail industry to ensure we collectively deliver safe and accessible services for everyone in our community, while maintaining the highest safety standards for the people who work within the industry.

A key recent focus for both the ARA and the committee has been supporting the industry transition to new National Rail Safety Data Strategy reporting requirements.

It was developed in partnership by ONRSR, the ARA, and rail industry representatives to achieve a relevant, consistent and quality national rail safety data set to inform rail safety decisions.

This process saw the creation of a Steering Committee, co-chaired by ONRSR and the ARA, to guide industry engagement on this critical issue.

The national rail safety data set will deliver better focussed national data and comparability.

It will also significantly reduce the number of occurrence types operators are required to report by focussing more on the collection of the data that directly impacts rail safety.

The ARA has long advocated for a national focus on rail safety and for the first time, the Australian rail industry will now have a truly national and consistent rail safety data set that will better inform decisions to help ensure rail safety every day.

More than 100 organisations united across Australia and New Zealand joined forces last month to support Rail Safety Week.

Caroline Wilkie, chief executive, Australasian Railway Association.

Rail Safety Week is designed to engage the community in safe rail practices.

Contracts, EOIs, Tenders

NEW SOUTH WALES

Moorebank Intermodal Terminal

The Moorebank Logistics Park is being developed on a precinct covering over 240 hectares of land. The precinct is roughly the size of the Sydney CBD stretching from Circular Quay to Central Station and will include up to 850,000 square metres of warehousing. National Intermodal is a partner in the terminal development and funding the rail access infrastructure.

Inland Rail

Qube has awarded Martinus the $140 million Moorebank Interstate Intermodal Terminal and rail access project – a nationally significant infrastructure development that will transform the way containerised freight moves through Sydney and along the east coast.

Martinus founder and chief executive officer Treaven Martinus said he and the team are thrilled to be delivering the facility, which forms part of the Moorebank Logistics Park, Australia’s largest intermodal project.

“For more than six months, we collaborated with our client, Qube, to refine the overall design and provided optimum solutions which ensure best for project outcomes. We have found that early involvement and collaboration are essential on major multi-disciplinary projects like this,” he said.

“Due to the scale and the complexity of the works, and all the logistical complexities that come with delivering large scale metro projects, we knew transparency with the client was essential and it strengthens the relationship – and for us that sets a solid foundation to deliver a project successfully.”

Interface management will play a critical part in the project management process which includes a range of specialised pavement works, earthworks, stormwater drainage, track works, signalling, communications, CCTV systems, HV service relocations and distribution, as well as other ancillary services.

Martinus chief operating officer Ryan Baden said that the team has provided a turn-key solution only made possible by the in-house experts who were specifically selected to champion these works.

“This win shows that we have an incredible team of people within Martinus who know the rail space inside and out. Our people are the reason why we are seen within the market as the experts within the complex railway infrastructure – because of their knowledge and solutions-focused thinking,” he said.

The shortlisted contractors for the 185km Albury to Illabo project and the 170km Stockinbingal to Parkes project – John Holland, FreightConnect and Martinus Rail –have attended networking sessions hosted by the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), at which businesses can make their pitch to the major contractors to win future work.

Businesses had to provide a business capability statement and an ‘elevator pitch’ that described their businesses, where they were located and clients they had worked with.

Project Director of Inland Rail (Tottenham to Narromine) Melvyn Maylin said ARTC Inland Rail was providing new opportunities for local businesses to engage with the Inland Rail program as they progress towards construction.

“These briefings are intended to help get as many local people as possible involved with the project,” he said.

“Inland Rail is being predominantly delivered in regional Australia, meaning there is a prime opportunity for regional Australia to reap the immediate benefits that come with construction. The relationships that we establish with communities and businesses now will also support regions to prepare for the long-term economic opportunities that come with connectivity to this fast, efficient and cost-competitive freight transport.”

ARTC is now entering a formal Request for Proposal phase to determine which contractor will be chosen to conduct the project.

The successful contractor will be required to deliver initiatives and meet targets related to industry participation, employment and workforce development with the Inland Rail team working closely with them to achieve these targets.

City centres like Albury-Wodonga and Wagga Wagga will act as hubs for regional industry when Inland Rail is operational, through intermodal capacity and strategic locations between Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra.

“We are incredibly mindful of how sizable investment can reshape regional economies in a short period of time and our focus is on ensuring that benefits flow directly to the communities on the Inland Rail alignment,” Maylin said.

ARTC is expecting to award the contract in early 2023.

QUEENSLAND

New Generation Rail

Hitachi Rail has begun a major contract to install innovative technology to automate elements of Queensland’s New Generation Rail (NGR) fleet, further enhancing the safety and capacity of rail services for passengers.

The $107m contract will see Hitachi Rail install Automatic Train Operation (ATO) over European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 2 technology on all NGR trains.

By combining ATO, which automatically controls the train’s traction and braking to continuously calculate optimum speed, with ETCS, a signalling technology which monitors the train’s movement and the speed limit on the track, the trains will be able to operate safely while running closer together. This means that Queensland Rail will be able to run a greater number of services.

The operator will also benefit from the significant energy efficiencies associated with consistently running trains at an optimum speed, reducing costs and electricity usage.

By maximising the capacity on the line and enhancing energy efficiencies, this worldfirst application of ATO over ETCS using the global ETCS standard will help deliver a more sustainable transport network.

The contract will be delivered over a four-year period across the 75-strong fleet of six-carriage trains.

The first two trains are undergoing technical fit-out and testing.

In addition to the ATO over ETCS technology installation, Hitachi has also been awarded an additional contract worth $65m for the maintenance of fleet through to 2046.

Hitachi Rail is a world leader in autonomous and signalling technology. In Australia, Hitachi Rail’s technology has enabled AutoHaul, the world’s first autonomous heavy haul rail, to run its fleet of more than 220 trains autonomously across Rio Tinto’s 1700km rail network in the remote Pilbara region of Western Australia.

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