THE OPERATOR THAT CARES

Yarra Trams offers a service founded on inclusivity for all Melburnians. Members of the executive team discuss laying the tracks for a culture of diversity at the world’s largest tram network

Writer: Phoebe Harper | Project Manager: Ryan Gray

Since the 1880s, trams have run along the streets of Melbourne as a vital source of transportation for Australia’s secondmost populous city. As it has gradually evolved into a sprawling metropolis, Melbourne has done so around the network of tram tracks that is woven into its very fabric.

Fast forward to 2023, and nearly 200 million passenger trips a year, 250 kilometres of double track, almost 500 trams, and over 3,000 employees combine to create the biggest operating tram system in the world. Enter, Yarra Trams.

“We are proudly the world’s largest tram network, operating out of nine depots and locations around Melbourne, and serving Australia’s most culturally diverse city,” opens Carla Purcell, Yarra Trams’ newly appointed CEO. Joining Purcell is Chief Development Officer, Adele McCarthy, and Chief People Officer, Peitta Dyball.

In 2009, the operation of the

Yarra Trams network was taken over by Keolis Downer – a joint venture formed between Keolis, internationally recognised operator and integrator of all mobility modes, and Downer – the leading provider of integrated services in Australia and New Zealand with over 100 years’ rail experience.

“We derive great value from this joint expertise and together we have done a lot in a short space of time,” Purcell continues, highlighting ongoing innovations in the network including heightened accessibility and integration of new technologies.

Working closely with the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning, Yarra Trams continues to deliver as a reliable partner to service major international events in Australia’s sporting and cultural capital, and in delivering significant transport projects across the city.

Alongside fulfilling its practical mandate of connecting the people of Melbourne in a physical sense, Yarra Trams champions a spirit of connection that sets the company apart as a corporate entity founded on a strong culture of diversity and inclusion.

“We want to do more than operate the network,” states Purcell. “We want to enhance the city and bring social, economic, and sustainable environmental benefits while providing a reliable service for Melburnians and visitors alike.”

APAC OUTLOOK: TELL US MORE ABOUT THE LAUNCH OF YOUR PRIDE TRAM AND WHY YOU DECIDED TO INVOLVE THE PUBLIC IN ITS DESIGN?

ADELE MCCARTHY, CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER: “I’m proud to be the executive sponsor of the Yarra Trams Pride Alliance. We are an active group of employees who want to contribute to making the workplace a great environment for LGBTI people to come and work, while also engaging with the community. We constantly look to promote career opportunities for queer, or marginalised youths, and remain active in the community.

“We have taken a rainbow tram on the Pride March for the past two years, so we saw this as a natural extension to combine our in-house design expertise with the creativity of the community. Coming out of COVID-19, we knew that our arts community had been hit hard by the pandemic, so it offered a nice opportunity to run a competition for local artists. Anyone could submit a design for the tram, and we opened up the voting to decide the winner. We had over 3,500 votes for the winning design, which has proven incredibly popular. We developed it with our key partners, Midsumma and JOY Media. It was in the Pride March in early 2023, and will be around our network for a year afterwards.

“It’s a tangible expression of our key message, which is ‘All Aboard’. Everybody is welcome on board our trams and we want our employees to reflect the diversity of the communities that we serve.”

Heaton Rail

Heaton Rail works locally and internationally with some of the world’s best rail companies that make a positive difference to millions of people’s lives every day.

We help our clients do more, faster, and better by providing them with bright and passionate engineering, management, specialist, and related professionals on demand.

Our team undertakes work ranging from managing high value and complex projects, designing innovative engineering solutions, leading testing and commissioning activities, all the way through to designing and delivering organisational changes.

Heaton Rail is built upon good people, processes, and market leading technology that give us access to a bigger and better talent pool faster than conventional methods.

At Heaton Rail, our people and talent network are truly our most important assets. As our famous saying goes, “a railway is 95 percent people and five percent iron”.

The Importance of our Partnership with Yarra Trams

Yarra Trams is the largest and arguably the most iconic light rail network in one of the world’s most liveable cities. Our tram network is such a quintessential part of Melbourne. Heaton Rail has been providing Yarra Trams with skilled professionals on a short- and long-term basis within their Projects, Rolling Stock, Infrastructure, Engineering, and Asset Management teams.

Being a key partner to Yarra Trams is something that we are extremely proud of as we get to play a part in our tram network’s most important asset, its people.