Rail Express May 2025

I S S U E 4 | M AY 2025

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

In the digital driver’s seat Pacific National has overhauled its digital booking platform, streamlining the rail freight journey for customers.

Delivering turnkey solutions

An exciting trial

On the cutting edge

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Contents 4

From the Editor

7

Industry News

44

Heavy Haul Rail Award winners revealed

COV E R S TO RY

10

Pacific National: New-gen booking platform rolls out

T E C H N O LO G Y

26

13

Wabtec: A new era

29

4Tel: Safety first

33

Alstom: On the cutting edge

36

MGC Solutions: Looking to the future

P LA N T A N D E Q U I P M E N T

40

16

MATISA: Track rehabilitation made easy

23

Rhomberg Sersa Australia: Marking a milestone

38

Liebherr: Setting the course

40

Key Source Rail: Along for the slide

42

Affective Rail and Plant: Making TRACS

INSURANCE

20

AB City State: Covering all bases

PA S S E N G E R R A I L

26

Siemens Mobility: Turnkey solutions for the future

I N D U S T R Y O R G A N I S AT I O N S

36 42 I S S U E 4 | M AY 2025

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

In the digital driver’s seat Pacific National has overhauled its digital booking platform, streamlining the rail freight journey for customers.

46

ARA: The need for a national resilience framework

49

RISSB: National rail reform gathers speed

COVER STORY Pacific National has been on a journey with its customers to design a better, userfriendly booking portal to drive more freight on rail.

vating purpose

han 150 years, nnovations have e the industry ore sustainable uture.

WabtecCorp.com

Delivering turnkey solutions

An exciting trial

On the cutting edge

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SUPPORTED BY:

Image: Pacific National

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From the Editor

Published by:

379 Docklands Drive Docklands, VIC 3008 T: 03 9690 8766

Kayla Walsh Editor - Rail Express

Publisher John Murphy E: john.murphy@primecreative.com.au

Welcome to the May edition of Rail Express

Chief Operating Officer Christine Clancy E: christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au

It’s hard to believe we’re five months into 2025 already, and what a busy year it has been so far!

I was lucky enough to head over to Perth for the annual Heavy Haul Rail conference at the end of March, which coincided nicely with our special heavy haul-themed edition of Rail Express this month.

At the conference, I attended several informative talks and caught up with many of the talented individuals who contribute significantly to the rail industry.

It was a pleasure chatting to the team from MATISA, some of whom had flown all the way from Switzerland to tell customers about some of their new machines – find out more on pages 16 – 18.

I also sat down for a catch-up with Peter Thomas, Wabtec’s new Regional Senior Vice President for ANZ/SEA, who has recently relocated to Australia from the United States. With 22 years of experience in the rail industry, he brings plenty of knowledge and a fresh perspective to the role.

Mark Wood, Chief Technology Officer at 4Tel, talked me through an innovative Advanced Driver Advisory System, EN4CER, that it is trialing in Queensland in partnership with Pacific National.

Speaking of Pacific National – this month’s cover star has just launched a new customer portal, with improved features to make it easier to book and move intermodal freight on rail. The team spent thousands of hours testing and troubleshooting scenarios to ensure a smooth rollout, so be sure to check it out!

Heavy Haul Rail closed with a glamorous gala dinner and the inaugural Australian Heavy Haul Awards. I was delighted to see

Managing Editor Lisa Korycki E: lisa.korycki@primecreative.com.au Editor Kayla Walsh E: kayla.walsh@primecreative.com.au Business Development Manager Arron Reed M: 0466 923 194 E: arron.reed@primecreative.com.au Client Success Manager Isabella Fulford E: isabella.fulford@primecreative.com.au Head of Design Blake Storey E: blake.storey@primecreative.com.au Designer Apostolos Topatsis Subscriptions subscriptions@primecreative.com.au

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

4 | ISSUE 4 – MAY 2025 | RAIL EXPRESS

the iconic Ben Lombardo pick up the “Industry Legend” award on the night. Ben has been a pioneer and prominent innovator in the industry since the early 1980s. Take a look at some pics on page 44.

Also in this issue, Léon Soulier, Chief Executive Officer of Siemens Mobility’s Turnkey Business Unit, shares the benefits of its integrated solutions for developing infrastructure – from early planning to providing the latest technology and rolling stock right through to maintenance and training.

Alstom also tells us how it is integrating cutting-edge technology to improve the efficiency, safety and reliability of its operations.

Rhomberg Sersa Australia celebrates 25 years in business and the launch of a new tamping machine, while AB City State talks marine insurance and why you can’t afford to get it wrong.

Billy Jordan, from Affective Rail and Plant, educates us on the company’s innovative Track Remover and Carrier System machine, and MGC Solutions shares some of the exciting new products it is bringing to the market, including a wireless, rapidly deployed level crossing.

We also speak to Dr Gillian Miles from the Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board about mandatory standards, and hear the Australasian Railway Association’s thoughts on the need for a national resilience framework.

It’s a jam-packed issue – I hope you enjoy reading it!

kayla.walsh@primecreative.com.au

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News

$20 million to map out rail corridors and T2 Leppington & Inner West rail lines will also be explored, to better connect Sydney’s south west to Parramatta and the harbour CBD. The Preliminary Business Case will consider investments to upgrade existing rail networks and expand “fast, frequent and reliable rail services” into

Sydney’s Outer South West. To support this, the government’s Outer South West Housing Enablement Development Program component will support project development on future infrastructure initiatives that enable new housing and improve transport links in outer South West Sydney.

The New Cumberland Line would build on the current Cumberland Line.

Image: Transport for NSW

The Labor Government is building on its recent $1 billion investment to protect the corridor for the South West Sydney Rail Extension by investing $32.5 million to map out road and rail corridors across the city.

The government is spending $20 million on planning for three future programs: • A preliminary business case for the New Cumberland Line • A preliminary business case for T8 Airport & South and T2 Leppington and Inner West line upgrades • The Outer South West Housing Enablement Development Program A statement released by the office of Minister for Transport Catherine King said that the New Cumberland Line, which is building on the current Cumberland Line on the Sydney rail network, would provide an enhanced north west-south west rail connection, better linking Western Sydney’s major population centres.

The preliminary business case will provide the government with a road map for future investments in north-south rail links to improve public transport between Greater Parramatta, Fairfield, Bradfield and Liverpool.

Upgrades to the T8 Airport & South

Second chance for retired trains V/Line has leased the N-Class trains to the operator on a long-term contract, helping to boost Victoria’s freight capacity and meet increased demand, particularly in grain and intermodal haulage. V/Line led the program, supported by Freight Victoria,

Image: V/Line Corporate

The Victorian Government is giving ten retired V/Line trains a new lease of life hauling freight across the state after securing a lease agreement with private freight operator Southern Shorthaul Railroad.

V/Line has leased the N-Class trains to Southern Shorthaul Railroad.

the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) and the Department of Treasury and Finance.

As more of V/Line’s classic fleet trains are progressively replaced with modern VLocity trains, there’s an opportunity for locomotives to be repurposed on the freight network.

Almost 1600 kilometres of Victoria’s tracks are used to transport freight to port, which plays a critical role in supporting Victoria’s rail freight.

“With freight volumes expected to increase significantly in coming years, this initiative to repurpose passenger locomotives is an important step in getting more freight onto rail and off local roads,” said Minister for Ports and Freight Melissa Horne.

“We look forward to seeing these locomotives out and about moving product to port, ensuring we continue to grow Victoria’s rail freight business for generations to come.”

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News

‘Dangerous’ level crossing removed

Image: Victoria's Big Build

The new 427m road bridge makes it "safer and easier" to get around Beaconsfield, the Victorian Government said.

The Victorian Government recently removed its 85th “dangerous and congested” level crossing in Melbourne, opening a new road bridge to traffic in Beaconsfield.

Minister for Transport Infrastructure Gabrielle Williams announced the Station Street level crossing is gone for good and the new McKenna Drive bridge is now open to motorists connecting Beaconsfield Avenue to Kenilworth Avenue over the Pakenham Line.

With this level crossing gone, the Pakenham Line is one step closer to being level crossing-free later this year, with just two sets of boom gates left to go from Melbourne’s busiest rail line.

The milestone coincides with the release of updated safety data which says the Level Crossing Removal Project has made Victorian roads safer by preventing 111 crashes and near misses every year.

The program has also reportedly slashed travel times in the morning by saving 55 hours of boom gate down time.

The safety data is backed by new figures from Metro Trains showing the number of train and vehicle collisions and near misses across the metropolitan network has fallen by almost 80 per cent since 2019, from an average of 11 incidents a month to just two incidents a month in 2024.

Complaints a whole new kettle of fish

8 | ISSUE 4 – MAY 2025 | RAIL EXPRESS

dining habits to not at all, with eating on the train also featured in the top customer etiquette complaints.

Queensland Rail spokesperson Clare Hunter said: “The rail network was busy last year thanks to 50 cent fares and more than 50 million trips across South East Queensland (SEQ).

“The vast majority of our customers did the right thing every day by respecting their fellow passengers and displaying great train etiquette.

“Unfortunately, there were some who spoiled the journey for others with complaints about feet on the seats, noise, rubbish and priority seating.”

Hunter reminded passengers in Quiet Carriages to turn the volume down on devices, use headphones and keep conversations to a low volumes.

“We had lots of complaints about loud

music and while we love a banger, there’s a time and place for music, and it’s not the train,” she said.

“Give up your seat to those who need it more, keep your bags and feet off seats and remember you’re only allowed to drink water on board.

“We’re appealing to our customers’ sense of decency – good train etiquette is key to ensuring everyone has a safe and pleasant journey on the rail network.”

Queensland Rail is calling on customers to “scale” back their onboard dining.

Image: Queensland Rail

A whole fish left on a train seat was one of the most “off the hook” pieces of feedback Queensland Rail’s Customer Journey Advisers (CJAs) reeled in last year.

After a customer informed Queensland Rail’s specialist social media team of the yellow tail bream left on board a Cleveland Line service, it was promptly removed and the seat cleaned. Sadly, it had been out of water too long and was unable to be thrown back to sea.

Yoghurt tubs and eggshells were also among the “eggs-traordinary” rubbish left on a seat in 2024 – an unpleasant and messy discovery for a fellow passenger.

Bags and feet on the seats, music being played and loud talking also notched up some of the 773 bad train etiquette behaviours called out by Queensland Rail customers in 2024. The rail operator is calling on customers to “scale” back their onboard

M Si

G

News

Airport Metro hits major milestone Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport is part of an integrated transport plan that includes major infrastructure investment in surrounding roads.

Minister for Infrastructure, Transport,

Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King said: “Once this track is laid and trains are running, this rail link will connect passengers from the new airport to St Marys in just 15 minutes.”

Image: Sydney Rail

The first tracks have been laid on the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport metro line, the public transport connection linking the new airport and the fast-growing area around it.

More than 6400 tonnes of Australianmade rail steel will be laid along the 23-kilometre line between St Marys and Bradfield between now and mid-2026.

In total, 106.8 kilometres of rail line and 76,285 sleepers will be installed, including putting tracks down at the stabling and maintenance facility at Orchard Hills.

The first portion of track was installed at Luddenham, north of a new metro rail bridge over the future M12 motorway.

Track laying is now progressing north towards St Marys.

Work to build the six stations for the new line is in full swing, while plans detailing the design for each station are now finalised.

Track laying is now progressing north towards St Marys.

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Cover Story

One of the new booking portal features under development would allow customers to calculate the emission benefits of hauling by rail rather than road.

New-gen booking platform rolls out Pacific National has been on a journey with its customers to design a better, user-friendly booking portal to drive more freight on rail.

Leading private rail freight operator Pacific National recently unveiled its new customer portal, rolling out improved features to make it easier to book and move intermodal freight on rail.

Pacific National Chief Executive Officer Brett Grehan said the company is proud to have delivered a user-friendly platform for customers seeking to move containerised freight.

“Our new portal makes it easier for our customers to optimise and manage bookings, and move what matters on a Pacific National train,” he said.

“We’re delighted our intermodal customers have welcomed the new functions, intuitive design, real-time updates and improved self-service capabilities.”

PATH TO DELIVER PORTAL Almost two years ago, Pacific National embarked on a journey, engaging with its customers to understand how it could deliver more for them.

“Pacific National didn’t just set out to update the booking portal – our goal has always been to position our railroad as 10 | ISSUE 4 – MAY 2025 | RAIL EXPRESS

the easiest to do business with,” Grehan said. "Our teams interviewed a range of customers, canvassing their experiences with our former booking platform FreightWeb and our services more broadly.

“We didn’t want them to sugarcoat things; we actively asked how we could improve on our offerings. It was this engagement with our customers that really set us on the right track, laying the course to deliver a better customer booking portal.

“Our technology group clocked up hundreds of hours at customers’ sites, observing fleet controllers and their interactions with Pacific National to understand how they worked and what mattered to them.”

“Instead of dictating how our customers needed to work, our team flipped the script and designed with our customer front of mind to deliver a portal that worked for them and avoid friction and teething issues.”

