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More than 7000 delegates. 600 exhibitors. 120 speakers. It’s almost time for AusRAIL PLUS, the biggest rail event in the southern hemisphere.
Industry professionals from across Australia, New Zealand and around the world are set to descend on Melbourne’s Convention and Exhibition Centre from November 25–28, 2025 – where they can expect a packed program of presentations, panel discussions, technical sessions, and networking events.
In this special AusRAIL PLUS-themed edition of Rail Express, we preview some of the great products and solutions that will be exhibited as part of the conference – from Siemens Mobility’s new and improved axle counters to Freightquip’s safety-boosting Depot Protection Systems.
We recommend stopping by ALSTOM’s stand, where visitors can get a sneak peek of the Next Generation G Class Tram and X’Trapolis 2.0 train via virtual reality.
Meanwhile, DT Infrastructure has a fascinating lineup of presenters in store, and the event will be a great opportunity to meet movers and shakers from major global operators such as Go-Ahead and RATP.
Our cover star this month is Pacific National, which has recently invested $350 million in its new fleet of 50 locomotives, which it says are the most technologically advanced, fuel-efficient, and environmentally compatible diesel locomotives in the country.
This issue of the magazine is also a chance to learn about some of the other innovative technology solutions that are reducing downtime, streamlining project management, improving safety and making Australia’s rail operations more sustainable. These include Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE, Zelra’s Workforce
Management platform, Loram’s Platinum Asset Management Services, Hexagon’s Enterprise Asset Management and Asset Performance Management, 4Tel’s Electronic Authorities on Train Management and Control Systems, Arcadis’ Assured and Data Led and r2p’s NetSpire technology.
I really enjoyed my chat with Michael Caltabiano, Chief Executive Officer of the National Transport Research Organisation, who had some interesting insights to share about why the Australian rail industry needs to do more to embrace innovation –and fast.
On the plant and equipment side, we get the scoop on: Liebherr’s impressive A 922 Rail Litronic, a new version of Protective’s lifesaving GoUpSafely product, Vossloh’s HSG-city machines, STRAILastic’s sound protection systems, MATISA’s rail maintenance solutions, Enerpac’s RP70A Rail Tensor and KONUX Switch, supplied by Salix.
We also share why Austbrokers City State Rail is the best choice for all your rail and construction-related insurance needs, how Inver Engineering has established itself as a leading maintenance service provider to the local rail industry, and how Systematiq can help operators win multi-milliondollar contracts.
Plus, NGL shares the benefits of its portable wheel lathe and Martinus explains how it “innovates with purpose” to deliver major projects with minimal disruption. We also bring you an update on ABB’s new Traction Centre of Excellence in Queensland, and much more.
Happy reading – and make sure to say hello if you see me at AusRAIL PLUS.
kayla.walsh@primecreative.com.au
Big loco, small footprint
Pacific National has unveiled Australia’s greenest diesel locomotive fleet to drive down emissions for its customers.
Leading rail freight operator Pacific National is rolling out “the most technologically advanced, fuel-efficient, and environmentally compatible diesel locomotives in Australia”, investing $350 million to deliver a fleet of 50 new greener trains to bolster its intermodal operations.
Designed and built in Broadmeadow, New South Wales by UGL, in partnership with Wabtec Corporation, the new 94 Class locomotives are the most advanced diesel freight locomotives in Australia, according to Pacific National Chief Executive Officer Brett Grehan.
“Pacific National is focused on delivering what matters for its customers – reliable, sustainable, and efficient rail freight solutions that help businesses with their journey to reduce emissions,” he said.
“The Australian-made 94 Class locomotives are the first of their kind for domestic freight in the country and will reduce emissions on Pacific National’s services by a further six to ten per cent.”
Grehan said the company is proud to be able to exclusively offer its customers the
most carbon efficient diesel locomotives in the country to rail their freight.
“The 94 Class locomotives further extend rail’s environmental lead over road and make it clear rail is the right freight mode of choice to ensure the country is on track to meet emission reduction targets,” he added.
The investment is part of Pacific National’s broader strategy to modernise its fleet, support decarbonisation, and ensure it is operating efficiently and sustainably.
Pacific National's Group Executive of Intermodal, Cramer Ball, said: “Freight moved by rail already produces up to 80 per cent fewer emissions per tonne compared to road transport.
"But these 94 Class take that advantage even further, giving our customers confidence their goods are being moved in the most sustainable way possible and extending Pacific National’s carbon emissions advantage for our customers.”
Capable of hauling 1500 to 1800-metre containerised trains, the 94 Class will enhance reliability and efficiency across Pacific National’s service network.
A key feature of the new fleet is Wabtec’s trademarked Trip Optimizer system, a smart energy management technology that automates throttle and braking decisions in real time to minimise fuel use.
“We’ve deployed Trip Optimizer across the fleet to deliver better fuel efficiency and further lower emissions,” Ball said. “The system enhances operational efficiency, reduces wear and tear, and ensures consistent train handling – particularly important on long intermodal routes.”
Pacific National’s $350 million investment was a boost for Australia’s local rail manufacturing capability, with the locomotives built in Broadmeadow and supporting local jobs.
With Australia’s freight task to grow over the coming decade, Grehan said upgrading its locomotive fleet is essential to meet future demand while decarbonising its operations.
“By commissioning a new fleet, we’re not just investing in rolling stock, but in the future of rail, to support the movement of intermodal freight as Australia journeys towards net zero greenhouse gas emissions,”
Pacific National has invested $350 million in the new fleet. Image:
Operations, Nick Macauley, said the integration of the new locomotives into the national network had been overwhelmingly successful, including a robust testing regime along with extensive driver and network provider consultation.
National's intermodal business is a signal to industry that the company is here and committed to the market for the long term.
“We’re confident intermodal freight volumes will grow when more customers see the benefits of these new trains and low
since the NR fleet.
“For many of our drivers that have worked with us for decades, this is the first completely new locomotive they’ve had a chance to operate and drive,” Macauley said.
“Given this, our drivers have been really involved in the consultation and trials and enthusiastic about embracing the new cutting-edge technology.”
The new locomotives are purpose-built for the unique demands of Australia’s long-haul, intermodal freight operations and will be progressively rolled out across key interstate corridors.
Every week Pacific National delivers more than 180 reliable freight services to move vital goods safely and securely across its Australian network.
Customers interested in learning more
The locally-built 94 Class locomotives are the first of their kind for domestic freight in Australia.
The locomotives were designed and built in New South Wales by UGL.
The Pacific National team at the official launch of the 94 Class locomotives.
Image: Salty Dingo
Image: Salty
Dingo
Image: Pacific National
Major Projects
Innovation with purpose
Martinus’ deep rail expertise and innovative approach to delivering major projects result in reduced disruption, keeping communities connected where
Rail projects are different. They do not operate as isolated pieces of infrastructure, but as systems where track, structures, signalling, control and communities all have to function together.
Disruption in one part ripples through the whole. Delivering them requires more than capability. It requires a contractor who understands how every element connects and how to keep them connected while projects are underway.
Align Wide Alliance, formed by FCC, Martinus, BGE and Arcadia, has been established to meet that challenge. The alliance combines FCC’s experience on some of the world’s busiest metro systems with Martinus’ proven track record delivering Australia and New Zealand’s largest brownfield rail programs.
Innovation with purpose is just one part of Align Wide’s broader approach, but it is the thread that ensures new ideas make a difference. In practice, that means solutions that keep services moving in the middle of major works.
Martinus’ delivery on Auckland’s City Rail Link (CRL) and its current role on Sydney Metro Southwest both illustrate how practical, rail-specific innovation can reduce disruption where it matters most.
CITY RAIL LINK
On Auckland’s CRL, the largest and most complex rail program in New Zealand’s history, keeping trains and commuters moving meant rethinking how materials were delivered and works staged. The
answer was rail by rail: staging works one section at a time and using the railway itself as the logistics corridor.
