ARA welcomes all to AusRAIL PLUS 2019

AusRAIL PLUS 2019 – looking ahead

ARA CEO, Danny Broad, outline’s the Association’s agenda at AusRAIL PLUS 2019. W ELCOME TO SYDNEY FOR AusRAIL PLUS 2019, the largest rail conference and exhibition in the southern hemisphere including more exhibitors, speakers, visitors and delegates than any AusRAIL in the past. This year’s conference theme of “Delivering Growth; Creating Opportunity; Embracing Technology”, focusses on some of the key strategic priorities of the rail sectors in Australia and New Zealand, and of the ARA itself. We have designed a programme that explores many of the most salient challenges, developments and topics that we now face: • The Making Cities Liveable session focuses on some of the key urban rail projects underway, intended to dramatically enhance passenger transport options in three large cities, as governments re-discover the benefits of urban rail renewal, • The Connecting Our Regions session explores the economic and social benefits of large intercity rail projects. We look at Inland Rail, as well as current thinking on advancing the emerging pipeline of faster rail projects and looking ahead at the possibilities for East Coast High Speed Rail, • We examine emerging key issues facing the rail workforce - the need to address critical skills shortages as well as examine the workforce implications of technological change and other far reaching change-initiatives., • We look more closely at how we can better harness the technological changes now sweeping through industry to ensure we can work cohesively as an industry, and • We will have sessions examining project financing, working with customers, and we will again feature our initiatives to grow and encourage the next generation in our industry, reflecting the growing skills, passion and creativity of our younger cohorts. During our Young Rail Professionals Pitching Comp etition, five finalists will present their ground breaking ideas to the conference audience and the judging panel. The judges feedback coupled with the audience scores collected via the event app will determine the winner who will receive a trip to InnoTrans 2020 in Berlin including return airfares, accommodation and entry fees. Becoming a finalist this year was an achievement in itself, with a record 48 entries. The Future Leaders Program, aiming to create and retain great leaders is a six-month program that brings together emerging leaders to both network and work in groups to develop projects that would benefit the rail industry. Two groups will gain the opportunity to pitch their project to delegates to determine the winning project.

For the first time, the ARA’s Young Leaders Advisory Board (Y-LAB) will also participate in the AusRAIL program after their establishment earlier this year. Y-LAB brings together eight individuals from across the industry to harness the ideas of young talent and consider issues, projects and priorities on the ARA Board agenda by reporting to the ARA Board to provide the younger generations position, proposals and/or advice.

Our Women in Rail Pilot Mentoring Program will also conclude with a ceremony at the conference. This program has mentored a pilot group over the past six months intending to support, guide and retain women within the rail industry. Feedback received from participants has been overwhelmingly Around 1,000 delegates are expected to take part in the three day conference. AusRAIL 2019 will be Danny Broad’s last as the CEO of the Australasian Railway Association. He will stay on as the ARA’s next chairman. More than 400 exhibitors have stands at the AusRAIL PLUS 2019 exhibition.

positive and has now been publicised by the ARA to further promote the program, participants and supporters.

Through a partnership with Bombardier, we are extending ten Next Generation Scholarships to young employees in the rail industry, allowing them to attend the entire AusRAIL PLUS conference and all associated networking events completely free. These scholarships were determined by the submitted abstracts of participants’ ideas to disrupt or improve the rail industry in Australia or New Zealand and again was very well contested. Finally, for attendees under 35 wishing to attend AusRAIL PLUS, we are delighted to offer a Mentor Rate. Designed to encourage the transfer of industry knowledge, a significantly reduced fee is offered for young rail professionals to attend with a full-priced colleague. The enthusiasm for each of these programs is a fantastic, illustrating the interest and enthusiasm the new generation are injecting into the rail industry. By continuing to encourage and incorporate the passion these programs promote and foster, the rail industry has a genuine opportunity to benefit from this emerging group.

Coupled with a myriad of other conference sessions and activities, our technical streams, Yellow Tie Dinner, Gala Dinner, and over 400 exhibitors, this year’s conference is not to be missed.