Grehan said freight forwarders operate in a dynamic, fast-moving business, juggling multiple bookings, processes, and technology platforms.

“Rather than requiring businesses to conform to our rigid processes, our team has created a customisable, intuitive portal that is easy to use,” he said.

“We have also deliberately avoided rail jargon and added new features to improve customers’ productivity and help power better logistics planning.”

CUSTOMER FRONT OF MIND Grehan said Pacific National understood booking portals only delivered efficiency for customers if they were customisable – otherwise they would simply be viewed as a hurdle or too cumbersome to navigate.

“We knew if we wanted to drive more freight on to rail, we had to design a portal that was customer-centric,” he said.

IMPROVED USER EXPERIENCE Pacific National is confident its “design thinking” approach delivers value for customers beyond an improved booking experience.

“The landing page or dashboard tells a customer everything they need to action in their day, including booking cut-off times, which containers are available for pick-up,

Images: Pacific National

Pacific National transports a varied mix of general freight cargo, import/ export goods, and bulk commodities.

available capacity on preferred corridors, any change to ETA and freight availability,” Grehan said.

“Everything is customised to the specific logged-in customer, giving information that is relevant to them and making it easier than ever to manage logistics.”

For customers who move thousands of containers on Pacific National intermodal services, the booking and trip template functionality reduces multiple fields of data entry to a few clicks.

“There is a lot of manual work involved with coordinating freight,” he said. “We have tried to anticipate repetitive tasks and streamline them for our customers introducing time-saving shortcuts.

“At the other end of the spectrum, customers who book container movements less frequently will find the portal easy to navigate and benefit from the guided booking and trip flows.

“If you are able to book an airline ticket, then you can book a container with us. It’s that easy.”

Pacific National’s new portal features are also appealing for smaller freight forwarders previously reticent to engage with rail operators.

“The portal opens the door to rail for smaller freight forwarders, delivering greater transparency and giving them more control to move their cargo where they need to by train,” Grehan said.

“Pacific National’s digital portal gives all customers the tools they need to optimise their rail freight operations, delivering value across the supply chain.”

SEAMLESS TR ANSITION Pacific National is delighted with how customers have embraced the new portal, and proud its planning paid off with the rollout going off without a hitch.

“During the first day of operation, the portal attracted more than a thousand unique visitors, which is three times busier than normal Monday traffic to the booking platform,” Grehan said.

After just one month, virtually every registered Pacific National customer had accessed the portal, making thousands of container bookings and tens of thousands of trip bookings.

“We got great feedback during the testing phase and around launch day that customers overwhelmingly loved the trip template and how simple it was to check the movements of their containers.

“Users frequently suggested the platform had been set up like an airline ticket booking system, which really signalled to us they recognised it was very easy to use.”

Pacific National dedicated thousands of hours to testing and troubleshooting scenarios to ensure the rollout was smooth for its customers.

“We know for freight forwarders navigating supply chains, deadlines and demands, switching to a new logistics platform can often come with some disruption,” Grehan said.

“However, the transition to the new platform was seamless, thanks to regular testing with customers and more than 9000 hours clocked by the team doing system testing across 5500 testing scenarios.

“The team thoroughly tested the portal with customers to ensure they had refined the design right up to launch day when they migrated to the new system.

“We got great feedback during the testing phase, overwhelmingly customers loved the trip template and the simpler way of checking the movement of the container was appreciated.”

NEW DEVELOPMENTS ON TR ACK While the portal has been deployed via the web, a mobile app is in the pipeline and set to be rolled out later this year, ensuring customers will be able to access their important bookings whether they are at their desk or on the go.

“Pacific National is invested in this journey with our customers,” Grehan said. “We’ve got more enhancements on the horizon and our team is continuing to engage with customers to determine what comes next.”

One of the new features under development is a self-serve carbon emissions reporting function that would allow customers to calculate the emission benefits of hauling by rail rather than road.

DIGITAL SOLUTIONS Pacific National is confident digital applications and solutions are a key driver to deliver reliable rail freight services and improve the customer experience.

“That’s why Pacific National has been investing in new technology – we recognise these tools are critical to help position rail as a preferred mode of transport in Australia’s intermodal freight mix,” Grehan said.

“This new digital portal and app highlights Pacific National’s commitment to growing rail’s mode share and giving our customers what they need to get ahead in today’s dynamic logistics environment.

“The new portal effectively puts the customer in the driver’s seat allowing them to prioritise or expedite an order through Pacific National’s fleet of services.”

Customers interested in accessing the new portal can contact Pacific National’s sales team at: marketing@pacificnational.com.au

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A new era for Wabtec Image: Prime Creative Media

Wabtec, a leading global provider of railway equipment, has welcomed Peter Thomas as its new Regional Senior Vice President for Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia.

Peter Thomas brings almost 30 years of experience to his new role.

Earlier this year, when Peter Thomas stepped off a plane in Sydney, he wasn’t just relocating across the globe – he was stepping into a new chapter of a career that has spanned decades, continents, and a dynamic era in rail.

As Wabtec’s newly appointed Regional Senior Vice President for Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia, Thomas brings almost 30 years' experience to the role, including 22 years immersed in the rail industry.

He also brings fresh perspective to a region facing enormous technological, environmental, and operational shifts.

“I actually began this role in October, but I moved to Australia in January, so I’m still fresh!” he said.

“I’m learning a lot from the customers and from the unique structure of the rail industry here in Australia.”

That learning curve, he said, has been rewarding.

“I've realised that the industry here is far more complex than in North America,” Thomas said.

“In North America, the freight railroads own all their own infrastructure, but here you have below rail operators, you have the above rail operators, you have different gauges, and you have both electric and

diesel powered trains. In the United States, freight rail is pretty much all diesel.”

Thomas is no stranger to complexity.

Throughout his long tenure at Wabtec and previously GE Transportation (which was bought by Wabtec in 2019), he’s held senior commercial and strategic roles across the US, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.

His recent responsibilities have included leading Wabtec’s global strategy and overseeing government relations – experience that will be crucial in navigating evolving transport policy, decarbonisation targets, and investment planning in the ANZ/SEA region.

“I’ve worked across the digital, equipment and services sides of our business, and I think that gives me a unique vantage point,” he said.

“I also bring deep internal relationships across the company, which is important when you’re representing a region this far from Wabtec’s headquarters, which are in Pennsylvania.

“It helps to connect local needs back to global resources.”

BUSTING MY THS ABOUT R AIL With more than two decades in rail, Thomas has developed a nuanced understanding of the sector’s strengths – and its common misconceptions.

“There’s this idea that rail hasn’t changed in 150 years, and that couldn’t be further from the truth,” he said.

“It’s an incredibly technical, dynamic industry. There’s a huge amount of innovation that often goes unseen.”

Indeed, much of the rail industry’s progress is hidden beneath the surface – from digital asset monitoring to predictive maintenance to automated safety systems.

For Thomas, this ongoing innovation is part of what has kept him engaged across such a long career.

“After 22 years, it continues to be new and exciting,” he said. “I learn something new almost every day, especially now I'm working more on the heavy haul side with the mining customers.

“I'm gaining appreciation for just how complex their larger environment is – and for how critical our technologies are to keeping things moving.”

HEAV Y HAUL: R AIL’S RUGGED FRONTIER Australia’s heavy haul sector is one of the most advanced – and demanding – in the world.

With bulk commodities like iron ore and coal moved across thousands of kilometres in remote and often extreme conditions, the equipment and systems used must be exceptionally robust and reliable.

“Railroading is an outdoor sport,” Thomas quipped. “You’re dealing with climate, terrain, heavy equipment, and variables that aren’t always within your control.

“You have to be prepared to deal with a lot of different eventualities.”

In this environment, digital connectivity can be a challenge, but Wabtec has developed systems that ensure reliable performance, even in the most remote locations.

“Connectivity is less of a challenge Images: Wabtec

t

Technology

Wabtec's Rail Ghost can crawl beneath locomotives to inspect undercarriages.

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Technology

today than it was in the past. Between cellular, satellite, and dedicated networks, there’s always a way to stay connected,” Thomas explained.

“What’s more important is having people on the ground – resources and expertise, in many cases, embedded with our customers who can respond quickly and minimise downtime.”

DECARBONISING R AIL, ONE INNOVATION AT A TIME Wabtec is a major player in the global push to decarbonise freight transport. While rail is already far more energy-efficient than road – typically four to five times more efficient than trucks – the company believes there is still room for significant improvement.

“One of the best ways to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation is to move what you transport on trucks to rail, but there are still things that we can do to make rail even more efficient,” said Thomas.

“A lot of those things are focused on decarbonisation. We're working on batteries, and we put a lot of effort into biofuels, which are important in different parts of the world.

“We're also beginning to develop hydrogen as a low-carbon fuel alternative in an internal combustion engine, and looking at fuel cells as a potential power plant for locomotives in the future.”

Wabtec commits around six per cent of its annual revenue to innovation – an investment that’s producing tangible results.

Among the most anticipated developments is the company’s FLXDrive* battery-electric heavy haul locomotive, set to arrive in Australia later this year.

“That will be the first of its kind here – it’s an exciting milestone for both Wabtec and the industry,” Thomas said.

“The future will not have that one-sizefits-all solution that diesel has provided in the past.

“We're looking at new technologies we can bring there to make those useful locomotives more productive and eventually evolve into this next generation of technologies.”

Some of Wabtec’s current solutions already reduce fuel usage by a combined 33 per cent compared to 2005 baselines, thanks to innovations like Trip Optimizer*, idle reduction systems, and advanced engine controls.

“We’re helping customers save fuel and emissions today, while also preparing them for tomorrow.”

SAFET Y BY DESIGN In rail, safety is paramount – and Wabtec integrates safety into every level of product design and system deployment.

“Once our products end up in our

customers’ operations, they've got to perform safely,” said Thomas.

“We also have solutions that actively enhance safety – like our signalling systems here in Australia, and the Positive Train Control (PTC) systems we developed in the US and are now deploying globally.”

Wabtec’s PTC is a safety-critical overlay system that provides means to enforce movement authorities, speed restrictions, work zones and switch positioning, to help reduce the potential for train accidents.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are playing a growing role in Wabtec’s safety strategy too.

From track inspections to rolling stock diagnostics, intelligent systems are helping rail operators detect issues earlier and act faster.

“We've got systems that use both vision and acoustic sensors to detect problems on the train as it goes by, whether that's problems with the wheel or the bearings or something else,” Thomas said.

“By using AI, we can continue to get better and better at detecting those issues earlier and earlier in the process, so that we can perform proactive maintenance before something fails.”

Wabtec’s Rail Ghost* robot is one example of a future technology that the company is working to develop and prove. This

Wabtec's FLXDrive battery-electric heavy haul locomotive is set to arrive in Australia later this year.

14 | ISSUE 4 – MAY 2025 | RAIL EXPRESS

remotely operated unit can crawl beneath locomotives to inspect undercarriages – improving safety for workers and reducing the need for manual inspections in hazardous conditions.

“We’re always looking at how to make rail work safer, smarter, and more efficient,” Thomas said.

“One of the great things about the rail industry as a whole is that our customers, although competing with each other in the marketplace, when it comes to safety, there is a unified approach and a collective drive to improve the entire industry.”

BRIDGING THE WORKFORCE GAP While technology is advancing rapidly, the industry is facing a looming human challenge: workforce availability. Australia’s vast geography, coupled with an ageing workforce, is making it harder to find skilled rail workers in the right places.

“The average age of the workforce is continuing to rise in pretty much every developed country,” Thomas said.

“Younger workers are increasingly not interested working in heavy industries like rail, so we're working on other technologies to help rail be safer, more reliable and more efficient."

Wabtec is developing technologies that support remote operation, including the

ability to operate locomotives remotely, control yard shunting equipment, and operate trains autonomously in certain contexts.

“The idea is to improve productivity, reduce costs, and make the industry more appealing to new talent,” he said.

“People want to work with technology – and rail has a lot of it.”

COLL ABOR ATING FOR A SMARTER FUTURE A major part of Thomas’s mission in his new role is to build stronger partnerships – across industry, government, and the broader supply chain.

“I believe that we have the opportunity to work together as an industry to pick the right technology paths, optimise our collective investments, and in doing so, make rail more efficient, more sustainable and more productive,” he said.

He said his previous experience in government relations is proving useful as the industry seeks clearer policy signals and support for emerging technologies like battery-electric and hydrogen.

“We need to bring government into the tent and help them understand both the opportunities rail presents and the unique challenges it faces,” he said.

“They obviously have a big role to play,

so we've got to work together in that respect as well.”

Wabtec is already engaging with governments around the world where they do business, to help shape the policy environment around decarbonisation and innovation.

“If left to its own devices, freight rail in Australia will actually flatline and lose share to other modes,” Thomas warned.

A NEW CHAPTER BEGINS Just a few months into his new role, Peter Thomas is clearly energised by the challenges ahead – and the possibilities they bring.

He said rail is more than just a freight mode – it’s a critical enabler of sustainability, innovation, and futurefocused careers. It’s a story, he believes, that deserves greater recognition.