At Britomart Station, the constrained underground environment ruled out fullscale locomotives, and relying on road access would have caused major disruption to commuters and the community. Instead, Martinus introduced Zephir locomotives, compact yet powerful units capable of hauling heavy loads through tight tunnels.
Bringing them into New Zealand for the first time meant more than sourcing specialist plant. Martinus became the only contractor for rail services accredited to operate on the KiwiRail network, developed detailed logistics plans to sequence every movement, and managed critical interfaces to keep services running.
“This is what it means to go to any length to deliver,” said James Leech, Martinus Project Director, who worked on the CRL project.
“Not glossy innovation, but technical solutions born from rail expertise and applied with purpose.
“The result was safe, reliable progress on one of New Zealand’s most complex brownfield rail environments, with services handed back first train every time.”
SYDNEY
METRO SOUTHWEST
Disruption does not only come from the tracks. It also comes from the structures above them. On Sydney Metro Southwest, 15 road over rail bridges along the Bankstown corridor are being upgraded with vehicle
it matters most.
barriers and throw screens to meet automation requirements. Many of them are more than a century old, carry heavy traffic and contain critical utilities within their decks.
The conventional approach of demolishing bridge decks, dowelling rebar and casting new barriers would have meant long closures, major utility relocations and significant disruption. Instead, Martinus is working with Sydney Metro and local fabricator Alfabs to co-engineer a prefabricated solution known as offstructure beams.
These weathering steel portal structures – some more than 30 metres long and weighing more than 35 tonnes – are being fabricated off-site and progressively installed during possession windows.
At Moreton Street in Lakemba, Western Sydney, a 750-tonne crane was used to lift two 30-metre beams into place during a single night closure. Just a kilometre down the line at Belmore Station, a 32.7-metre beam weighing 37 tonnes was installed the following evening while surrounding roads remained open thanks to detailed traffic management.
By carrying the new barriers and screens independently of the old decks, the offstructure beams avoid utility diversions and reduce risk.
“The solution is showing how purposeful innovation relies on collaboration as much as engineering, with client, contractor and supplier working together to keep communities connected while critical upgrades are delivered,” Leech added.
WHY PURPOSE MATTERS
The next wave of Australian projects will be delivered in some of the busiest rail and community interfaces the country has seen. Their success will not be measured by scale alone, but by whether they can be delivered without bringing cities to a standstill.
Leech continued: “Rail by rail at CRL and off-structure beams on Sydney Metro are more than technical solutions.
“They are proof that the real innovation in rail comes from disciplined methods that reduce disruption where it matters most.
“For Australia’s next generation of projects, that is the test that will separate delivery from disruption.”
Martinus managed critical interfaces to keep services running while the City Rail Link was being delivered in Auckland.
Image: Martinus
Counting towards a smarter network Technology
Siemens Mobility’s innovative Port Melbourne team has been hard at work creating the next generation of axle counters.
To run a safe and reliable rail network, you always need to know exactly where your trains are.
This is done through track vacancy detection technology, which ensures that a section of track is empty before a train can pass through it. Traditionally, track vacancy was verified by detecting the wheel/rail interface – a system that has been used for more than 100 years.
While most Australian railways still use this system, it requires a lot of infrastructure and maintenance, according to Stephen Baker, Head of Product Lifecycle Management at Siemens Mobility Australia and New Zealand.
Baker said axle counters offer a better alternative to wheel/rail interface detection.
“Simply put, axle counters count the wheels when a train enters a section, and again when the train leaves the section,” he said.
“If the two counts correlate, you know the train is no longer in the section.”
THE EVOLUTION OF AXLE COUNTERS
Siemens Mobility has been deploying axle counting systems on railways everywhere from Queensland to Indonesia for more than 30 years. However, the technology has come a long way since it was first introduced.
“Back in the 1990s, axle counters had analogue interfaces and required the rail to
be drilled for the equipment to be mounted on it,” said Baker. “Now, we need products that are ready for the next phase of railway development in ETCS solutions.
“We haven’t tossed the good out with the bad – we've kept the solid underpinning technology as a base but carried out many improvements to align with the developing requirements of our customers.”
The newest generation of Siemens Mobility’s axle counters, the Clearguard ACM 250, offers a smart, cost-effective track vacancy detection solution.
Baker said the serial Ethernet interface saves operators money on installation, cabling and maintenance, with the Clearguard ACM 250 also maintaining a parallel interface where required.
Engineering efforts are also reduced due to its plug-and-play web interface.
It includes a redundant communication network for increased availability, and the wheel detector is based on a doubleside technology without electronics on the sensor – making it less sensitive to environmental changes, and more robust and reliable.
Siemens Mobility’s Australian Research and Development team, based in Port Melbourne, has recently introduced several upgrades to the product.
“The first lot of changes we’ve made to the Clearguard ACM 250 are operational
changes, so the axle counter can recover from error conditions, which do occur occasionally,” Baker explained.
“We’ve also made other operational changes to allow us to deal with small vehicles such as high-rail equipment.”
The second raft of changes are maintenance-related improvements, with Siemens Mobility redesigning the way its systems are mounted to the rail.
“This means that when rail maintenance is being done, the assets don’t have to be removed from the rail.
“This improves and speeds up the process extraordinarily, along with saving costs.”
The team has also introduced automatic calibration systems, which remove the need for periodic calibration that many axle counters require and reduce the need for operators to send crews to sites where the technology is installed.
“The system completely manages itself,” Baker added.
Siemens Mobility has also developed new tools to allow customers to integrate the axle counters into the design of their signalling schemes themselves.
“Instead of employing a vendor to do all the configuration, rail operators can design their own, especially for minor schemes.
“That means they can do everything from concept through to design to supply and commissioning.”
The Clearguard ACM 250 has been developed to meet the highest safety standards.
Baker said these innovations are the result of the local team’s skills and research, including ideas from some “brilliant young engineers”, and leveraging the experience of the global team through collaboration.
“We also listen to our customers and make it a priority to produce solutions that meet their needs.
“The new methodology for mounting the axle counter on the rail was completely developed at our local lab, before it was sent over to the German Research and Development team for validation.”
SMART AND SAFE
The Clearguard ACM 250 has been developed to meet the safety requirements stipulated by the European CENELEC (the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation) standards, and conforms to the highest safety integrity standard, SIL 4.
“Safety is number one,” said Baker. “As part of the safety validation process, we sent the Clearguard ACM 250 and all our data to an independent validator to look at reliability. We now have independent certification of a mean time between failure (MTBF) of over 150 years per item. That is leading class.”
He added that Siemens Mobility is also at the forefront of meeting European Union standards for cybersecurity.
“The Clearguard ACM 250 and the asset
“The Clearguard ACM 250 is part of the Railigent X platform, Siemens’ digital service and application suite,” he said.
“This allows asset owners and maintainers to have visibility of all the axle counters in their rail network and information about the current state of each asset.
“In the rare event that an asset, such as an axle counter, is not working, the system will tell you the probable cause and even
He acknowledged that rail operators can be reluctant to update ageing assets due to the initial costs and change involved, but if they choose to update their infrastructure, operators can help future proof the network for upgrades such as ETCS Level 2.
“Investment is needed across our rail networks to ensure reliability into the future,” he said. “This is an evolution that needs to happen.”
Siemens Mobility has been deploying axle counting systems on railways for more than 30 years.
The Research and Development team in Port Melbourne has been innovating to improve the Clearguard ACM 250.
Rail and road ready
Built on Liebherr’s extensive knowledge in specialist rail machinery, the latest generation A 922 Rail Litronic is an excavator engineered to transition seamlessly between rail and road operations.
At the core of the machine is a dualfunction undercarriage that comes in various versions to run on different track gauges, alongside tyres for driving the excavator on the ground. Having this wheeled chassis also increases machine speed compared with crawler rail machines, making travel between job sites quicker.
Having a machine that is ‘rail ready’ is a major drawcard for contractors who need to work both on and off-rail and are looking for an excavator that can easily change between attachments, said Liebherr’s National Sales Manager, Noel Tosolini.