Bob Herbert AM This AusRAIL PLUS will also coincide with some very significant changes at the ARA.

Most notable of these will be Bob Herbert AM concluding his term as chairman

after almost five years in the role. Bob’s tenure at the ARA has overseen a significant transformation of the organisation to be the broad, growing association we are today. Additionally, Bob has lent his considerable industry knowledge and experience to drive key initiatives such as the 2017 National Rail Plan, the Value of Rail Report and the BIS Oxford Skills Capability study released 12 months ago.

Bob has had a long and illustrious career in a number of executive roles in a large number of organisations, ranging from the Australian Industry Group (Ai Group), one of Australia’s significant national industry representative organisations which Bob was instrumental in forming, to the Melbourne Cricket Ground Trust. He played leadership roles in a diverse number of organisations and industries,

including the Industry Capability Network, Skilled Group, MainCo Melbourne, and the Superannuation Trust of Australia, amongst others.

In 2004 Bob was admitted to the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame, and in 2005 was made a Member of the Order of Australia “for services to industry, particularly in the area of industrial relations reform, industry training and skills development”.

Bob will retain his positions as the chairman of the TrackSAFE Foundation, and as a trustee of TrackSAFE New Zealand.

The ARA team looks forward to continuing to work closely with Bob and the TrackSAFE team to achieve beneficial outcomes for those involved in the rail industry.

On behalf of the ARA Board and the ARA team, I congratulat e and thank Bob for his time, passion, leadership and dedication to the ARA and the rail industry.

New CEO meet and greet As announced in early October, Ms Caroline Wilkie has been appointed as my replacement in the role of chief executive officer at the ARA. Caroline has generously committed to attending AusRAIL PLUS before she officially begins in the role in mid-February 2020, affording her an interesting insight into our major annual event, and you an opportunity to meet her. Caroline has proven experience leading a member association with a transport and infrastructure focus, having led the Australian Airports Association (AAA) for the past nine years. I look forward to introducing her to you and discussing future plans. Be sure to visit us and the ARA tea m at Stand 287 in the exhibition.

From the Editor ARA welcomes all to AusRAIL PLUS 2019 News up front Maximising rail’s spending boom

MAJOR PROJECTS, OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE

25 Q&A with John Holland’s Steve Butcher 29 Thales focussed on skills for survival 32 Systra Scott Lister adding value of confidence 35 Pacific National opens new Parkes freight hub 39 Keolis Downer talks metro transformations 43 Digitalisation the name of the game for Siemens 45 Wabtec’s GE Transportation boosts Roy Hill efficiency 48 Downer staying agile in changing rail industry 51 Andrew Engineering embracing digital with depot fit outs

ROLLINGSTOCK & MANUFACTURING

55 58 Rail Manufacturing CRC’s legacy GS1 helping digitalise supply chain management

WORKFORCE & TRAINING

61 CERT adapts to changing times and needs

PRODUCTS & TECHNOLOGY

64 67 70 73 75 77 79 81 83 Hitachi committed to sustainability MRD enhancing condition monitoring range Innovative wheel sensors from Frauscher SKF boosting service intervals for traction motors tm stagetec focusses on versatility, scalability Sekisui sleepers approach 40 years of action Australian Rail Technology improving OHW safety Omada helps tackle infrastructure pipeline Frequentis ICM deployed at Sydney Trains

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89 92 94 96 Plasser leverages simulation to improve service Ross Equipment on the value of quality components Lantech resolves long-held comms challenges Lankhorst expands sleeper success to ANZ Phoenix Contact develops IoT for surge protection Melvelle takes TrackPack electric

INDUSTRY COLUMNS

97 99 100 102 Women in Industry awards return in 2020 Message from RISSB Message from RTAA Message from ALC

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ISSUE 9 | 2019

Maximising the boom INFASTECH GIVES ONE SUPPLIER’S VIEW - SEE PAGE 20

Iov FngTegy!

Get on board! See us at AusRAIL PLUS –Stand 278

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COVER STORY

Rail Express speaks with Infastech Engineered Fastening managing director Glenn Heffernan about how governments can improve conditions for local rail suppliers.

See page 20.