He speaks candidly about the cultural adjustment of moving to Australia (including his wife's run-in with a Huntsman spider in their Sydney apartment) and jokes about his Labrador’s epic quarantine journey.

“Bringing a dog to Australia is a whole process,” he laughed. “But we’re all settled in now. It’s been a great start.” *All of Wabtec's product names are trademarked and the property of Wabtec.

Wabtec strives to make rail work safer, smarter, and more efficient.

WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 15

Plant and Equipment

Track rehabilitation made easy Swiss rail equipment manufacturer MATISA tells us why it’s ready to expand its presence in Australia. and customer focus,” he said. “From mechanisation to data-driven operations, MATISA has grown from a trusted supplier into a solution partner for railway infrastructure.”

MATISA IN AUSTR ALIA MATISA Australia Pty Ltd was set up in 2018 to assist Australian customers with direct service.

Its local technicians and engineers are factory trained and fully qualified to carry out inspections, maintenance and repairs to all MATISA components.

MATISA Australia offers a range of machines tailored to the Australian market and its various gauge requirements, and the team based here works closely with the head office in Switzerland to give feedback on the specific needs of local networks.

Managing director of MATISA Australia, Alfie Hunziker, said the company has had great success in Australia so far and is ready to expand its presence further.

It hopes to do this with the promotion of inline mechanised track renewal and ballast cleaning across the Australian rail networks. MATISA manufactures high quality machinery specifically tailored for such operations such as two impressive track renewal trains, the P 95 and the P 190, and its high output ballast cleaning and screening machine, the C 75, all of which are new to the market Down Under.

“MATISA has been operating since 1945, so the designs of our track renewal and ballast cleaning machines are well established, but with constant improvements being made,” Hunziker said.

“We are interested in new work methods, new ways of approaching things, and we have the technology and the machinery to do this.”

THE P 95 One of the company’s flagship products, MATISA’s P 95 high-performance track renewal train, can replace sleepers and rail simultaneously and quickly.

Images: MATISA

MATISA, one of the world’s leading providers of equipment and services for the rail industry, is celebrating 80 years in business in 2025.

A pioneer in rail, offering an extensive range of solutions focused on its three core areas of maintenance, renewal and construction of track networks, the Swiss company sees the milestone as a symbol of its resilience and evolution.

Dr Simone Amorosi, Product Director at MATISA Matériel Industriel S.A., said: “Since 1945, MATISA has continuously adapted to the changing needs of rail operators worldwide.

“Our legacy is rooted in Swiss engineering precision, reliability, and fieldproven performance.”

Although MATISA has a rich history, Amorosi said its mindset is future-oriented.

“We are embracing digitalisation, automation, and sustainability while preserving our fundamental values: performance, simplicity,

The C 75-2C is a variation of the C 75, with two screens.

16 | ISSUE 4 – MAY 2025 | RAIL EXPRESS

The incorporation of a double sled enables the execution of multiple obstacle jumps within a single worksite.

"This also allows for cut-in and cutout times that are simply unthinkable for MATISA’s competitors," said Hunziker.

"In less than 30 minutes, the P 95 can be deployed or withdrawn from a worksite."

Sleeper management is achieved through linear movements, allowing for efficient and fast removal and placement. For operating on curves, the machine uses dynamic and static guides to carefully guide new sleepers through the workgroup.

Franck Martinet, Sales Product Manager at MATISA, said: “Our machine is substantially faster than conventional methods of track and sleeper replacement.

“Once set up, the P 95 will do about 1200 metres a day of complete track renewal.

“It’s a true technological feat and a testament to MATISA’s expertise.”

THE P 190 The P 190 track renewal train is a more compact version of the P 95 and is designed for sites of small to medium length.

The P 190 comprises two wagons and one working group, and has been tried and tested on heavy haul and conventional lines around the globe.

“Despite being shorter than the P 95, the P 190 concedes nothing in matters of reliability, durability, flexibility, quality of work or accuracy,” said Martinet.

“The proven reliability of the P 190 is based on 50 years of design and manufacturing experience.”

THE C 75 The C 75 is a high-performance ballast cleaning and screening machine, specifically designed for continuous ballast bed treatment.

It is made up of two double powered bogie units, which are connected by a drawbar and a single bogie trailer.

Martinet said a lot of work has gone into the machine’s design, with engineers perfecting all aspects from assembly to maintenance to replacing parts.

“These machines are very durable – they last for at least 25 years,” he said.

“They are also compact, which makes it easier to maintain them and reduces the number of staff needed.”

SAFE AND EFFICIENT Hunziker said MATISA’s machines can increase the productivity and efficiency of work sites, lowering the overall cost of projects and infrastructure while making them safer for workers.

“When you are doing conventional track removal work, there is a lot of ancillary

machinery that's required,” he said.

“You have excavators, you have sleeper extracting machines, and you have an operator sitting in each of those machines.

“With MATISA’s machines, the ancillary machinery and extra workforce costs can be drastically reduced – and more mechanisation and less manual handling also means fewer people in the firing line of heavy machinery.”

THE HEAV Y HAUL MARKET Hunziker said many heavy haul networks were built back in the 1970s, and the time has come for major track renewals.

“We see huge potential there for utilising our fully mechanised systems,” he said.

“Heavy haul networks are extremely heavily used, as the name suggests – the axle loads running over these networks are massive.

“Safety is paramount, you want a system where you can reduce personnel involvement on the ground and still deliver a high quality and durable track that will ensure the future safe passage of trains."

The speed at which machines like the P 95 can operate also makes a big difference in an industry where time is most definitely money.

“Each ore train is worth a substantial amount of money in net income for these mining companies,” he said.

“Any machinery that can be easily and swiftly set up and works efficiently obviously helps their business model of getting as many trains down the track as they can.

“Plus the mining industry is often at the forefront of new technology, so why

The P95 is a high-performance track renewal train that can replace sleepers and rail simultaneously and quickly.

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Image: Prime Creative Media

Plant and Equipment

Some of the MATISA team at the recent Heavy Haul Rail conference: Alfie Hunziker, Franck Martinet, Erol Afsin and Damien Cadoux.

shouldn’t they consider new work methods for track renewal?”

SENSITIVE SITES Hunziker explained that in Australia, many rail networks run through culturally and environmentally sensitive sites such as national parks and heritage sites.

“Working with conventional methods, you have people coming in from the side of the track, disturbing the environment around the track.

“There are also certain environments where conventional methods become very difficult. You might have deep sandstone cuttings in the environment, or you might have very high berms, with the track sitting on three or four metres of ballast.

“We work using what is called a continuous process, so you're working in one line along the track – starting at the beginning and ending at the end – allowing our customers to avoid many of those challenges.”

CUSTOMER SERVICE Martinet said that far from just supplying machines, MATISA is with its Australian customers every step of the way.

“We provide everything from online documentation with information about every aspect of the machines, to maintenance, spare parts and a helpline our customers can call for advice,” he said.

“When we deliver the machines we can provide training to crews, and we can also provide refresher courses if, for example, a customer has experienced staff turnover.”

18 | ISSUE 4 – MAY 2025 | RAIL EXPRESS

In addition, MATISA has connectivity to its machines (subject to each customer’s approval), so the team can detect issues and remotely update software when necessary.

“This is another level of checks and assistance for the customer,” said Martinet.

“The customer decides what we can see and how much involvement/control we have.”

PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE MATISA’s machines come equipped with sensors that can track multiple data points and send alerts reminding customers to carry out maintenance or replace parts at a certain point.

“If you say you want a reminder before you hit 100 kilometres travelled, for example, you can program that in,” he said.

Amorosi added that MATISA views its products not just as a machine but as a service platform.

“Our LCM (Life Cycle Management) model includes maintenance plans compliant with local standards and regulations, retrofitting capabilities, and digital diagnostics,” he said.

“Through predictive analytics, we help clients anticipate maintenance needs, reduce unplanned downtime, and optimise spare parts use.

“This maximises fleet availability while lowering total cost of ownership.”

SUSTAINABILIT Y Amorosi said “sustainability is not an addon” for MATISA, it's a design principle.

“We integrate optimised diesel powertrains to reduce emissions, and our machines are lighter and more compact

than those of competitors, leading to lower energy consumption,” he said.

“We also focus on recycling systems, predictive maintenance to extend machine life, and digital tools to minimise unnecessary interventions.

“For us, sustainability means not only reducing carbon footprint, but also extending asset life and optimising total cost of ownership.”

RESEARCH AND DESIGN Amorosi said research and design (R&D) is a cornerstone of MATISA’s longterm competitiveness.

“We invest continuously in innovation, mechanical, digital, and procedural,” he said.

“Many of our innovations are protected by patents. These innovations accelerate our capacity to test, validate, and iterate.

“Beyond product features, R&D at MATISA supports new business models too, such as modular retrofitting and data-driven maintenance contracts.”

VISION FOR MATISA Amorosi said MATISA sees itself evolving into a global enabler of intelligent, sustainable infrastructure renewal.

“We will continue to lead the market in track renewal and maintenance, but with a sharper focus on digital integration, energy efficiency, and lifecycle optimisation,” he said.

“Whether through smarter tamping, railonly renewal, or embedded systems, our goal is to support infrastructure managers in doing more with less, more performance, more availability, less impact.

Time to Switch to the Key Source Switch Key Source Rail is Australia’s exclusive supplier of the Ekoslide Switch Roller. The Benefits of Ekoslide are: • Extended Equipment Life: Reduces wear on motors.

• Lower Maintenance Costs: No lubrication needed, reducing repairs and labour.

• Reduced Consumable Costs: Lower consumable wear/replacement.

• Energy Savings: Cuts power use with reduced friction.

• Improved Performance: Minimises motor failures, traffic errors, and train delays.

• Cost-Effective: Saves on lubrication, labour, switch failures, and electricity.

Contact the team to find out more +61 8 9237 8500

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Insurance

Covering all bases Austbrokers City State Rail talks through the importance of marine insurance and why it could make or break your business.

More than 300 years ago, inside a London coffee house buzzing with maritime chatter, the foundations of modern insurance were being laid.

At Lloyd’s Coffee House in the late 1600s, ship captains, merchants and early financiers met to exchange information and share the risks of long, uncertain voyages. By literally writing their names under the details of a voyage to take on part of the financial risk, these early underwriters formalised what would become the world’s first organised system of insurance.

That gathering point eventually evolved into Lloyd’s of London, one of the largest and most influential insurance markets in the world. While the risks of piracy and rough seas still exist, marine insurance has grown far beyond its nautical roots – now covering goods in transit not only by sea, but also by air, road and rail.

According to Brian Barreto, Director of Austbrokers City State Rail, understanding the full scope of marine insurance is critical for businesses operating in the transport, logistics and heavy haul sectors. “‘Marine insurance’ refers to insurance of goods that are moved in transport and logistics, across the supply chain,” Barreto said. “So once upon a time, that was goods moved on ships, but things aren't just 20 | ISSUE 4 – MAY 2025 | RAIL EXPRESS

moved by sea anymore – they're moved by air, road and rail too.”

UNIQUE RISKS Freight moves through increasingly complex logistics chains, and each mode carries distinct risks.

“Moving freight by ship probably comes with the highest risks,” said Barreto.

“We’ve got parts of the world that have political unrest.

“There are terrorism threats, pirates and the temperament of the sea on top of that, which can cause containers to be lost.”

Barreto said rail is probably the second riskiest form of transporting freight, due to the large volumes carried.

“Trains tend to carry a lot more on board one journey versus a truck,” he said.

“As a result, there’s a higher quantum of risk.

“By contrast, transporting freight by air is relatively low risk, not just because it tends to move fewer goods but because globally, we've got high aviation standards.”

AN OVERLOOKED FORM OF INSUR ANCE Marine insurance is designed to provide coverage along freight’s entire journey – but Barreto warned that it’s often misunderstood or neglected by operators.

“A lot of clients will give their public liability insurance attention, they'll give their material damage insurance a lot of attention, but marine insurance is overlooked,” he said.

“Then all of a sudden there’s an accident or a derailment, and there are issues with the coverage, because they didn’t give it proper consideration.”

DECADES OF EXPERIENCE AB City State has been operating since 1984 and has specialised in logistics insurance since its beginnings.

Barreto himself has been in the industry since 1998 and said that the collective experience of AB City State’s staff is a major advantage for its clients.

He said a good broker will ask the right questions from the start, to make sure they understand all aspects of the coverage required.

“You need to make sure you know how things are physically being moved and handled, the security at each of those locations, and the value of the risk itself,” he said.

“Then you look at the contractual framework. That’s something that’s often labelled as simple to put together, but it’s not always the case.”

Image: Kirill Gorlov/stock.adobe.com Freight moves through increasingly complex logistics chains, and each mode carries distinct risks.

that right, potentially you have gaps in your cover.”

HIGH VALUE, HIGH STAKES Barreto said many insurance brokers don’t have a full grasp of the practical realities of transport operations, and that’s where businesses can come unstuck.

For operators in high-value, high-risk sectors such as freight rail, the right marine insurance is more than a safety net, it’s a critical part of doing business.

Failing to understand the full scope of risk can lead to serious financial fallout.