“What really stands out with the A 922 Rail is the flexibility and ease of changing between rail and earthmoving. The ease of changing between attachments means it is fast, efficient and safe for the operator.
“Being purposefully designed for both rail and excavation, the A 922 Rail is equally competent in both tasks.”
SAFETY FIRST
An independent variable displacement pump for the rail undercarriage always ensures a high level of traction, while standard
Two high-pressure circuits and an upgraded high-flow pump enable the use of large hydraulic rail attachments without affecting other functions.
integrated brakes in the rail wheel shorten the braking distance.
The counterweight has been redesigned to yield the best load-bearing values and improve weight distribution, along with a more compact rear that has a 2000-millimetre swivel radius.
Optional heavy ballast improves lifting capacity and stability when working near or over track, for example, when lifting sleepers into place, while safety features such as lift/swivel limits and virtual wall options aid precise machine control when working close to track and overhead lines.
SUPERIOR HYDRAULICS
The A 922 Rail Litronic has an operating weight of between 20,400 and 23,400 kilograms and is powered by a 120-kilowatt (163-horsepower) engine.
Two high-pressure circuits and an upgraded high-flow pump allow for the use of large hydraulic rail attachments, such as tampers, mulchers and high-flow breakers, without compromising other functions.
The double variable-displacement pump has independent control circuits, with each high-pressure circuit delivering about 220 litres a minute. The flows of both circuits can be combined if needed when using heavy attachments such as pile drivers.
Because the two circuits are independent, three functions can be controlled
The adaptable excavator runs on different track gauges, can be driven on road, and attachments can be switched with minimal downtime.
simultaneously on special attachments such as tampers without impairing travel/ boom operation.
“Liebherr hydraulics truly are superior,” Tosolini said.
“There are also fully automatic or caboperable quick coupler options, which means the operator can stay safe in the cab when switching between attachments, while also reducing downtime.”
ATTACHMENTS
On the earthmoving side, Liebherr offers specialist buckets, grabs, pallet forks, hammers and stick extensions, which come in options between 2.25 and three metres and extend the reach of the excavator for when working on embankments or mowing, for example.
On the rail attachment side, Liebherr has ballast tampers and profilers, tools for replacing sleepers, mulchers, saws, clamps and grabs.
Tosolini added: “The A 922 Rail can also accept third-party attachments in addition to Liebherr-brand tools, which makes it a true multi-role machine for both civil earthworks and rail maintenance.”
For more information, visit www.liebherr.com.au
Images: Liebherr
Moving millions with made-in-Paris savoir-faire
With strong experience in seamless network takeovers and a global reputation for operational success, RATP Dev is ready and keen to apply its skills to Melbourne’s rail network.
RATP Dev, the international arm of Parisbased mass transit operator RATP Group, is calling on its established Australian team and successful track record in smooth brownfield rail takeovers and operational excellence across 17 countries to write the next chapter for users of Melbourne’s metropolitan rail network.
As contenders for the MR5 train franchise – the contract to run Melbourne’s trains – take their marks, RATP Dev’s team spoke to Rail Express about their approach and credentials.
“We know that every network has its own character and priorities,” said Emilie Lacroix, RATP Dev Bid Director for MR5.
“Our role is to listen, to share our experience where it can add value, and to work in partnership to support Victoria’s vision for public transport.”
Lacroix highlighted that RATP Dev’s Australian team, with its combination of global experience and local knowledge, is a key element in the equation.
“Our team on the ground in Melbourne has first-hand insight into Victorians’ expectations for their rail network, as well as firmly-established operational credentials around the world,” she said.
A TRACK RECORD ON EUROPE’S BUSIEST COMMUTER RAIL LINES
RATP Dev Technical Director Mathilde Mahaut, who grew up in Melbourne, has been back on home ground for the past couple of years, bringing with her more than 15 years of operational experience at RATP Group.
Mahaut has held senior roles on Paris’s RER A (Réseau Express Régional) – Europe’s busiest commuter line – and on the city’s 30-kilometre-long north to south automated Metro Line 14.
“The results of our experience on RER A transporting 1.3 million passengers per day on a 109-kilometre high-density line says a lot,” said Mahaut.
“We achieved headways as short as two minutes and 20 seconds, a 10 per cent ridership bump and a 10-point increase in punctuality during peak hours, thanks to measures including a timetable redesign, deployment of Automatic Train Operation (ATO), the commissioning of high-capacity double-deck trains, and the opening of a new centralised control centre.”
RER A also included landmark infrastructure upgrades such as the renewal of 24 kilometres of track and 27 switchgears between 2015 and 2021. Undertaken in a tunnel with limited access, the works were staged progressively during summer periods, supported by reinforced metro services and a coordinated public information campaign to minimise disruption.
Mathilde works closely with Denis Masure, who has spent the past six years in Australia as RATP Dev’s Country Manager following 15 years in Paris, where he served as Head of RER B, Europe’s second busiest commuter rail line. The RER B spans 80 kilometres of track and carries one million daily passenger journeys, with an annual ridership growth rate of 2.5 per cent under his leadership.
“Hands-on experience on high-capacity and high-frequency networks proves
invaluable time and time again in delivering results,” said Masure.
“RATP Dev Australia’s team features Operations and Maintenance (O&M) experts with serious experience here and overseas in enhancing operations, maintenance and passenger experience.
“Our skillsets include minimising lifecycle costs and deploying game-changing digital technology like Maint’Up.”
The latter is a single interface platform for supervising all network equipment and offering complete control over often underexploited data scattered across multiple platforms, thereby optimising equipment reliability and availability, energy consumption and performance management.
Denis Masure also emphasised the RATP Group’s precinct development expertise, focused on integrating transport hubs with affordable housing and community infrastructure.
“We care about the communities we serve, so it’s only natural to share our best practices in addressing cost of living and real estate pressures, which are a common feature of the cities and regions where we operate.”
LYON: A SEAMLESS TAKEOVER
In the world of public transport operations, few challenges rival the complexities of taking control of an existing transit network while maintaining service continuity.
RATP Dev has a proven track record of delivering smooth network takeovers on O&M contracts with the seamless integration of 15,000 staff and hundreds
Metro trains on Lyon's automated Metro Line B, part of Lyon’s TCL network – the largest in France after Paris.
of trainsets and stations in recent years.
RATP Dev’s most recent takeover experience includes the metro, tram, and rail operations of Lyon’s TCL (Transports en Commun à Lyon) network – the largest in France after Paris – in January 2025, following a tender process conducted by the public transport authority for the Lyon metropolitan area.
The takeover featured significant challenges, including a long-established incumbent operator, strong union representation and a 50-year-old network presenting asset management and maintenance issues.
“Achieving a seamless takeover without disruption to passenger services required a well planned and executed mobilisation strategy,” observed Arnaud Legrand, Managing Director of RATP Dev Lyon, who also managed operations and development for the company in the United States of America and South Africa.
According to Legrand, RATP Dev applied hard and soft skills to make the transition a success.
“We’re well known for our technical expertise, especially in terms of asset management, and our ability to mobilise leadership teams and subject matter experts for mobilisation, transition, complex upcoming projects and unexpected challenges,” he said.
“We combined this with a strong local anchoring and collaborative approach for efficient dialogue with the transport authority and incumbent operator, transparent and open discussions with employees and early and constructive engagement with unions.”
After the contract award in 2024, RATP Dev immediately mobilised a dedicated transition team featuring highly experienced, locally-based professionals. This team then worked with the public transport authority and the incumbent operator over a ten-month period to ensure operational readiness.
management, passenger experience, health, safety, quality, and environment.
In parallel, the transition team prepared for staff transfer with a transparent approach, which included ongoing communication with employees via both on-site and voluntary meetings to explain the changes and hold Question and Answer sessions.
significant increase in the number of senior local full-time resources through seconded RATP experts.
Legrand said stakeholder reactions after RATP Dev’s operational takeover included kudos from the public transport authority on the smooth transition, as well as from personnel who quickly adapted to the change in operator.
The transition process included an initial preparation period to establish protocols and define key expectations from all parties. This was followed by a contractual mobilisation period including training, new system implementation, and organisational changes. Before the actual takeover on January 1, 2025, a final “switching plan”, including the transfer of key systems over a one-month period, ensured seamless service continuity.
To support the technical side of the transition, RATP Dev called on subject matter experts from RATP Group’s 2000-strong engineering team to contribute to areas including operations, asset
The team also worked hand-in-hand with the public transport authority to engage early and constructively with trade unions to foster trust and confidence. Legrand said this helped in ensuring a smooth transition by enabling the deployment of a full complement of staff from day one.
RATP Dev’s contract scope in Lyon includes technical support for line extensions and major improvement projects, including line automation and re-signalling. During mobilisation, the transition team presented a robust and detailed staffing plan involving RATP Dev’s experts and specialists to manage the workload and upskill existing Lyon network engineering staff with additional expertise and proven methodologies. Since the handover, the team has seen a
The results highlighted the success of RATP Dev’s structured methodology, enriched by lessons learned from previous successful transitions in locations including Egypt, France, Italy and Hong Kong.
“In brownfield transitions, meticulous planning – beginning months before the official handover – and staying ahead on stakeholder engagement are crucial,” Legrand said.
“RATP Dev’s successful takeover track record demonstrates the value of multiphase strategies overseen by a dedicated transition team with experts on hand, as well as proactivity and sensitivity in discussions with all stakeholders.
“This is how we ensure takeovers involve no missed connections and no service gaps for passengers.”
Denis Masure, General Manager of RATP Dev Australia.
Mathilde Mahaut, Technical Director of RATP Dev.
Emilie Lacroix, RATP Dev Bid Director for MR5.
Arnaud Legrand, Managing Director of RATP Dev Lyon. Images:
Raising the bar Safety
Protective Engineered Safely has released an updated version of its life-saving technology, GoUpSafely, with new and improved features.
A Perth technology company has been saving lives across Australia with a revolutionary product that keeps rail and construction workers safe from power lines.
The product – GoUpSafely – is the brainchild of engineer Karl Rosewarne, who came up with the idea after witnessing the aftermath of several fatal accidents involving electricity.
Rosewarne spent five years developing his innovative solution, which uses small wireless sensors mounted on equipment to detect the electric fields of nearby highvoltage lines.
It sends warning alerts to operators as they approach a power line and will even physically stop them from coming in contact with that power line, while also allowing them to move safely away from the hazard. All of this happens in real-time without the operator needing to press any special buttons.
The system can be fitted to excavators, cranes, tipper trucks, fire trucks, concrete pumps, bore drills, and many other machine types.
GoUpSafely has proven a success since it launched on the market through the company Rosewarne founded,
GoUpSafely can prevent machines from contacting power lines, while still allowing the machine to move safely away.
Protective Engineered Safety. Recently, the team has made several improvements to GoUpSafely, releasing Version 3 of the safety system.
WHAT’S NEW IN VERSION 3?
A major enhancement in Version 3 is the introduction of an app-based interface. The system now connects via Bluetooth to a mobile app, allowing operators or site managers to view live data and monitor system status directly from a smartphone or tablet.
Through the app, users can review logged events (such as previous alerts) and adjust certain settings when needed.
Version 3 comes with an app-based interface for real-time monitoring, event logging, and adjustable settings via Bluetooth on smartphones or tablets.
RELIABLE AND PRECISE
Unaffected by interference from radios, phones or other electronic devices, Protective’s technology ensures that every detection is a genuine live power line.
Its frequency sensors can distinguish between harmless static electricity and an actual electrical hazard, reducing false alarms and giving operators greater confidence.
“Every power line emits an electric field – and even humans have their own electric field or frequency,” Rosewarne explained. “Our system first detects that electric field, then checks its frequency.
“If the frequency is 50 or 60 hertz, plus or minus two per cent, the system begins the warning process, because it knows what you’re approaching is truly live.”
While GoUpSafely’s sensitivity can be adjusted and control integration is optional, once installed, the system can’t be overridden.
“It’s the ultimate safety mechanism,” said Rosewarne. “It completely removes the human factor and protects people from themselves.”
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.
Homegrown innovation with a global impact Technology
r2p’s innovative Passenger Information System (PIS) and Public Announcement (PA) technology is designed and manufactured in Australia but exported around the world.
Building on decades of innovation, r2p’s locally designed and manufactured NetSpire technology is transforming how passengers experience rail travel – both in Australia and around the world.
The NetSpire Passenger Information System (PIS) and Public Announcement (PA) technology enhances passenger experience and safety, offering impressive modularity allowing for easy configuration and integration with existing infrastructure.
It was initially developed by OpenAccess, an Australian start-up, and acquired by r2p in 2018.
The NetSpire suite of products, which also includes train radios, Integrated Communication Systems, Train Control and Management Systems and signalling systems, remains entirely designed and manufactured in Australia.
It is complemented by r2p’s Horizon CCTV (closed-circuit television) and iConnex realtime monitoring and analytics suite.
This creates a family of solutions that have been delivered thousands of times around the world since 1998.
MANUFACTURED
LOCALLY, EXPORTED GLOBALLY
r2p's Australian core operations are in Sydney, where NetSpire is designed and manufactured.
The Australian business employs more than 20 hardware and software engineers dedicated to research and development, supported by a local sales and operations team.
Managing Director of r2p, Scott Aitken, said manufacturing the product suite locally brings a lot of advantages.
Malaysia, to on-board solutions for trams, including trackless ones, in Slovenia, and a monorail in the Dominican Republic.
“r2p enjoys close relationships with domestic and international rolling stock producers and network operators,” said Aitken.
“This global exposure allows us to stay at the forefront of the worldwide market.
“Through these partnerships, we can showcase Australian innovation and bring global best practices to Australian deployments.”
AT THE FOREFRONT OF INNOVATION Aitken said r2p takes pride in its reputation for innovation and quality, and almost all its engagements include a degree of bespoke integration or customisation to fit with the wider deployment.
“Our customers appreciate r2p's ability to engage and adapt to these changes for a complete solution,” he said.
and operators, and accelerate solution development and enhancements,” he said.
“Being local also enhances our ability to provide hardware and software support
He added that r2p’s ability to travel onsite to support customers is highly valued by
Australia, compresses the turnaround time for resolving issues and feeds into our
Although r2p’s solutions are deployed on rail networks across most states and territories in Australia that have passenger rail, roughly 85 per cent of its Australian
Its technology has been used in a wide array of projects around the world, from wayside development in Saudi Arabia, Canada, the United States of America and
One example of innovation is in Atlanta, Georgia in the United States, where r2p has integrated its passenger information with a media server for advertising, with more than 20 display screens per train carriage.
“Offsetting the cost of running public transport with a dynamically managed advertising and information system is something that we should consider in future designs here in Australia,” Aitken said.
In addition to the continuous improvement of its existing product family and organic development, r2p is investing in developing solutions for innovative environments, integrating CCTV and its PIS/PA to enable real-time, automated messaging, thereby improving passenger safety and security in trains, trams, and stations.
“We are also embedding artificial intelligence in our products to enhance services for passengers with mobility, language, or hearing challenges, ensuring everyone has equal access to information that facilitates a safe and enjoyable journey,” Aitken added.
“Our goal is to make railways safer, more secure, and customer-friendly.”
r2p’s NetSpire technology is designed and manufactured in Australia.
Managing Director of r2p, Scott Aitken.
An operator that cares Passenger Rail
Leading transport operator Go-Ahead Group has decades of global experience in delivering solutions that meet community needs while supporting transport priorities. Now, it’s ready to explore opportunities in Australia and New Zealand.
One of the world’s leading public transport operators, Go-Ahead, has officially launched its presence in Australia and New Zealand –marking the beginning of its contribution to the local rail transport landscape.