Barreto shared a recent example of a client who engaged a cartage contractor to

Image: AB City State

AB City State provides a level of attention to detail that, in Barreto’s view, makes the difference between a policy that protects, and one that falls short.

The firm works with clients across the full supply chain, and customises coverage based on how, where and by whom goods are being moved.

“We often remind clients that insurance doesn’t reset at each mode of transport, insurance must track the entire journey,” he said.

“Where do the goods originate from? Where do they end up, and what happens in between – that all needs to be captured. Because if you don't get

move some goods for them. “The terms and conditions of that engagement were that our client would be responsible to insure the goods, as the terms and conditions included a hold harmless clause.

"Unfortunately, there was an accident that occurred that was the fault of a third party. Therefore, there wasn't any breach of duty by the cartage contractor towards our client.

"So, the loss of the goods was the responsibility of the third party, but that third party went into receivership, and it was not possible to make a claim against them.

"Our insured was also not able to make a claim against the cartage contractor because of the terms and conditions of that contract they entered into, so they were left with financial loss."

When it comes to transporting heavy machinery or other expensive goods, the financial risks can be huge.

“You have businesses that are transporting the likes of rail tamping machines that cost millions,” Barreto said.

“We have a client who was transporting Black Hawk helicopters for a defence contract, they’re a few million dollars each.

“When something goes wrong, that could be quite a significant exposure.”

He said there are situations where if there are gaps in cover, it could lead to bankruptcy.

“You really need an experienced broker who is going to make sure that they’re covering all bases,” he said. “We’re here to help.”

You're in good hands with the knowledgeable team at AB City State Rail.

WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 21

100% SYSTEM AVAILABILITY

Transform the way we travel At Siemens Mobility, we value our local manufacturing facilities and engineering teams for their innovative and sustainable ways of working, as they are the key to revitalizing old and new rail technology that will #transformtheeveryday and change the way we travel globally.

Plant and Equipment

Marking a milestone Rhomberg Sersa Australia is celebrating 20 years of business and the launch of a new tamping machine that is the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

Rhomberg Sersa Australia recently celebrated 20 years of operation in the Australian rail industry, marking two decades of growth, innovation, and contribution to the reliability and efficiency of the nation’s rail networks.

The company has developed significantly since its establishment, becoming a leading provider of rail infrastructure solutions.

From a small team of 20 staff, the company has grown to a workforce of nearly 300, supporting critical rail projects along the East Coast.

Some major projects Rhomberg Sersa Australia has been involved in include the Newcastle Light Rail, Sydney Metro in New South Wales, and Cross River Rail in Brisbane.

The company has been one of the preferred contracting partners of the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) for the past two decades, employing many locals and subcontractors to deliver work across the Lower and Upper Hunter Valley.

Rhomberg Sersa Australia is now preparing to play a key role in the delivery

of the highly anticipated Western Sydney Airport metro line.

Richard Morgan, Managing Director of Rhomberg Sersa Rail Group, said that reaching the 20-year mark is a testament to the dedication and expertise of the team.

“Whilst I am extremely proud of our achievements over these past 20 years, what really excites me is the passion and dedication of our people,” he said.

“Our strategy has always prioritised our core business clients and delivering the highest standard of work.

“Looking ahead, Rhomberg Sersa Australia will continue investing in our people and technology to further enhance our reputation and ensure continued success over the next 20 years.”

Founding Managing Director and current Chief Technology Officer of Rhomberg Sersa Rail Group, Garry Thur, said: “We are proud of the success story in Australia and that our strategy of combining European and Australian expertise adds value to our customers.”

AN EXCITING NEW L AUNCH To coincide with its 20th anniversary celebrations, Rhomberg Sersa Australia has added a brand-new tamper to its fleet – M612.

The first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, the arrival of the machine marks another significant milestone for the company.

Rhomberg Sersa Australia’s General Manager of Rail Operations Scott Richardson said M612, an 09-2X – 4x4/4S Dynamic Tamper, is a “true universal machine” that can deliver impressive efficiency across all operations.

“It can achieve production speeds up to 1400 metres per hour on plain track and up to about 700 metres per hour through turnouts or switches,” he said.

“Most universal machines, or what they call a ‘Unimat’, will have to stop for each tamp. They index, so the whole machine moves forward, stops, tamps and then moves again after each tamping cycle, but this machine is capable of continuous action.”

The M612 is the first tamping machine of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

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Richardson said the machine brings a change in approach that will save Rhomberg Sersa Australia’s customers time and money.

“Typically you would utilise two machines in a section of track – you would use a plain line machine to resurface the plain line scope, and a second machine normally in a separate possession to resurface the turnouts within that same area,” he said.

“With this machine, you can complete the plain track and turnouts in one. There’s a time and cost saving for our customers as they only need one machine to complete the scope.”

The M612 also features dynamic stabilisation for both track and turnouts, ensuring smooth and reliable performance.

“This uses a similar frequency to the tamping tool, so it creates a vibration through the dynamic stabiliser and then the machine uses hydraulic cylinders to push the stabilisers down on the track, and that consolidates your ballast,” he said.

Richardson said that fresh ballast is “soft and fluffy”, with lots of gaps within the material, but the stabiliser removes those gaps.

“It’s not uncommon to be on a recon site and the machine will be running a 120 millilitre lift, and you’ll push it back down to 30 or 40 per cent of that.

“That enables you to tamp in hotter weather, and you don’t have to put a speed restriction on trains after you’ve tamped.

“You get more track stability and the track geometry also lasts longer when it’s been stabilised at the same time as tamping, because you have that consolidation effect.”

Throughout design of the M612, Rhomberg Sersa Australia worked with Original Equipment Manufacturer, Plasser Australia, to tailor the machine to its needs.

A Rhomberg Sersa Australia crew hard at work.

“It’s the first of its kind in this configuration,” Richardson said.

“Traditionally with machines such as these there are two operating cabins – one at the satellite and one at the rear of the satellite – and you would require two operators.

“Our machine has been configured to be operated by just one person, controlling the plain line and the turnout tamping from both cabs.”

The M612 arriving in Australia by sea after being imported from Austria.

24 | ISSUE 4 – MAY 2025 | RAIL EXPRESS

Images: Rhomberg Sersa Australia

Plant and Equipment

Tweaks have also been made to the work head orientation on the tamper.

“The machine’s plain line heads had been closest to the lifting and lining unit, and the turnout heads were the furthest away from the lifting lining,” Richardson said. “In terms of tamping principles, that’s not ideal, because where you’re measuring your lift is further away from the lifting lining unit.

“You’re actually increasing the amount of lift you have to put into the superstructure to achieve the right amount of lift at the reading point.”

In the M612, the heads have been turned around so the lift is measured from as close as possible.

“This also reduces the stresses introduced into the rail itself."

From the start of April, the new tamping machine will be earning its keep at work in the Hunter Valley, as part of the ARTC’s National Resurfacing Project.

“We’re excited about the M612 and the level of innovation it brings,” Richardson said.

“We’ve always seen ourselves as the premier supplier of resurfacing equipment in Australia, and the new machine maintains our position within the market.”

Specialist insurance services for the rail industry

Austbrokers City State Rail specialises in the provision of risk management & insurance solutions to all sectors of the Railway Industry.

Get in touch with us: 1800 980 064 info@abcitystate.com.au abcitystate.com.au/rail-services

- Rail Construction - Rail Industry Contractors - Heritage / Tourist Rail - Rail Operators

Passenger Rail

Delivering turnkey solutions for the future Siemens Mobility offers a holistic, integrated solution for developing rail infrastructure, providing end-to-end planning that includes the latest technology, rolling stock and maintenance.

26 | ISSUE 4 – MAY 2025 | RAIL EXPRESS

Turnkey solutions can be large, complex projects, which Soulier said can include 100,000 line items that need to be completed.

“To give a simple example, if you need to have site access to deploy your first transformer to power up a system, you need to know when that site access is going to be available,” he said.

“Where there are 100,000 of these activities that need to be done, with interdependency between them, that is a challenging job.

“If you’re close to the technology, like we are, you have more insights into how to manage that.”

TIME IS MONEY Soulier said there are also scheduling benefits that come with Siemens Mobility’s turnkey solutions.

“Our clients know what they want functionally in terms of capacity of ridership, dwell times at each station and top speed.

“They often have a framework in which they need to find a solution and would look to the market to develop that solution.

At Siemens Mobility, we can develop the optimal schedule to cater to this need, which also saves time.”

Siemens Mobility is aware that time is money when it comes to public transport,

The Siemens Mobility team is committed to the sustainable development of societies.

for both rail operators and commuters, and the business is experienced in delivering projects to deadline.

“In Riyadh, for example, they will have the World Expo in 2030 and the FIFA World Cup in 2034. These are mega events that are driving a timeline, so the customer has come to us looking for a turnkey solution.

“This way they have the assurance of delivery on par with their requirements for the system as well as the scheduling and costing.”

Looking ahead, Soulier said that the project will also reduce traffic congestion by decreasing the number of car trips per day, which will also result in the saving of daily fuel consumption.

“Turnkey projects can act as catalysts for economic growth and development. By enhancing urban mobility through efficient and reliable public transport, we attract investment to these regions and boost local economies.”

FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILIT Y Soulier said Siemens Mobility is committed to the sustainable development of societies.

The technology company offers passengers the choice to travel in a more environmentally friendly way, by getting them out of cars and onto rail, in addition to prioritising sustainability in its own operations.

Images: Siemens Mobility

With populations rising, urbanisation expanding, and the battle against climate change at the top of the agenda for many countries around the world, demand is growing for more efficient, high-performing rail networks.

Governments and operators need futureproof, sustainable systems that they can rely on, while reducing the complexity of large-scale projects with many moving parts – which is why they are increasingly opting for turnkey solutions.

Siemens Mobility has been providing turnkey solutions around the world for decades, with more recent examples of high-profile projects including the highspeed rail network in Egypt, line 1 and 2 for the state-of-the-art metro in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport project.

We spoke with Léon Soulier, Chief Executive Officer of Siemens Mobility’s Turnkey Business Unit, to find out more.

“Things work best when they are connected,” Soulier said. “This is especially true for transportation systems. The biggest benefit a client would have from one of our turnkey systems is that everything is connected and working flawlessly together.

“We make sure that all of the portfolio elements that Siemens has to offer, along with any items that we have to source from the market, are seamlessly integrated to optimise the customer’s needs and wishes.”

Soulier said that with Siemens Mobility’s turnkey solutions, the customer has assurance that the project is progressing as planned and they do not need to invest too much of their own resources.

“They can have a hands-off approach because we take care of all the program and project management,” he said.

“We propel the project forward to meet important milestones. We take care of the logistics and deploy what we call a Project Insight Board to make sure all the data streams of a project are shown to everyone involved in one single platform.

“Together, we know that the client's dependencies are taken care of.”

“An important part of the project is the need to take care of people with reduced mobility and certain interest groups, to make sure that we integrate their needs, which can vary from city to city or country to country.

“A system might have a completely different set-up in Singapore compared to Munich. As a result, we engage with these stakeholders or interest groups and make sure that the system is fitting the needs of its users and not the other way around.”

Léon Soulier is the Chief Executive Officer of Siemens Mobility’s Turnkey Business Unit.

“When we deliver our products and portfolio, we make sure that they are as energy efficient as possible,” he said.

“Additionally, we play our part by accelerating alternative propulsion systems that use battery or hydrogen technology.

“Our life cycle management systems also allow us to extend the life of assets, which in turn, reduces the ecological footprint of our customers’ operations.”

When it comes to turnkey solutions, many of Siemens Mobility’s customers include sustainability requirements within the project scope.

One example is the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport Project, which is the first net-zero infrastructure project that requires a dedicated team of sustainability professionals to deliver on the carbon neutral goals of the project.

Siemens Mobility is part of the Parklife Metro consortium and is in the process of delivering the project on behalf of the New South Wales Government.

“From the start of construction work through to operations, the whole project needs to be carbon neutral; which we haven't seen before,” Soulier said. “So it's an opportunity to set ourselves apart. This is a contract where we have to fulfil those requirements, so we have to not just do it, but prove how we’re doing it.”

Another sustainability deliverable lies in the economic and social impacts.

“Beyond offering and integrating sustainable systems and products, we prioritise responsible supply chain management and optimise our own operations.

“With our Egypt High Speed Project, for example, we are creating over 40,000 direct jobs and launched several local training and education initiatives to prepare young people for careers in rail with realworld experience.”

WORKING TOGETHER Turnkey solutions often require a consortium and Siemens Mobility is up to the task of making sure everyone is on the same page to deliver the solution for the customer.

“When we build a railway together with our partners end-to-end, we’re often starting from a greenfield project where there are a lot of stakeholders to take into account,” said Soulier.

“Whether it’s an acceptance of the train according to local standards or a station that must adhere to various safety regulations, or a full integration of flight data into the train, it needs to be a reliable system.

“For the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport project, the airport is still under construction, so throughout the life cycle of the project we need to engage and design the interface with the stakeholders.”

Soulier said another factor to consider is the human element.