With decades of experience operating busy, complex networks across the United Kingdom, Ireland, Singapore and beyond, GoAhead is excited to extend its communityfirst approach to our corner of the world.
PUTTING THE CUSTOMER FIRST Go-Ahead serves billions of customers around the world through its reliable bus and rail services.
The company is part-owned by Kinetic, the largest bus operator in Australia and New Zealand, as well as Globalvia, a Spanish multinational transport infrastructure company that operates in 11 countries across three continents.
Patrick Verwer, Chief Executive Officer – Rail at Go-Ahead, said the operator's experience in integrated public transport sets it apart from other operators. He gave an example of Brighton in England, where
“In Brighton, we don’t just run the trains and the buses side by side; we align timetables so that passengers arriving by train can immediately connect to a bus without long waits,” he said.
“We know public transport usage always grows where integration is prioritised and we see real opportunities to bring best practice experience to new markets.”
Verwer said Go-Ahead’s approach is always customer-first, ensuring the whole trip feels seamless even if it doesn’t operate every mode of the journey.
The company constantly strives to find smarter ways to run services and improve journeys – such as consulting communities on timetables as early as possible.
Angie Doll is Chief Executive Officer of Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) – the United Kingdom’s largest rail franchise, which is 65 per cent owned by Go-Ahead.
She said that in the past, consultation came after timetables were drafted, which often led to pushback.
“The final timetable worked better for the majority of passengers, ridership increased, and performance improved.
“It was a real demonstration of the benefits of early, genuine engagement.”
Piero McCarthy, Business Development Director for Go-Ahead’s Melbourne-based team, said that the company has been at the forefront of introducing essential modern signalling technology throughout its networks.
“We have been proud to introduce the technology, trains and drivers for the first mainline route with digital signalling in the United Kingdom, on Thameslink, and our operator GTR is now central to the programme of ETCS (European Train Control System) on the East Coast Main Line, one of the busiest parts of the United Kingdom's rail network”, he said, referring to the United Kingdom government’s £2 billion infrastructure project, the East Coast Digital Programme.
“It means our teams have been central to fitting out the rolling stock, training the
The Go-Ahead team: Kanwar Brar, Michael Contreras, Patrick Verwer, Angie Doll, Michael Sewards, Natasha Khoo, Piero McCarthy and David Mitchell.
drivers and creating the standards ready for the new operations.
“The new signalling allows trains to run closer together, at higher speeds, whilst maintaining safe distances. It also allows for much faster recovery during disruption, which improves the quality of customer experience.”
The widespread adoption of modern, digital in-cab signalling is a priority across Australia, where different networks and legacy signalling systems will need to be brought together in the interests of interoperability.
MAKING MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTIONS
Go-Ahead is committed to contributing meaningfully to communities, far beyond simply getting people where they need to go.
This is evidenced through its partnerships with career returner programs, the armed forces, prisons and charitable organisation The King’s Trust, opening doors to the rail industry for people who might not otherwise have had the opportunity. Its tenyear partnership with the King’s Trust alone
has supported more than 350 young people into sustainable rail careers.
As part of Go-Ahead’s strategy to combat anti-social behaviour across its rail networks in the United Kingdom, it also works with organisations such as youth charity the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust and AudioActive, a non-profit that uses music to create social change, as well as local football clubs.
“We’ve seen a rise in anti-social behaviour across society, not just on the railways,” said Verwer. “Our view is that tackling it at the root is far more effective than relying on enforcement alone.
"Together, we can redirect young people’s energy into something positive and help them understand how to behave safely and respectfully on the railway.”
CREATING A SAFER NETWORK
In addition to these initiatives, Go-Ahead has introduced several on-the-ground measures to increase safety across its stations and services. These include equipping its team of Travel Safe Officers with body-worn cameras.
“Together with our unions, we embedded these cameras into a joint anti-social behaviour plan,” said Doll.
“In practice, the moment a colleague says ‘I’m recording this, it often de-escalates situations straight away. When it doesn’t, the footage provides robust evidence that supports prosecutions and safeguards our people.”
Go-Ahead also developed its own app to simplify incident reporting.
“Colleagues can log issues directly from their smartphones, giving us a real-time, network-wide picture of trends.”
IMPLEMENTING LESSONS LEARNED
Michael Contreras, Executive Director –Operations in Go-Ahead’s Melbourne-based team said many of the initiatives that Go-Ahead has successfully implemented in the United Kingdom are highly adaptable for Australia.
“Our Rail Enforcement Officer teams, for example, combine education, crowd management, and real-time intelligence gathering to protect staff while also promoting a positive environment for passengers,” he said.
“We are confident that these proven ways to improve customer experience, safety and security can be adapted to the needs of Australian networks, ensuring that safety is always at the forefront of our operations.
“Similarly with our work in workforce renewal, which has been transformative in the United Kingdom; we believe that the same principles can help support local skills development in Australia, particularly in a time of rapid change in transport networks.”
Contreras said Go-Ahead is already building partnerships with local stakeholders and community organisations in Australia, staying true to the collaborative approach the company values.
“For us, partnership means more than working alongside clients and stakeholders, it’s about co-creating solutions that deliver real benefits for passengers and communities,” he said.
“The positive outcomes, whether it’s a more inclusive passenger journey, a safer station, or a more reliable timetable – they all stem from that collaborative mindset.”
Doll said she’s excited about Go-Ahead’s future Down Under.
“Rail works best when it’s treated as an ecosystem, with operators, governments, and communities working together,” she said.
“For Go-Ahead, everything comes back to three priorities: customers, communities and of course our colleagues. That mindset is what I’d most like to bring to Australia.”
Patrick Verwer, Chief Executive Officer of Go-Ahead.
Go-Ahead’s Travel Safe Officers are now equipped with body-worn cameras.
Paving the way for safer depots Safety
For Freightquip, safety is not a checklist but a culture that runs through every facet of the company.
Safety has always been one of the most important measures of progress in rail.
From depots to rolling stock to digital systems, one question guides every decision: does it make the railway safer for the people who operate it and the communities who depend on it?
At Freightquip, this principle underpins every project. As the company prepares to exhibit at AusRAIL PLUS 2025, safety will take centre stage, with both a Depot Protection System (DPS) demo kit and a Mobile Sand Delivery Unit showcased on the Freightquip stand.
These products are supplied in partnership with FirstClass Safety & Control Ltd and Newtek Solidos SL.
BUILDING
LAYERS OF PROTECTION
Rail depots are complex environments. With hundreds of people often working around rolling stock, even the smallest lapse can put lives at risk.
Freightquip believes safety must be designed into depot infrastructure, not left to procedures alone.
To achieve this, Freightquip has partnered with FirstClass Safety & Control Ltd, bringing proven global technology into Australia and New Zealand and adapting it to local standards and conditions.
The company’s SIL2 (Safety Integrity Level 2)-rated Depot Protection and Control Systems set high standards for managing train movements in maintenance facilities.
Using Allen Bradley PLC and Rockwell Automation technology, the systems monitor train positions and access points, reducing the risks posed by moving trains and high-voltage electricity.
The DPS demo kit, which will be on display at AusRAIL PLUS, is a key component of this system. It acts as a physical safeguard that prevents unauthorised access to live tracks, reinforcing protection for depot staff.
Steven Truong, General Manager of Rail at Freightquip, said the system provides the certainty that depot teams need while encouraging a vigilant safety mindset.
“Everyone working in a depot must remain alert to safety at all times,” Truong said. “The Depot Protection System reinforces this culture by providing dependable automated protection.
through every product and partnership the company delivers.
This commitment is evident not only in Depot Protection Systems but also in other solutions Freightquip brings to market, such as Sand Delivery Systems, which directly addresses one of the most serious health risks in rail depots: exposure to crystalline silica dust and the potential for silicosis – a preventable but irreversible lung disease
in Australia, in partnership with Newtek Solidos SL, setting a new benchmark for safe and efficient sand handling.
The fully enclosed system automates filling, removes airborne dust, integrates dust filtration and supports both fixed and mobile sanding operations. The result has been cleaner depots, healthier staff and smoother day-to-day operations.