SMART TECHNOLOGY Siemens Mobility can digitally increase the availability of rail systems using fewer resources, thanks to a suite of applications called Railigent X. Railigent X enables rail operators to better understand data, analyse assets and derive actions, resulting in improved reliability, enhanced operation and maintenance for up to 100 per cent system availability.

“All the data we collect from trains, from pressure sensor data to how many times the doors are used to dwell times on the platform, tells the customer how the system is used and how it can be improved, which provides us with predicative maintenance capabilities,” said Soulier.

“In a traditional or more conservative type of operation, a client would buy a fleet of trains and have a certain number of trains to spare because they know that some trains will be out of service for repairs.

“With Railigent X, the client benefits from better-planned maintenance, which helps to avoid down-times and ensures smoother operations.”

Soulier said this brings many advantages to both operators and passengers.

“The operator saves money on equipment, which also benefits the public if it’s taxpayers’ money.

“Passengers also get the reassurance that they are less likely to be stuck on a train for an hour because it’s broken down.

“That reliability that passengers need is a direct result of reliable design and good engineering structure as well as proactive and predictive monitoring and maintenance of the system.”

When it comes to turnkey solutions, Soulier said Siemens Mobility puts its best foot forward.

“We are staking our reputation and credibility on ensuring that the solution is being brought to life,” he said.

“From design to commercial operation, we’re there all the way.”

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THE AUSTRALASIAN

RAIL DIRECTORY YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE AUSTRALASIAN RAIL INDUSTRY

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Technology

Safety first 4AI Systems and Pacific National have teamed up for a trial of an Advanced Driver Advisory System known as EN4CER. We find out more.

Driving a train is a task that can sometimes feel repetitive but always demands a high level of focus.

If a driver is not paying attention at the right time, they could miss a signal or limit board along the line, which could have serious consequences.

“Some rail routes, particularly in rural areas, have few landmarks that remind the driver where they are,” said Mark Wood, Chief Technology Officer at transport technology solutions providers 4Tel and 4AI Systems. “So, if the driver gets distracted and looks away, they might not know their location on the track, or what the previous signal was that they’ve just missed.

“This is really important for their decisionmaking, because it can take up to two kilometres to stop a train.”

Wood explained that operators and passengers place a lot of trust in the driver’s observation, but 4AI Systems has created a product that provides an extra level of protection.

The team is currently trialing its Advanced Driver Advisory System, EN4CER, on select Pacific National locomotives.

EN4CER is designed to ensure that a train does not exceed the permitted speed, any known limit of authority or other operational restrictions.

Using real-time information, with its Safety Computer confirming the train braking curve multiple times per second, the system ensures the train is always travelling at a safe speed to meet current and future track conditions.

The information it uses includes: • Train consist data entered into EN4CER prior to the journey commencing.

• Sensors that monitor train position, speed, direction of travel, and distance to the approaching speed target.

• Locomotive control lines providing current loco state.

• Signal information received from the local signal interlocking via UHF radio.

• EN4CER train braking and distance calculations.

If the Safety Computer determines that the train is overspeed or above the braking curve, a warning is delivered to the driver.

Brake activation can also be applied, as determined by the business rules of

the customer – for example, the service brake can be utilised in cases of overspeed detection, while an emergency brake may be applied to reduce the risk of Signal Passed at Danger (SPAD).

Wood said EN4CER is different from other advisory systems that have gone before it.

“A lot of advisory system were more focused on what speed you need to be doing at what time to save fuel, whereas our advisory system is about the operational safety of the train,” he said.

“It’s about ensuring that the train doesn’t go beyond the limits of authority, so you’re not approaching where another train might be and creating an unsafe situation.”

EN4CER not only improves safety for the train driver, passengers and others in the surrounding area, but it can also boost operational efficiency.

“If you improve safety, more often than not you’ll improve efficiency,” Wood said.

“If we can give advice to the driver so the system doesn’t need to intervene and brake, we can avoid an unexpected stop, or the braking can be done under control. If an emergency brake needs to be applied, a

Mark Wood presenting alongside Robert Shaw, from Pacific National, at the recent Heavy Haul Rail conference in Perth.

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Image: Informa Connect Australia

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Image: Pacific National

HORUS SensorBar fitted to the front of a Pacific National train.

whole procedure must be carried out before that train can get moving again, which causes delays.

“There’s also more wear and tear on the rollingstock if you’re stopping when you don’t need to.”

EN4CER can also be powered by a vision system called HORUS, which can support operations by providing a visual record for the validation of infrastructure and object detection.

“HORUS can detect objects and send warnings, within business rules that are created by the operator,” said Wood.

“For instance, some operators may wish to alert or alarm based on big animals or people or cars, whereas other operators may

Image: 4AI Systems

EN4CER's driver interface has been honed in response to driver feedback.

only need to consider vehicles because they are within a closed environment.”

4Tel and Pacific National are both very happy with the current trial of EN4CER which is taking place on locomotives operating on the Queensland North Coast Line.

Wood said the display EN4CER provides for the driver has been simplified and improved in response to driver feedback over the course of the trial.

“The original workshops to create the display were done with drivers testing the software in a conference room, but once we actually ran the system on the track we got a lot more feedback about what was on the screen and how they interacted with

it. We made a lot of software changes and really simplified the display to the areas the driver is able to control, which are speed and braking.

“Now if the driver gets distracted, they can look down and see at a glance where they are on the track, what the previous signal was that they’ve just passed, and what’s coming ahead on the track, plus their current speed and where they sit in relation to whether they need to slow down or speed up.”

He said that older Automated Train Protection systems often cause drivers frustration because of their unreliability.

“What we’re doing should reduce that significantly.”

Wood said that Pacific National drivers have generally been receptive to the EN4CER system.

“I think the reason for that is Pacific National has involved the drivers throughout the whole process, getting their feedback and taking it on board.”

He said it’s been great to work with Pacific National, a company that’s willing to break the mould to improve its operations and look after its drivers.

“The project team has also been really pragmatic,” he said.

“If they weren’t, there would have been a lot of things that would have slowed down and stalled.

“It’s a relationship that works both ways and both sides are flexible.”

4Tel recently celebrated 25 years in business, and Wood himself has been with the company for 20 years.

“We’ve got an excellent team across the board, with all the experience of the senior team members as well as the ideas of the new graduates who are coming in,” he said.

“Everyone’s opinion is valued and taken on board, and it feeds into great results.”

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20 Year -

Celebrating 20 Years of Rhomberg in Australia “Reaching this 20-year milestone is a testament to the dedication and expertise of our people as well as the commitment and foresight of our owners. Our strategy has always been about prioritising our partners and clients by delivering the highest standard of work.”

- Richard Morgan, Managing Director

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Technology

Cutting edge Alstom shares how leveraging the latest technology has driven a range of improvements across the company.

A KEY STR ATEGIC PILL AR Rikki Toms, Alstom ANZ's Operational Excellence Manager, said innovation is a key strategic pillar for the company.

“Alstom invests considerably in innovation across all aspects of the product life cycle, from the design of trains and trams through to the physical manufacturing and repair of components and asset maintenance activities.

“Being a global company across different mobility solutions, we leverage learnings across our depots all around the world to deliver the best possible solutions for our customers.”

Toms said Alstom’s focus on product or strategic innovation isn’t to the detriment of other areas like continuous improvement.

“Some businesses are strong in strategic innovation while others are great on incremental continuous improvement, yet I believe we are strong in both areas,” she said. “Alstom has a strong lean culture, driving out waste and embedding efficient processes.”

REDUCING DOWNTIME Alstom uses predictive maintenance to reduce train downtime and improve operational performance.

Its predictive maintenance tool, HealthHub, can monitor the condition of trains, infrastructure and signalling assets using advanced data analytics.

It works in tandem with TrainScanner, an automated diagnostics portal that measures the health of three key consumables of a train as it moves through the portal: wheels, brake pads and pantograph carbon strips.

“HealthHub is our eyes, our connection to the train,” said Glen Smith, Alstom’s Services Director for New South Wales and Western Australia.

“It collects data constantly, in real-time, so at any point we can see the health of a train,

Images: Alstom

Alstom has integrated the latest technological innovations, from datadriven predictive maintenance to artificial intelligence and virtual reality, into many different aspects of the business.

Here, we look at how the global and Australian transport leader has used technology to improve safety, efficiency and reliability across the board.

Alstom uses predictive maintenance to reduce train downtime and improve operational performance.

the speed, condition of sub-systems – right down to things like the temperature inside the train cars.”

Smith said the frequency of data being collected by HealthHub and TrainScanner helps reduce service failures and increase the availability of trains, saving operators time and money.

“Historically, when this data collection was done manually, it couldn’t be done as frequently or as accurately,” he said.

“Because of the volume of highly accurate, real-time data that we have now, we get warnings that there is a failure about to occur, and our engineers and maintenance teams can intervene straight away.

“There’s been a major shift from reactive to predictive maintenance and Alstom is at the forefront of that."

HealthHub can also be used to adjust the train in real time.

Smith said: “Something like passenger

comfort might sound like a trivial thing, but for passengers it’s really important.

Our air conditioning and lighting on the trains is all algorithm-based, using the data we’re collecting.

“We might see that a certain train or even a particular train car is hotter than what we would like in terms of passenger comfort, so we can increase the air conditioning, or it can also happen automatically.

“Previously this would have been done by the driver, who might be experiencing a different temperature in the cabin. We’ve now separated those systems, with the driver able to control their own area.”

Smith said placing passenger experience at the core of design plays an essential role in encouraging more people to use rail transport.

"Our on-board systems support this in increasingly more sophisticated ways,” Smith said.

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Technology

Innovation is a “key strategic pillar” for Alstom.

SAVING MONEY – AND THE ENVIRONMENT Smith said that Alstom’s use of predictive maintenance reduces costs for its customers while delivering a range of environment benefits.

Before predictive maintenance, refurbishments would have been done based on fixed time periods or distance travelled by the train.

“Maintenance was sometimes being carried out before it was needed,” he said.

Each component on a train can only be refurbished or made usable again a certain number of times, before replacement is required.

However, Alstom’s predictive maintenance technology extends the intervals of time, or the kilometres travelled, between those refurbishments.

“By collecting data on the health of each component, you can gauge how much time you have before that major intervention, safely and without risking failures in service,” Smith said.

“This reduces the likelihood that we will need to replace that component during the train’s life. By extension, this delivers a much better sustainability outcome, because you’re using fewer components, while also reducing life cycle costs.

“Our trams, for example, are up over 95 per cent in terms of the overall vehicle being able to be reused.”

VIRTUAL REALIT Y At some of its sites around the world, Alstom uses virtual reality (VR) to train its drivers.

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“I’ve just come back from an Alstom services site in India, where we are using virtual reality to train drivers in the specifics of an Alstom locomotive,” Toms said.

“These drivers already know how to drive a train, but our train simulator is set up in exactly the same way as our actual locomotive, so drivers can physically familiarise themselves with the layout and components on the train.”

Alstom also uses VR for a number of maintenance-related activities.

“You can program in just about any maintenance activity and simulate it, which can add a considerable amount of value.

“You might just realise – ‘Oh, I can’t actually get a forklift into an area of the warehouse due to space constraints,’ or ‘I can’t access a specific bolt under the body of the train with a standard sized tool.’

“This enables us to redesign our approach to achieve optimal outcomes.”

DIGITAL DEPOT Toms explained how Alstom’s Digital Depot provides an end-to-end strategy of everything from the HealthHub to real-time fleet management to digital documentation of safety maintenance and train performance.

“You can see a train from the time that it’s designed until its end-of-life, and it looks at every aspect and digitalises the key activities within that,” she said.

“Alstom globally, and our depots around the world, are working towards a Digital Depot of the future, which will include things like virtual reality, digital twins, and remote monitoring of train performance.”

DIGITAL T WINS Smith said the use of digital twins is an exciting growth area for Alstom.

“At the moment, we are using digital twins in a targeted way – so we might pick a particular asset that we have and target the maintenance outcome for that asset,” he said.

“We use it for subsystems, to see if we can improve their performance or do less maintenance on it across its life cycle.”

He said digital twins allow Alstom to compare what they see in the field with an engineering or theoretical outcome.

“You can see that variance quite quickly because you’ve got a hypothetical, digital model, versus an in-field observed life and performance.

“I think in the future digital twins will become an even more useful tool across a wide range of subsystems.”

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Toms said Alstom is making use of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve many aspects of the business, with a dedicated “Innovation Station” team in Singapore that investigates breakthrough technology and pushes the boundaries of what's possible. The team in Singapore supports the wider Asia-Pacific region, ensuring that Alstom’s global innovations are available to all markets across the world.

“They look at innovative processes, innovative technology and innovative design,” she said.

“They’re looking at every element of productivity, including our own efficiencies and productivities in the back office.

“At the moment, we’re trialing AI co-pilot [a type of AI-powered virtual assistant] across the whole organisation.

“No stone is left unturned in the pursuit of continuous improvement."

Smith added that AI is also being used to speed up maintenance processes.

“If you need to look up a procedure or maintenance instruction, historically you might have had to trawl through a library of documents to find which one applies.

“Alstom now has AI tools that allow us to interact with the system like it’s a person, so you can ask it a question and it will give you the document you need and tell you the procedure that applies.

So, something that would have taken a couple of hours to research now takes five to ten minutes.

“Our engineering teams are becoming more and more efficient thanks to AI, and I think it’s just the tip of the iceberg.”

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Research and Development

Safety, innovation and efficiency are at the heart of MGC Solutions’ work.

Looking to the future MGC Solutions brings together decades of rail experience, knowledge of the local market and a solutions-based approach.

MGC Solutions was established in 2011, from a vision shared by business partners Chris Newton and Mark Byrne.

The two professionals, who had both already accumulated many years of experience within the railway signalling and communication fields, built the company around their values of integrity, reliability, experience, efficiency, and safety.

Though MGC Solutions started out specialising in rail signalling and communication projects, it has since expanded to become an end-to-end rail business, offering design, engineering, construction, integration, maintenance and operational services throughout Australia in railway signalling, overhead line and track services.

Over the years, MGC Solutions has grown from two to 140 employees, counting major players such as Arc Infrastructure, Rio Tinto, the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) and the Public Transport Authority (PTA) of Western Australia among its clients.

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It has successfully delivered many highprofile projects, including the Bayswater Turnback Project, the Victoria Park-Canning Level Crossing Removal Project, the Midland Station upgrade and power upgrades to Arc Infrastructure’s signalling network in the Avon Valley.

General Manager of Operations Mark Byrne said the nature of MGC Solutions’ fullservice offering allows for more integrated project management, with control over core functions ensuring quality and costeffective outcomes.

“In all the years since we started MGC Solutions, we’ve always delivered, we’ve never been late on a job and we’ve never left a job unfinished,” he said.

“We have great relationships with our clients, and ongoing maintenance agreements with several of them, who are happy with our consistent performance.

“They trust us to manage even the most intricate projects from initial concept to final commissioning.”

Although MGC Solutions has grown over the years, it’s still fully Australian owned and locally based, with its headquarters in the Perth suburb of Canning Vale.

Byrne said this gives the team an advantage as it has an innate understanding of the Australian rail industry and the unique challenges it faces.

The team knows what it takes to successfully deliver projects in remote regions of Western Australia, faced with everything from stifling heat to supply issues.

“We do a lot of work in remote Western Australia, and there aren’t many places with harsher conditions than that,” said Byrne.

“There are sometimes long lead times for materials you need, and it can be hard to get specialised electronic components off the shelf, for example. To combat that problem, we’ve developed the ability to do a lot of development and manufacturing inhouse. This allows for reduced dependency on already constrained international supply chains.

Images: MGC Solutions

than just looking at ambient and rail temperature to make critical decisions about what status the asset is in at any time and will prove invaluable in the future.”

The Metropolitan Rail Network in Western Australia has been trialling two of MGC Solutions’ rail stress monitoring systems since November 2024.

“That trial, which is coming to a close quite soon, allows us to validate in real time what benefits the system can provide to our network partners, ensuring real-time understanding of this critical asset," Byrne said. “The network is extremely happy with what it has seen and is looking to install more of our systems.”

The nature of MGC Solutions’ fullservice offering allows for more integrated project management.

“We can also develop custom solutions when standard components aren’t suitable.”

MGC Solutions has also risen to the challenges posed by Western Australia’s poor network connectivity.

“There was no phone or internet connectivity in some areas where our client projects were underway. So, we built our own long range (LoRa) radio system which brings specific data across to where the clients have connectivity.

“We generally go from the middle of nowhere to 10 or 20 kilometres down the track, but we can bunny hop that signal for 1000 kilometres if we need to.”

With a team of ten experienced engineers in Perth, as well as many knowledgeable signalling and track managers, Byrne said MGC Solutions has a solutions-based, proactive approach to projects.

“We love clients who have issues and bottlenecks in their system because we can engineer them out,” he said.

When it comes to finding solutions, innovation is at the heart of MGC Solutions.

The research and design team is developing and fine-tuning several new products – from a real-time rail stress monitoring system to a wireless level crossing.

BROKEN R AIL DETECTOR The company is also leading the way with a next-generation rail break detection system that searches for clean breaks in railway infrastructure.

“It’s the only patented system currently on the market that looks at the voltage that

is sent back to the system after finding an anomaly in infrastructure.

“It offers real-time monitoring of the track, and it varies between three to eight kilometres of track that it can look at any given time.

“Nothing else works the way this thing works.”

In the coming months, MGC Solutions will install five of these systems along one of the Metro Trains lines on the East Coast as part of a new trial.

“This network currently has axle counter sections that don’t have track circuits, which requires some form of proof that there is a rail under a train!

“At the moment they are not getting the level of protection that our rail break detector can offer.”

R AIL STRESS MONITORING Another innovative MGC Solutions product is a real-time long stress management system. It looks at rail temperature as well as stress in the rail, sending alerts when safe thresholds are exceeded.

“It lets operators know there’s a problem, so they either need to slow the trains down or go and de-stress that section of the track,” Byrne said.

“With the movement of networks towards predictive maintenance, with most networks producing digital twins, we see this realtime information as a key component for the safe operation of these important and critical railway assets. This is a much more accurate and up-to-date use of technology

WIRELESS LEVEL CROSSING One of the products MGC is most excited about is a new wireless level crossing that can be rapidly deployed. Currently this system is in an advanced conceptual stage with prototypes being assembled.

Using patented technology, the level crossing can identify if a train is coming from a distance of three kilometres.

It is able to operate existing RX5 assembles and relieves the need for installing antennas, wayside equipment etc.

“It is soon to be released, and we’re already in talks with the Railway Crossing Technical Group (RCTG) in Victoria, who are very interested in rail crossing innovation,” Byrne said.

“It truly understands the risks industry has with trains versus road users and the importance of increased safety in that area.”

What makes this product stand apart is its rapid deployment, Byrne said.

“A traditional level crossing takes between two-and-a-half and three weeks to build.

“If we need to get out to a road in the middle of nowhere and put up a system to protect the people crossing the road or the railway line, we’re able to install it in a third of that time.”

Byrne said MGC Solutions is always looking to the future and striving to improve safety, efficiency and reliability within the industry.

“Innovation is extremely important, not just because it saves our clients time and money, but for safety reasons too,” he said.

“Our products help to avoid unnecessary maintenance, reducing the need for people to physically work on the railway lines where they are in harm’s way.

“We’re very excited about what we have to offer.”

To find out more, visit mgcs.com.au

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Image: Liebherr

Plant and Equipment

Liebherr’s new machine is its first model in the 24.4 to 25.7 tonne operating mass range.

Setting the course for the future Rail equipment manufacturer Liebherr has released the railroad excavator RE 25 M Litronic, its first model in the 24.4 to 25.7 tonne operating mass range.

Liebherr has presented its new railroad excavator under a new product name for the first time: the RE 25 M Litronic.

The model expands Liebherr’s existing portfolio with a machine in the 25-tonne class with hydrostatic rail wheel drive and a profiled uppercarriage.

The RE 25 M Litronic uses the proven components of the previous models and supplements them with an innovative undercarriage concept, a new uppercarriage design and a new operator's cab with an intuitive control concept.

Liebherr, one of the largest construction equipment manufacturers in the world, has been developing railroad excavators since 1967.

At bauma 2025 in Germany, the world's largest trade fair in the construction industry, Liebherr presented the new RE 25 M Litronic railroad excavator, its first model in the 24.4 to 25.7 tonne operating mass range.

The powerful machine is equipped with the proven engine of the A 922 Rail railroad excavator and an engine power of 120 kilowatts (kW).

In addition to the proven components, the new RE 25 M Litronic has a number of innovations that make the machine 38 | ISSUE 4 – MAY 2025 | RAIL EXPRESS

“the best solution in its weight class”, according to Liebherr.

Speaking to Rail Express at bauma 2025, Robin Steinhauser, Product Manager at Liebherr, said: “The RE 25 M has a short tail swing radius of 1.57 metres, which ensures that the rear of the machine always remains within the clearance profile when swinging.

“This increases safety and gives Liebherr the opportunity to access new markets with this requirement, such as France.”

The machine is equipped with a completely new double cab, and a number of new assistance systems, such as a 2D machine control system and a person detection system, which are available for the first time in the new railroad excavator.

Steinhauser said RE 25 M Litronic was getting a lot of interest at bauma.

“It’s a world premiere, so a lot of customers have been coming up to the stand to see the machine and get more information. They are very excited, just as we are!”

AN INNOVATIVE UNDERCARRIAGE CONCEPT The new undercarriage Liebherr is presenting in the RE 25 M will be standard in all future rail machines.

The company said that the new rail guide system “sets the course for the future”.

Thanks to the hydrostatic rail wheel drive, the railroad excavator can travel in the excavated state.

“We call this Category 9A according to European standards, but in Australia you call it Type 1,” said Steinhauser. “The hydrostatic rail wheel drive means that the drive is distributed across the four rail wheels.

“But this machine also features a second drive system, which is called Category 9C in Europe or Type 3 in Australia. If you want to have a lower gravity mass or better traction in dry conditions, you can lower the machine so the rubber wheels are in contact with the rail.”

This means that the RE 25 M can not only work and drive in one position, but also – where permitted – work in the lowered position and drive in the raised position.

“You can drive hydrostatic until you are at your job site, to avoid the risk of damaging any infrastructure, and then lower down to have more traction and stability. The hydrostatic drive allows you to easily clear train stops as well.”

This is made possible by a completely redesigned storing and oscillating system

for the rail guide system. What's more, the oscillating axle is adjustable: when the RE 25 M is in use, the oscillating axle locks to ensure a stable footing.

When driving, the oscillating axle is open, thus ensuring the best traction. Thanks to the newly developed rail axle, the machine has a drawbar pull of 50 kilonewton (kN) and, with the appropriate country-specific approval, can reach travel speeds of up to 40 kilometres per hour (km/h). In an emergency, the RE 25 M can be towed at up to 60 km/h.

Optionally, the undercarriage of the RE 25 M can be equipped with the centrally mounted two-point stabiliser to achieve higher loads. At the same time, however, the undercarriage remains compact, which means that visibility in the vicinity of the machine is not restricted and work can be carried out well at close range.

Due to the kinematics, the stabilisers remain very close to the machine even when extended, barely adding to the width. This also makes it possible to use the stabilisers in confined construction site conditions.

MAINTENANCE-FRIENDLY DESIGN In addition to the small tail swing radius, new designs on the RE 25 M's uppercarriage ensure that the machine is easy to maintain.

Despite the short tail swing radius, access to the uppercarriage is possible just behind the cab.

“The design of the counterweight also contributes to the machine's maintenancefriendly design,” Steinhauser said. “The maintenance flaps are integrated into the counterweight and ensure optimal access to the hydraulic pump, and the counterweight can be easily removed for

major maintenance.”

The new exhaust gas treatment system is located above the engine and can be folded up for maintenance.

impresses with its performance: with its 120 kW / 163 HP engine, the machine achieves a high working speed with the usual fluid work movements.”

NEW DOUBLE CABIN The new storing of the double cabin with the pilot seat on the upper carriage increases driver comfort, according to Steinhauser.

“The RE 25 M offers a comfort seat as standard and has a completely new door system, as well as a new bearing,” he said.

“This enables the doors to open towards each other and swing around the B-pillar.”

The new cabin comes with the INTUSI adaptive operating concept, so the previous control panel on the steering column below the steering wheel is no longer needed.

In the future, this will be integrated into the INTUSI display, so there will be no restrictions in the field of vision.

A QUICK COUPLING SYSTEM The wide range of Liebherr attachments makes the RE 25 M highly versatile. In particular, the new Solidlink 33-9 model has been specially developed for railroad excavators and adds further couplings to the fully automatic Solidlink quick coupling system, with all its advantages.

The expansion of the couplings to include a second high pressure circuit enables the use of hydraulic attachments such as packing tools in rail construction, Liebherr parallel grippers or Liebherr stick extensions.

The fully hydraulic quick coupling system Solidlink enables the attachments to be changed quickly and safely from the operator's cab.

PROVEN COMPONENTS Steinhauser said customers can rely on proven Liebherr quality in the new railroad excavator, with both the hydraulic system and the engine.

“The innovative hydraulics concept of the new machine includes a Liebherr double variable displacement pump with independent regulating circuits and a flow rate of 2 x 220 l/min,” he said.

“This means that powerful hydraulic attachments can be operated independently of the working and driving movements of the Liebherr railroad excavator. In addition, a second high pressure circuit offers the option of directly controlling three hydraulic functions for special attachments.

“The Liebherr railroad excavator RE 25 M

A NEW NAME With its new product designation, the new RE 25 M Litronic emphasises the importance of the rail machines for the Liebherr site in Kirchdorf.

With its new name, Liebherr is highlighting the railroad excavator as a separate product line, distinguishing it from the wheeled excavators and thus giving it greater emphasis.

In principle, RE stands for “rail excavator”, the number indicates the operating mass and ‘M’ stands for the wheeled undercarriage. All future railroad excavators will follow this designation.