John Steel, Chief Executive Officer of Freightquip, said the company’s safety
Images: Freightquip
Freightquip will be showcasing its Depot Protection System (DPS) at AusRAIL PLUS.
Freightquip’s Sand Delivery Systems help protect crews from exposure to crystalline silica dust and the risk of silicosis.
workforce that feels safe. That is the change we are driving.”
partnership is a great example of how this approach benefits operators.
“Safety technology has to fit the environment it serves,” he said. “The conditions, the standards, the layouts, they are all different in Australia and New Zealand.
“Freightquip brings that local expertise, ensuring that the protection and control system integrates seamlessly into depot systems here.
“It is the combination of proven technology and local insight that makes these tailored solutions so effective.”
SETTING THE STANDARD AT AUSRAIL PLUS
V isitors to Stand number 527 at AusRAIL PLUS 2025 will be able to see a Depot Protection System demo kit in action and speak with the Freightquip team about how it fits into broader depot safety strategies.
Freightquip will also be showcasing a Mobile Sand Delivery Unit, giving operators a clear picture of how layered protection can reduce risk across the depot floor.
For Freightquip, the message is clear: safety is not an afterthought but the standard on which the future of rail needs to be built.
Arcadis is a leading global partner, delivering some of the most transformative rail projects around the world. Our national rail team delivers smart, scalable solutions across the full project lifecycle - from inception and feasibility through to construction, testing and commissioning.
Our specialist teams bring extensive experience across track, civil, signalling, communications, rail power, systems engineering and safety assurance. We’ve worked on some of Australia’s largest rail projects, including Sydney Metro, Melbourne Metro, METRONET (WA), Surburban Rail Loop, Inland Rail and High Speed Rail Learn more on www.arcadis.com
Freightquip delivers a comprehensive range of rail equipment and solutions.
Driving the Mobility Transition
From complexity to compliance Technology
After a series of Workforce Management tech rollouts, Zelra is sharing its learnings with Australia and New Zealand’s rail operators.
Australia and New Zealand’s rail operating environments are inherently complex.
Multiple Enterprise Bargaining Agreements (EBAs), depot‑by‑depot rules, stringent fatigue and safety obligations, and the challenge of remote locations all converge. Workforce planning becomes a business‑critical and operationally delicate necessity.
Over the past 18 months, several high profile Australian freight and passenger operators have chosen the Workforce Management (WFM) platform provided by Zelra (previously known as Trapeze Rail) to sustain their business growth.
Zelra’s Managing Director, Michael Zink, said these successful software implementations show that a configurable, rail specific approach can deliver control, compliance, and confidence without heavy customisation or operational disruption.
TOO HARD TO AUTOMATE?
Zink said a common concern for rail executives is that a WFM implementation will either oversimplify their business realities or end up drowning their teams in bespoke code.
“Operators often believe their EBAs and rules are too complex to automate safely,” he said. “These parameters vary by location, job family, seniority, and qualification, and the fatigue scoring outcomes must be visible both at the planning stage and on the day of operations.
“Zelra’s WFM is made for rail and designed to be configurable, not custom‑built.”
In its recent Australian projects, Zelra configured the system to reflect multiple EBA
wage and work based rules, linked duties to qualification requirements, and surfaced fatigue scores directly on duty lines.
“The outcome is a roster that proves compliance rather than promising it, improved visibility on roster effectiveness, and a clear audit trail that stands up under scrutiny,” Zink added.
“As a result, planners gain a platform they can trust because rosters validate against the right rules, exceptions are explicit, and approvals are streamlined.
“Compliance is no longer a bottleneck and instead becomes the backbone of operations.”
PREDICTABLE PAYROLL
Another concern often expressed to the Zelra team during initial consultation is that a new system might result in payroll failures.
Operators worry that time and wage calculations, fatigue checks, training status, and qualifications will require fragile bespoke integrations or constant manual reconciliation to maintain data accuracy.
Zelra’s approach is to leverage more than 60 payroll integrations in the system using repeatable, well do cumented patterns for file based or Application Programming Interface (where appropriate) data exchange. The outcome is that payroll and Human Resources systems get exactly what they need.
“Planners and payroll can now spend less time reconciling and more time improving,” Zink said.
“Automating time and attendance and wage calculations reduces overpayments caused by inaccurate attendance data and manual mistakes, while integrated qualification and fatigue checks prevent invalid allocations before the day of operations.”
RECENT ROLLOUTS
With a series of recent WFM implementations completed successfully, Zelra has three key learnings to share with passenger, freight, and heavy haul rail operators.
“Our first takeaway was that configuration first beats custom code,” said Zink. “This accelerates delivery, lowers risk, and makes future changes more affordable.
“We also emphasised the importance of preventing compliance drift, by using governance checkpoints to keep rosters aligned with current EBAs and qualifications.
“The third key takeaway was to plan the runway after go‑live, as a structured enhancement path maintains adoption energy while also safeguarding stability.”
For businesses evaluating workforce planning, Zink suggested the next step is an operational discovery process that considers EBA clauses, qualifications, and fatigue parameters.
“Zelra’s experts can show how your rules validate in the roster, how data flows to payroll and Business Intelligence, and how governance keeps everything tight after go‑live,” he said.
“Get in touch via www.zelra.com so you can move from theoretical risk to practical compliance.”
Zelra's WFM software is used by leading freight and passenger operators.
Technology
Sustainable operations with virtual twins
Dassault Systèmes highlights how its 3DEXPERIENCE platform helps rail operators embed sustainability into their operations.
With Australia working towards its ambitious target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, sustainability is a key focus for rail operators around the country.
Technology company Dassault Systèmes is helping these operators to achieve their goals with its innovative 3DEXPERIENCE platform, a digital platform that makes it easier to engineer environmentally-friendly practices into every stage of the rail lifecycle – from concept to design, engineering and construction to operations and maintenance.
The 3DEXPERIENCE platform connects people, ideas, data and solutions in a single collaborative, common data environment, providing companies with a holistic, real-time vision of their business activity and ecosystem.
It allows businesses to create and visualise virtual twins of products, processes, and operations, allowing them to innovate, produce and trade in more optimised, risk-reduced and sustainable ways.
We spoke to the team at Dassault Systèmes to find out more.
INTEGRATED DESIGN AND ENGINEERING
A critical part of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform is integrated design and engineering, which shifts traditional
three-dimensional computer-aided design capabilities to cognitive augmented design, fusing modeling and simulation.
Leveraging knowledge, know-how and technology to automate design and systems engineering, the software is helping to shape a connected world by offering all the features for the design of connected objects and experiences.
From a sustainability perspective, the platform can help operators to design more sustainable infrastructure, from rolling stock to stations, tracks and signalling systems.
For example, sustainable innovation is being used to design batteries for electric or hybrid trains, according to Phil Barrett, AP South Rail Sales Expert for Dassault Systèmes.
“The number one way operators can reduce their carbon footprint is by reducing their use of diesel fuel,” said Barrett.
“When exploring the use of hybrid locomotives, or electric/hydrogen-powered locomotives to transition away from diesel locomotives, the 3DEXPERIENCE platform can be used to collaboratively design the equipment.
“By bringing data from multiple sources together and providing a single source of truth to all stakeholders, it streamlines communication and facilitates data-driven
decision making, ensuring faster and more accurate results.”
VIRTUAL TESTING AND SIMULATION
Another feature of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform is simulation that allows operators to evaluate the performance, reliability and safety of materials and products before committing to physical prototypes.
It’s an effective tool to predict and reduce fuel and energy usage in many ways, according to Tony Rakuljic, Senior Client Executive for Dassault Systèmes Australia and New Zealand.
He gave an example of a high-level freight operator in the United States who used the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to examine the aerodynamics of its freight consists.
“They aerodynamically improved their hoppers thanks to simulation and were able to find a three to seven per cent fuel usage reduction from those changes,” he said.
Bringing it back to hydrogen/electric batteries, Rakuljic said simulation can also help to test and improve their implementation.
He added: “Using the information in the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, users can really accelerate the innovation process."
OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE OPTIMISATION
Dassault Systèmes’ innovative solutions also support operators with maintenance planning, workforce scheduling, depot operations and service delivery optimisation.
This helps to reduce wasted resources, cuts downtime and extends the lifecycle of assets.
“The solution can be used to plan maintenance activities for both rolling stock and rail networks,” said Barrett.
“Using the data in the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, operators can shift from interval-based maintenance to riskbased maintenance.
“This leads to less time spent in the workshop, better use of the workforce and assets when they are in the workshop, and higher availability of assets on the network.”
A PLATFORM FOR CONTINUOUS INNOVATION
The 3DEXPERIENCE platform is more than a tool for managing current operations – it is a strategic enabler for future transformation. By embedding ESG (Environmental, Social and
Governance) targets, operators can track their sustainability performance in real time, ensuring they remain aligned with ambitious national and industry goals.
“You can also look at the potential impact of floods and heat waves,” said Rakuljic. “It’s about forward thinking,
simulating different scenarios and preparing for them.”
Through this combination of predictive foresight and operational agility, operators can stay ahead of disruption, ensuring their networks remain sustainable, resilient, and ready for the future.
Virtual twins can help operators become more sustainable in many ways, from aerodynamics simulations to predictive maintenance.
Wheels kept turning Plant and Equipment
Bringing the maintenance workshop to the locomotive saves downtime and revolutionises how Australia services remote rolling stock assets.
Remote operations have always presented the toughest maintenance challenges for the Australian rail industry, none more pressing than a damaged wheel set hundreds of kilometres from a major city.
When an essential locomotive breaks down with wheel damage, the traditional solution – lifting the asset, dismantling the bogie, shipping the wheel sets to a capital city workshop, and reassembling – can translate to an outage of three to six weeks, costing operators millions and impacting everything from mining schedules to freight delivery.
Rail companies are searching for innovative, rapid-response solutions to keep core assets moving, and one Australian business is providing exactly that by taking the workshop to the wheel.
NGL Rail, leveraging its extensive background in logistics and project management, has established itself as a provider of end-to-end rolling stock maintenance and repair services.
The team, comprising locomotive electricians, mechanical fitters, boiler makers, and trade assistants, offers a range of services, including locomotive overhauls, recovery of stranded assets, and final wagon assembly. The newest addition to this offering is a state-of-the-art portable wheel lathe.
The technology was developed in partnership with an international manufacturer, focusing on major design improvements from previous portable units, including reduced weight and improved reliability for operation in harsh environments.
Jock Maxwell, Manager – Rail Services at NGL, said the portable lathe was designed to solve the problem of captive fleets, such as those used by mining operators in remote South Australia or the Pilbara.
“The challenge for a locomotive in a captive fleet is that they can’t access a workshop for wheel maintenance, which means they have to lift the locomotive and remove the wheel sets and traction motors out of the bogie frames, and then send them off to an external provider to be machined,” said Maxwell.
“That can be a three to six-week process. You’re breaking the equipment apart, which also imposes additional concerns over the equipment’s reliability when you’re constantly pulling it apart and putting it back together.
“By contrast, we can be there and do that entire job within a week, even when it’s scheduled maintenance. We essentially eliminate the costly exercise of lifting and transporting to a workshop.”
The wheel lathe works in conjunction with a Calipri laser measurement tool. This laser gauge removes the interpretation and human error of traditional manual measurements, providing an accurate, digital reading of the wheel profile.
Maxwell said that by using this laser wheel measurement technology, the NGL team can ensure it removes only the minimal amount of material necessary to return the wheel to its true profile.
Using the laser also helps operators optimise their maintenance schedules.
The data collected can be used as a tool for predictive and scheduled maintenance routines, helping customers maintain traceability for compliance and incident review.
“We had a customer book us in to do a wheel lathe job for them, but when we got to the site with the Calipri they didn’t actually need a wheel turn,” said Maxwell.
Crucially, the portable lathe enhances site safety, such as removing the need for highrisk lifting operations involving a 130-tonne locomotive to recover a damaged wheel set in the field.
Maxwell said that for a track maintenance operator on a major metropolitan network, the ability to have their wheels machined on-site during their regular four-day maintenance shutdown saves a week of lost asset time and helps them avoid contractual penalties.
Similarly, a mining operator with a small, remote captive fleet no longer faces a month-long shutdown while their wheel sets are shipped by barge, machined, and returned.
NGL Rail aims to expand this service to meet the national demand. The company plans to position one wheel lathe on the East Coast and one on the West Coast permanently.
Maxwell said the team's comprehensive rail experience, whether it’s commissioning in the Pilbara, overhaul assessments and reviews, or shipping rolling stock around the world, makes NGL a unique, full-service partner for the rail industry.
The lathe enhances site safety and reduces asset downtime.
HORUS
Onboard Vision, Perception and Warning System
“In an industry where project overruns are commonplace and practices have remained largely unchanged since the middle of last century, Octant AI’s predictive capability is revolutionary.”
—Bent Flyvbjerg, Saïd Business School, Oxford University
A trusted partner of choice Operations and Maintenance
For more than 30 years, Inver Engineering has delivered end-to-end overhaul and maintenance solutions in support of Australia’s rail industry.
With more than three decades of expertise, Inver Engineering has established itself as a leading maintenance service provider to the Australian rail industry. The business has a focus on creating a positive and productive working environment, that in turn provides customers with value-for-money services in the quickest possible timeframe.
Anthony Clack, Inver Engineering’s Chief Executive Officer, said it is recognised for delivering high-quality, value-formoney products and services and is the trusted partner of choice for freight and passenger operators seeking reliable, longterm solutions.
At the heart of Inver’s reputation, and its real competitive advantage, is its one-stopshop facility. It’s strategically designed to handle the repair, refurbishment, maintenance, overhaul, and new-build requirements of rail components, along with the ability to offer innovative, safe and cost-effective end-to-end solutions for rail rolling stock.
It covers mechanical, electrical, and systems integration, enabling operators to extend fleet life, reduce downtime, and meet the demands of modern rail service.
Whether it’s gearboxes, electric motors, wheel sets or bogies, Inver provides fully integrated services backed by strong customer support and technical knowledge.
“We pride ourselves on the fact that our customers can send us any type of product or component with the knowledge that all work will be undertaken in the one facility by our extremely experienced workforce, as well as the confidence that the work will be completed to the highest quality,” Clack said.
“Our wheel and bogie division is capable of complete in-line bogie overhauls, without the need for outsourcing or moving components between sites.”
Inver’s wheel shop services include the re-profiling and re-discing of freight, passenger and locomotive wheels, overhauls of complete locomotive combo sets, CNC (Computer Numerical Control) vertical boring, NDT (non-destructive testing) by certified personnel and the manufacturing and reconditioning of axle boxes.
The shop’s team has more than 150 years of combined industry experience and supports a wide range of operators. Clack said Inver Engineering’s electric
motor division is known across Australia for its expertise in the repair, overhaul, and rewinding of AC and DC traction motors, motor alternators, and main generators.
With a focus on precision and durability, Inver also services auxiliary equipment like radiator fan sets, brake resistors, and master controllers.
Key capabilities include standard motor overhauls and repairs, the rewinding of armatures and stators, new shafts, field coils, and interpole coils, the repair and requalification of motor frames and extensive in-house testing and reporting.
“Our track record of successfully rewinding thousands of motors over the past 30 years gives us an exceptional understanding of motor design and performance,” Clack added.
These services are enhanced by unit exchange (UTEX) or service exchange programs, enabling faster turnaround and reduced locomotive downtime, as well as reverse engineering capabilities to manage parts obsolescence, all under the ISO9001: 2015 quality framework.
Inver's gearbox facility offers everything from inspection and vibration analysis to
complete overhauls using Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) parts and standards.