The A 922 Rail and A 924 Rail already available on the market will continue to operate under their familiar names.

Image: Prime Creative Media

The team from Liebherr (Christian Schorer, Robin Steinhauser and Steve Cangy) were happy to take us through the highlights of the new RE 25 M Litronic.

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Plant and Equipment

Along for the slide Key Source Rail is now the Australian supplier of Ekoslide, an innovative solution that allows the switching of railway turnout switch blades without the need for lubricated slide plates or bearers.

Key Source Rail has entered into an exclusive partnership agreement to represent Ekoslide in Australia.

Ekoslide was founded in the Czech Republic in 1994 to manufacture and sell its in-house-designed switch blade roller system.

This innovative product enables the switching of railway turnout switch blades without the need for lubrication of slide plates or bearers, and has been developed to work with the various types of switch points found in rail infrastructure systems around the world.

Steve Balfour, General Manager of Business Development at Key Source Rail, said the company is excited to bring Ekoslide to the Australian market.

“It’s a great product and we can see the many benefits it will bring to the Australian rail industry,” he said.

WHAT MAKES EKOSLIDE DIFFERENT? Unlike conventional switch point operation, where the switch blades are supported by existing lubricated slide plates or bearers, the Ekoslide system supports the switch blade by means of rollers, thus eliminating the need for lubrication, and at the same time removing the problems associated with contamination from dirt and ballast that conventional slide bearer systems are exposed to.

The use of rollers also reduces the effort required to operate the switching mechanisms that position the switch blades.

Radek Lucovič, Business Director at Ekoslide in the Czech Republic, said the primary competitive advantage of Ekoslide is its elastomer-spring roller system.

“Our proprietary elastomer compresses under the weight of the train, allowing the switch blades to settle on to the existing bearers until the train passes” he said.

“After the train passes, the elastomer lifts the blades to a height of one to two millimetres above the existing bearers, resulting in substantially reduced switching effort. Ekoslide offers variable height adjustment, making it a universal system, suitable for all types of existing or new switch blade installations."

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GLOBAL SUCCESS Ekoslide has proven to be a simple, safe and reliable system capable of operating under extreme climates and conditions.

Since 2007 Ekoslide has expanded its operations to the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Initial successful tests were conducted with Norfolk Southern and CSX. By 2012, Ekoslide became the standard for all major railway companies in the United States.

"The fact that the US market is unique, with many private, often publicly traded companies and the widespread adoption of Ekoslide, which significantly enhances the safety and efficiency of their railway networks, speaks volumes for the product," said Balfour.

Ekoslide sales currently sit at around 230,000 units worldwide, with 200 customers globally having installed the product. Outside of North and South America, Ekoslide can be found in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Italy,

Ekoslide is used on railways around the world. This image, illustrating Ekoslide Type A, was taken in Switzerland.

the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, and more. Key Source Rail is now focused on developing the Australian market.

A COST-SAVING OPTION Ekoslide switch blade rollers are an inexpensive tool for improving the reliability and efficiency of switches, while reducing costs in a wide variety of areas.

“Ekoslide comes with a five-year warranty and the lifetime of the product is 25 years,” said Balfour.

The benefits of Ekoslide are: • Greatly reduced wear and tear on switch motors resulting in extended life of blade switching mechanisms and reduced need for repairs and replacement.

• Reduced friction means less power consumption when positioning the switch blades, resulting in financial savings on electricity.

• Ekoslide reduces switch motor failure, traffic errors and train delays, speeding up and improving the consistency of throws.

"The ease and speed of installation of the Ekoslide System, combined with reduced field maintenance personnel costs, with no requirement for ongoing lubrication, provides a compelling case for rail infrastructure operators to install the Ekoslide Roller System," said Balfour.

THE T YPES OF CONFIGUR ATION The Ekoslide roller system consists of three main roller configurations: A TYPE The A type will fit switch blade setups with a slide plate height above 25 millimetres.

The rollers contact the switch blade on the underside of the foot of the switch rail, and the assembly is positioned in between the sleepers. The unit is attached to the stock rail by means of a threaded rod, spring clip and retaining nut.

Images: Key Source Rail/Ekoslide

B TYPE The B type is similar to the A type, except it is manufactured to fit switch blade setups with slide plate clearance of less than 25 millimetres. The roller assembly clamp is manufactured to the exact stock rail profile and requires drilling and bolting to the stock rail, with the rollers also contacting the switch blade on the underside of the foot of the switch rail. The B type assembly is also positioned in between the sleepers.

Ekoslide Type B at work on the SNCF (Société nationale des chemins de fer français) network in France.

C TYPE The C type requires bolting to the switch blade, utilising the existing bolts on the switch blade and slots on the C type units, with the rollers contacting the top of the slide bearers that are already mounted on the sleepers. The C type comes with different

holes or slots depending on the existing bolt pattern on the switch blade. The C type is limited to 20 millimetres of height adjustment, which is far more than would be needed under normal conditions, unless the existing slide plates are higher.

Ekoslide Type C requires bolting to the switch blade, utilising the existing bolts on the switch blade and slots on the C type units.

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Plant and Equipment

Making TRACS Billy Jordan from Affective Rail and Plant shares the benefits of the company’s innovative Track Remover and Carrier System machine.

Images: Affective Rail and Plant

Affective Rail and Plant is a privately-owned rail and project delivery contractor in Australia, delivering cost-effective solutions across a broad spectrum of projects.

The business specialises in designing and manufacturing bespoke rail maintenance machines, tailored to Australian conditions and client needs.

Billy Jordan, Head of Business Development and Specialised Plant, said its most notable innovation is its TRACS (Track Remover and Carrier System) machine.

“Purpose-built for the safe and efficient transport and installation of large turnout sections, the TRACS machine is capable of moving prefabricated track panels with minimal on-site assembly, allowing for swift and precise installation,” he said.

All Affective Rail and Plant’s TRACS machines are designed and built locally in Australia.

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“The machine includes integrated lifting systems, an adjustable lifting beam, and full remote control for safe placement of panels.

“It operates with precision control and can install a full turnout in significantly less time than traditional manual or semimechanical methods, especially where there are tight access constraints.”

Another key product is Affective Rail and Plant’s 15-tonne Ballast Boxes, which are designed to simplify and streamline the distribution of ballast material during renewals and maintenance.

“These units are engineered for rapid deployment and easy handling, with rugged construction to handle demanding rail environments,” said Anthony Stewart, Chief Executive Officer of Affective Rail and Plant.

The TRACS machine can improve installation timelines from days to mere hours.

THE DESIGN PROCESS Jordan said the design process for Affective Rail and Plant’s products always starts with observation.

“Many of us at Affective Rail and Plant come from operational or project delivery backgrounds, so we’ve experienced firsthand the inefficiencies and safety risks of traditional methods,” he said.

“In the case of the TRACS machine, we saw that turnout installation was labourintensive, time-consuming, and heavily reliant on large cranes.

“That sparked the idea of a self-contained, rail-guided unit capable of delivering and placing turnout sections safely and quickly.”

From that point, Affective Rail and Plant prototyped, field-tested, and refined the TRACS machine in close consultation with end-users.

“We ensured it not only met engineering benchmarks but delivered genuine on-site value,” Jordan said.

“Our project-focused engineering puts real-world functionality first.”

A PURPOSE-BUILT PRODUCT All Affective Rail and Plant’s TRACS machines are designed and built locally in Australia, to suit the unique requirements of the country’s rail networks and project demands.

“Our business model is built on being responsive to project challenges, not just supplying machines,” said Jordan.

“Because our machines are purposebuilt, this minimises modification costs

and ensures full compliance, unlike some imported systems that require adaptation to Australian standards.

“Innovation is core to our approach – we consult closely with field crews and project teams during development to address specific pain points, particularly around manual handling, transport logistics, and speed of installation.”

The TRACS machines also offer flexibility for the client to build the turnout sections beside the install point and side shift them into position, or alternatively track them in from a nearby location, without the need to have track sections to run on.

SAVING TIME Jordan said the TRACS machine also stands out due to its ability to handle full-size turnout panels, reducing the need for onsite fabrication.

“It dramatically improves installation timelines, from days to mere hours,” he said.

“This not only minimises possession windows and service disruptions but also reduces the need for multiple shifts, heavy cranage, and large on-site teams.”

Likewise, Affective Rail and Plant’s Ballast Boxes reduce the frequency of refilling runs, streamline the process of ballast spreading, and enhance worksite efficiency.

“These time savings translate directly to reduced project costs, better resource management, and safer working conditions,” said Stewart.

“Every hour saved during track work is critical – our machines help maximise that value.”

The TRACS machine has been used on multiple projects.

limited,” said Stewart. “The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly around how the machine improves safety and reduces installation time.

“Operators have noted the precision and ease of use, while project managers appreciate the cost and time savings.”

Jordan said there is a strong appetite for the machines in Australia.

“With the growing focus on asset reliability, project delivery efficiency, and workforce safety, rail operators and contractors are actively seeking smarter tools,” he said.

“Clients are no longer content with outdated machinery, they want equipment that can do more with less. That’s exactly

where our machines come in. We’re seeing growing demand not just for machines, but for our collaborative design approach.”

Affective Rail and Plant has also had expressions of interest from international operators and Jordan sees strong potential for expansion, especially in regions where track renewal demands are increasing, and labour efficiency is under scrutiny.

Jordan said: “We have also partnered with a distributor in the United States to help bring these solutions and centre lift method to North and South America.

“Affective Rail and Plant continues to lead the way in modern rail maintenance solutions by designing machines that work smarter, faster, and safer.”

A SUITE OF ACCESSORIES Affective Rail and Plant has also developed a suite of complementary accessories and attachments that expand the capabilities of its machines.

“For the TRACS machine, we offer adjustable hydraulic H beams, for handling different turnout geometries,” Jordan said.

“We always aim to provide a complete system, not just a standalone product.

“This ensures our clients can integrate the equipment into their workflows smoothly and efficiently.”

TRIED AND TESTED The TRACS machine has been used on multiple projects, including high-profile turnout replacements.

“The Australian Rail Track Corporation has used the TRACS machine for building rail infrastructure, in cases where possession windows were extremely

Billy Jordan and Anthony Stewart from Affective Rail and Plant.

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Awards

The cream of the crop Members of the rail industry were recently recognised for their contributions to sustainability, innovation and more.

Blake Gibson went home with the Emerging Leader of the Year award.

Images: Informa Connect Australia

Some 350 members of the rail industry gathered for a gala dinner at The Crown in Perth recently, where the winners of the inaugural Australian Heavy Haul Rail Awards were announced.

A spokesperson for Informa Connect Australia, which organised the awards, said they aim to “identify and recognise the contributions of individuals and organisations shaping the future of the heavy haul rail industry, with a focus on leadership, commitment to innovation, safety and sustainability."

Mick Colliss, Australian National Sudoku Team Member, acted as the Master of Ceremonies, while the awards were presented by Kari Gonzales, President and Chief Executive Officer of MxV Rail and Chair of the International Heavy Haul Association (IHHA).

On the night, a special Industry Legend award was presented to Ben Lombardo from Lombardo Rail.

An icon of Australian rail, Lombardo has been a pioneer and innovator in the industry since the early 1980s, when he took over leadership of Speno Rail Maintenance.

He drove key value add technology development, innovation and the introduction of specialised maintenance technologies into the Australian rail maintenance industry. He now runs his own consulting business, Lombardo Rail.

“Thank you all for the recognition,”

said Lombardo. “Rail is not about awards but about the great people and experiences on the journey.

“Over 50 years in rail and still loving it.”

The Rio Tinto Rail Material Repurposing Program took out the Excellence in Sustainability award.

The program reuses materials such as degraded ballast, rail steel, wheel sets and redundant concrete sleepers for road construction, mine rehabilitation, and community projects. By engaging with

Ben Lombardo, winner of the Industry Legend Award, with Kari Gonzales.

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stakeholders such as Main Roads Western Australia and Indigenous communities to explore innovative solutions, the program promotes a circular economy, reduces costs, and strengthens environmental, social, and governance outcomes, while enhancing stakeholder confidence and supporting local businesses.

Other nominees included Aurizon’s Fleet Decarbonisation Team and Swietelsky Rail Australia’s Ballast Cleaning Team.

Meanwhile, Joe McGinlay from Rio Tinto was named Industry Champion of the Year.

McGinlay has over 30 years of rail experience and has led innovations in Artificial Intelligence (AI), safety, and signalling systems, setting new industry benchmarks.

As Manager of Rail Systems at Rio Tinto, he drives advancements in Rio Tinto’s AutoHaul, including AI-driven predictive maintenance.

At the awards, McGinlay was described as a strong advocate for diversity, supporting and mentoring female engineers and fostering a highperformance culture.

Blake Gibson from UGL Limited went home with the Emerging Leader of the Year award. Gibson was praised for his leadership, which is “marked by meticulous attention to detail, strategic planning, and a focus on team development”.

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The need for a national resilience framework Changing climate and weather patterns in recent years have highlighted the importance of a resilient rail network, not only for the benefit of the industries that rail supports but for the communities across Australia that rely on rail for access to essential goods and services.

The unpredictability, frequency, and intensity of weather events is projected to rise in the coming years, and the rail network’s vulnerability to these events also increases as networks and populations grow.

Embedding resilience within an organisation has become a necessity, not only for business continuity, but for the wellbeing of Australian communities as a whole.

However, there is currently no national resilience framework for the rail industry in Australia.

Rail organisations are therefore addressing resilience in an ad-hoc manner, typically independently from one another. This not only creates a burden of work and resourcing on an individual organisation but can result in unnecessary overlap between organisations with similar risk profiles conducting the same assessments separately.

In the wake of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, Queensland Rail restored services on most parts of its network within a few days.

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While national and state-based frameworks do exist for disaster risk reduction, these are generic frameworks which encompass resilience for the community as a whole and are not targeted to a specific industry or sector.

WHAT IS THE AR A DOING TO ADDRESS RESILIENCE IN R AIL? The ARA’s Sustainability Committee is currently working with members through its Resilience Working Group to develop an industry-first Resilience Framework, which aims to outline practical focus areas and key considerations for building resilience in an Australasian rail-specific context. The framework will serve as a tool to guide an organisation’s strategic thinking, linking resilience to the wide range of assets, systems and processes which make up the rail industry.

The framework will also offer metrics for measuring and monitoring resilience progress, allowing organisations to report on successful initiatives and identify areas where further attention is required. Having tangible, trackable metrics provides greater

Caroline Wilkie, Chief Executive Officer of the Australasian Railway Association

visibility to resilience projects – encouraging buy-in and simplifying communication.

It will be flexible to enable organisations to select and adapt the relevant aspects and metrics for their unique risk profile. The framework will offer value to organisations with no previous experience in resilience looking to implement preliminary measures, as well as more advanced organisations seeking to cross-check existing plans and practices against industry best practice.

It will also reduce the burden of research placed on individual members and offer an opportunity for organisations to coordinate and align their resilience efforts with the wider industry.

WHY IS A NATIONAL FR AMEWORK FOR RESILIENCE IN R AIL CRITICAL? Major flooding events in the past few years have illustrated the importance of resilient rail infrastructure. In January 2022, flooding impacted more than 300 kilometres of track between Crystal Brook, South Australia and Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, leading to an unprecedented 24-day outage on the eastwest line.

Image: Queensland Rail

In the face of a rising number of natural disasters, the Australasian Railway Association looks at why it’s so important to have a rail network that can bounce back.

Image: Australian Rail Track Association

Track flooding in Kalgoorlie, March 2024.

Beyond the significant cost of repair in response to this flooding event, the outage significantly impacted supply chains, leading to shortages on supermarket shelves, as well as affecting business and industry, at an estimate cost to the economy of $320 million.

In early 2024, this same rail corridor experienced another three-week outage due to flooding. This event caused major strain on the supply of essential grocery items and food supplies to Western Australia and added to cost-of-living pressures on local communities.

Around the same time, flooding in New South Wales resulted in track washouts requiring extensive repair, and abnormally high rainfall in Queensland necessitated the temporary suspension of both passenger and freight lines in the region.

In the face of events such as these, how can you tell when resilience is going right?

Resilience is notoriously hard to measure – how do you record the benefits of not being impacted by an event, of not experiencing flood damage, or of not needing to shut down a rail corridor?

Looking at recent events can shed some light on the importance of getting this right.

Consider the very recent experience and impacts of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred in Queensland and New South Wales.

Sections of track and supporting infrastructure were closed for several days as flooding, heavy rain and extreme winds impacted the area. While the economic costs

stemming from the various track shutdown periods and repairs will take time to fully realise, what is immediately obvious is that the impacts were not nearly as severe as they had the potential to be, with operations restored on most parts of the affected network after a few days.

So why was Alfred different? For one, ample warning of the cyclone’s approach and pathway enabled an “all-hands-ondeck” approach from rail operators, who could prepare their networks with targeted stockpiles of essential repair materials and power generators and relocate their rollingstock assets to safe locations. Early warning also enabled advance and clear communication with impacted passengers and freight users on when tracks and stations would be shut down, keeping community members and employees out of harm’s way. This preparedness and the associated impact reduction paints a clear picture of resilience in rail.

RECENT FUNDING COMMITMENTS A 2021 report from Deloitte Access Economics titled Special report: Update to the economic costs of natural disasters in Australia estimated the costs of disasters to the Australian economy are currently $38 billion per year, and this annual figure could reach $73 billion by 2060.

However, it is also estimated that for every dollar invested in disaster risk

reduction, the Australian economy reaps a $9.60 return on investment. This is not only attributable to cost savings from the reduced need for repair and rebuilding of physical infrastructure, but also the flow-on health and social benefits from reduced damage to property and livelihoods.

In 2024, the Australian Government committed more than $1 billion in investment to enhance the resilience of the rail network. This money will be used to fund critical infrastructure upgrades at key sections of the rail lines, enabling the network to withstand impacts from more extreme weather.

Infrastructure upgrades can take a variety of forms, depending on the nature of the hazards they are designed to withstand.

One example is the installation of newer, larger culverts, which can divert significant volumes of flood water under rail lines in areas which would have otherwise been washed out.

Improved monitoring and detection systems are also important to provide early warning when unexpected water level rises are detected on track. Another option is upgrading the tracks themselves to better withstand the extreme temperatures experienced during a heatwave or bushfire to enable faster travel speeds and reduce the risk of buckling.

But resilience isn’t only about construction and physical modifications.

To embed true resilience into a system, as demonstrated in the Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred example, requires focused considerations across all aspects of a business or organisation, from people and culture to governance, interdependencies with other systems and asset maintenance and life cycle management.

The rail network is not simply a transport system. Rail connects people to family, education, and employment. Rail moves food, energy, resources, and crucial exports.

The impact of disasters to the rail industry are not limited to transport disruption, but include the cumulative effects which impact supply chains, food security, and community recovery.

No two weather events are ever the same, but high-quality, resilient rail infrastructure provides a greater chance of efficient recovery, offers supply chain redundancies via alternative routes and networks, and presents a long-term solution to the ever-changing threats posed by our warming climate.

Resilient rail is resilient transport and will form a keystone piece in the resilience of Australia as a whole.

WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 47

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Industry Organisations

National rail reform gathers speed Image: Somchai/Shutterstock

Australia’s rail network, long challenged by fragmentation and legacy systems, is now seeing momentum build toward national consistency, with mandatory rail standards being introduced for the first time.

Different jurisdictions have different gauges, technologies, signalling systems and driver training requirements.

The National Transport Commission's rail reform program includes the introduction of Australia's first set of mandatory rail standards, marking a shift towards national consistency.

Dr Gillian Miles, the recently appointed Chair of the Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board (RISSB), takes the reins at a timely juncture, guiding the board to support government and industry to achieve these ambitious changes.

“As I see it, the national standards framework that the National Transport Commission (NTC) has been developing has three parts,” Miles said.

“There are mandatory standards, a middle tier that’s more like ‘harmonised best practice’, and a third tier of ‘bespoke’ or localised standards.

“They’ve used language like ‘must have’, ‘should have’ and ‘might have’, to define the differences – that’s how the three tiers came about.”

These three tiers – mandatory, harmonised and localised standards – are central to the National Rail Standards Framework, developed under the NTC’s National Rail Action Plan.

The aim is to improve interoperability, productivity and safety across the system,

while giving the industry confidence to invest.

“The productivity driver is trying to get the entire network uplifted,” Miles said.

“The mandatory standard is really important right now to advance interoperability, as there is more that’s the same than there is that’s different, but we tend to focus on the things that are different.”

As Miles explained, they are not about heavy regulation, but strategic focus.

“My view is mandatory standards should be few and far between. Governments have agreed that these are specifically targeted around interoperability, to give some certainty to the rail industry and confidence for investment.”

WHY STANDARDISATION MATTERS The consequences of Australia’s inconsistent rail standards include inefficiency, duplication, slower approvals, higher costs and increased safety risks.

Different jurisdictions have different gauges, technologies, signalling systems and driver training requirements.

“A freight driver driving from Perth to Sydney, for example, will go through four Rail Infrastructure Managers (RIMs), or four territories where the rules are different,” Miles said.

“They have to do four lots of training and they even have to carry four different colour vests in the cabin and change along the way.

That’s not efficient.”

The push for a set of key mandatory standards – a significant shift for a country with a historically voluntary approach – is aimed at reducing these costs and barriers.

THE FIRST KEY MANDATORY STANDARDS The NTC and transport ministers have agreed to focus the first wave of mandatory standards on three high-impact areas.

These include digital train control technologies, the driver interface (the cabin environment), and rolling stock approval processes.

“Streamlining rolling stock approval processes is something industry is very keen on – the current inconsistency of bringing rolling stock onto the network is not cost efficient,” Miles said.

While timelines for implementation are still being finalised by the NTC, the recent changes to the Rail Safety National Law (RSNL) are seen as an early enabler.

Operators and infrastructure managers must now demonstrate that they have considered network-wide interoperability impacts as part of their safety management systems.

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Industry Organisations

Streamlining rolling stock approval processes is one of three areas of focus for new mandatory standards.

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THE EVOLVING ROLE OF RISSB As the standards conversation evolves, so too must RISSB. Miles sees a future where the organisation plays a central, strategic role in the rail system – prioritising, coordinating and supporting standards implementation across industry and government.

“RISSB has been around for 20 years, so let’s build on that rather than start again,” she said.

The main areas Miles sees where RISSB can add value are working with the NTC to prioritise standards development, bringing government and industry together to develop standards and supporting materials, and supporting industry with implementation and adoption.

“Instead of going, ‘Here’s a standard, do it or you’re in trouble’, it should be ‘Here’s a standard that is aspirational, that everyone can and should work towards,’” she said.

This includes practical support for smaller operators who may not have the capacity of larger players – many of whom already use RISSB’s voluntary standards.

“Is there investment needed to help some of the smaller players get to the same level?

Do they even need to? Maybe they don’t – and that’s okay,” Miles said. “RISSB itself will also need to evolve.

“RISSB needs to lift its gaze higher.

We need to seek higher authorisation, be more strategic and more focused in solving

Image: RISSB

of the national roads harmonisation in Australia two decades ago.

“They’ve just done it in the roads industry.

That’s why Australia has consistent speed limits, consistent signage and consistent standards for traffic signalling,” Miles said.

“There are still some inconsistencies, but nothing like we see in the rail sector.”

Image: National Transport Commission

THE CHALLENGE OF ADOPTION One of the biggest challenges in driving uptake of standards – mandatory or otherwise – is cost and coordination.

“There are so many players, and there are so many views,” Miles said.

“Everyone is worried about cost. The challenge is to shift from the mindset of just considering ‘my cost’ versus a system uplift?”

Even voluntary standards can be difficult to embed without incentives or structured support. The Harmonisation of Rail Standards Report, released in October 2024 and jointly commissioned by RISSB, the NTC, the Australasian Railway Association (ARA) and the Office of the National Rail Industry Coordination (ONRIC), identified network operating differences and minimal incentive to change as key challenges.

“The voluntary approach is actually a barrier,” Miles said.

“We get inconsistent adoption, and the structure in Australia makes it more complex – governments are funding and running rail, then there are private operators, and we’ve got an above and below ground rail split.

“There are just a lot of players involved.”

Miles believes the solution sits between voluntary and mandatory standards – a more effective shared governance model that encourages consistent adoption and best practice.

“We need a lock-in mechanism that’s stronger than voluntary, but not as heavyhanded as mandatory,” she said.

“The challenge is to have a governance model that can give us that middle ground – something more reliable than voluntary adoption, without needing full regulatory force.”

Drawing on her experience across road and rail reform, Miles pointed to the success

Dr Gillian Miles, Chair of the Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board, was previously CEO of the National Transport Commission.

the big problems rather than the little problems,” she said.

REFORM WITH URGENCY – AND REALISM There is broad consensus across the industry about the need for reform.

But, as Miles pointed out, it will take time, trust, and a willingness to solve problems collectively.

“Rail had huge investment over the past 10 years, but that perhaps has not been met with the same level of productivity uplift,” she said.

“We can’t afford not to have a great rail system, and we need to look at the transport system in totality – not just rail or road or maritime in isolation.

Connectivity is the key.”

Climate goals and freight productivity targets only raise the stakes. Getting standardisation right is not just a matter of internal efficiency, it’s critical to delivering net-zero commitments and shifting freight off roads and onto rail.

“We have to do something different, absolutely,” Miles said.

“We can’t rest any longer on ‘We’ve got an old system, and we’ll just make it work’.”

The next step, she said, is securing RISSB’s role in that future – fast.

“We are a membership organisation. If we start to question its future, it starts to lose its energy.

"I believe, as do many others in the industry, that RISSB has a role to play in this new order.

"So for me, it’s about working with industry and government and making those decisions sooner rather than later.”

Innovating with purpose For more than 150 years, Wabtec’s innovations have helped drive the industry toward a more sustainable and clean future.

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