Services include vibration and temperature monitoring, detailed gearbox condition reports, NDT inspection of drivetrain components and global support for any gearbox brand.
“We’re the go-to solutions partner for gearboxes operating in Australia’s toughest rail environments,” said Clack.
“Our short turnaround times and depth of OEM expertise provide peace of mind and operational continuity to operators nationwide.”
Inver also has an extensive CNC machining and fabrication capacity, including turning, vertical boring, machining centres and milling, along with conventional machining and fitting to support all internal requirements as well as external customer needs.
Clack said Inver’s primary focus as a business is customer service and being flexible and accommodating to customers’ needs.
“We pride ourselves on our ability to adapt to customers’ requests and our willingness to change. We are not set in our ways.”
Image: Inver Engineering
Whether it’s electric motors, wheel sets or bogies, Inver provides fully integrated services.
A smarter solution Technology
Arcadis’ Assured and Data-Led (ADL) delivery framework is transforming the way complex rail projects are being delivered.
ADL clarifies project requirements and aligns inputs with deliverables.
Infrastructure projects are becoming bigger and more complex, making delivering projects on time, within budget, and to specification increasingly challenging.
Leading design, engineering and consultancy company Arcadis is offering a smart solution for government clients, project managers, transportation contractors and partners with Assured and Data-Led (ADL) delivery.
ADL is a proven framework that Arcadis has successfully used on major projects in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom.
It connects data from multiple sources, providing an integrated approach to project delivery and allowing users to make realtime, data-led and assured decisions across the total project lifecycle.
“By connecting data, streamlining workflows and mitigating risks, ADL is transforming the world of project delivery and helping our customers stay on time, on budget and working seamlessly with each other,” said Craig Dunningham, Digital Engineering Lead – Rail at Arcadis.
MEETING THE CHALLENGES OF PROJECT DELIVERY
Dunningham said that major rail projects often come with onerous
system engineering and safety assurance requirements.
“A metropolitan rail project could have more than 100,000 requirements, and in some cases, these requirements aren’t straightforward,” he explained.
He said the complexity of managing project requirements can create manifold problems for everyone, from design teams to the contractor and the client.
“Vague requirements can create a lot of ambiguity and uncertainty, ultimately resulting in variations, and it strains relationships," he said.
“It’s a factor in why a lot of projects have cost and time blowouts, because their requirements are not entirely understood from the beginning.”
Adding to the confusion is the fact that these requirements are usually managed via spreadsheets – adding yet another layer of complexity.
“On a recent project, we had three highlevel bodies of requirements – business, operation/maintenance and technical,” Dunningham continued.
“Say you’ve met a system requirement specification, and you need to trace it back to one of those three high-level requirements, to show how it relates to it."
He said that for an average major metro project, this would take months, because it’s all done with spreadsheets – and even then, you can't really show the traceability.
“You can only describe it to somebody and tell them how they could go through the spreadsheet and trace back up to where that requirement was being met,” he added.
ADL offers a smarter solution, with dashboards that can immediately display traceability.
Dunningham has recently worked on a landmark rail project in Australia which has benefited from this capability.
“This project operated under a highly compressed program and required adoption of international standards to develop a technical requirement, because it was the first of its kind in Australia, so we had no standards to design it against,” he said.
“We also had to integrate business case requirements and the concept of operation requirements. Leveraging ModelBased Systems Engineering (MBSE) and a geographically distributed team, we were able to develop the system requirement specification in a matter of months, with end-to-end traceability.”
At a later stage, when there was a change to the concept of operation, Arcadis was
able to update the system requirement specification in just a few weeks.
“Again, if spreadsheets had been used, this would have taken months,” Dunningham added.
LOWER RISK, GREATER VALUE
ADL helps clients avoid scope creep and proactively manage change.
By clarifying requirements early and aligning project inputs with deliverables, it streamlines delivery and reduces unnecessary rework – delivering cost savings of up to 30 per cent.
Dunningham shared an example of a project that initially had a “vague and ambiguous” scope.
“In some cases, scope documents for a project could be a copy-and-paste from one project to another,” he said. “Sometimes it’s clear that project requirements have been adopted from elsewhere, without a real understanding of what the requirement is trying to solve.
“Requirements provided by the client are often vague and that is by design. Different delivery partners interpret requirements differently, depending on where you sit within the asset phase. The MBSE process helps make requirements more explicit, ensuring the client and the project are getting what they want or what is needed.”
By applying an ADL workflow, Arcadis was able to guide the client and project team to re-evaluate their requirements.
“Instead of just diving in and starting the detailed design, we were able to clarify requirements upfront with the client, asking explicit questions to help them figure out exactly what was needed,“ he said.
“That way we were able to manage their expectations better and avoid unnecessary
rework. This resulted in significant cost savings and a much better outcome for the client.”
SEAMLESS COLLABORATION AND SMARTER DECISIONS
With all project requirements, inputs and outputs organised in a connected digital model, thanks to ADL, all decision makers have quick and easy access to structured, accurate and up-to-date information.
Dashboards and reporting tools allow project managers and stakeholders to quickly see the status of deliverables, identify gaps, and understand the impacts of changes.
Arcadis is close to incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI), which will enable the data to be queried directly, instantly giving answers to questions such as whether specific deliverables are on track or if additional work is being done outside the original scope of a project.
“Because the design data is structured, the information in these models is assured information – we’re only getting the AI to connect the dots within these assured databases,” Dunningham said.
“As an example, a project manager could ask ‘Can you check our common data environment to see if these 10 deliverables are actually being delivered, or are we delivering more? If we are delivering more, then why?’”
Dunningham added that Arcadis does this already with ADL.
“We statically connect dashboards, it's not a huge leap to connect AI," he said. “The AI could tell you that the reason there are 10 additional deliverables is because the client has asked for them, highlighting that these deliverables were not in the baseline scope.
“If you have that information upfront, you can go to the client and have that conversation early.
“We tend to do it retrospectively, when it’s a much harder conversation.”
By aligning all project stakeholders around a single source of truth, ADL improves stakeholder alignment, reduces friction from siloed data, and enhances communication across the project lifecycle.
Stakeholders can more easily work together to make proactive rather than reactive decisions that are based on data instead of guesswork – again, helping to avoid costly overruns or delays.
Another powerful way ADL streamlines communication is by extracting all project requirements from documents and allocating them directly to the relevant system and in turn the discipline leads.
“Instead of each team member having to read through hundreds of pages to figure out what applies to them, the ADL system organises and presents only the requirements relevant to each person,” said Dunningham.
“This means that when someone new joins the team, they immediately see exactly what is expected of their role, without ambiguity.
“And if there is a change to a project requirement, they can identify it immediately because the requirements are organised by the system architecture, ensuring the discipline lead and the client are on the same page.”
From project managers to transport contractors to government departments, embracing ADL means not just keeping pace with change, but leading it – ensuring that the infrastructure of tomorrow is delivered smarter, faster, and with greater confidence.
Image: Rafael Ben-Ari/stock.adobe.com
ADL is a proven framework that Arcadis has successfully used on major projects in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Plant and Equipment
The future of predictive maintenance technology
KONUX Switch, introduced to the Australian market by Salix, is transforming how rail infrastructure is monitored and maintained.
Turnouts are among the most failureprone and costly assets in any rail network. They are critical to smooth operations, yet their complexity makes them vulnerable to wear, unexpected failures, and expensive downtime.
In Australia, with a mix of busy passenger corridors and heavy haul mining routes, switch and crossing failures mean not just delays but significant economic impact.
This is where KONUX Switch steps in. With more than 5000 units in service across leading European networks such as Deutsche Bahn in Germany and Network Rail in the United Kingdom, KONUX is now being introduced to the Australian market by Salix, a specialist in innovative rail product solutions.
Salix is proud to partner with KONUX to bring this proven, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered predictive maintenance system to Australia, giving operators access to world-class rail technology adapted to local conditions.
HOW IT WORKS
At its core, KONUX Switch continuously analyses the health of critical turnout components – switch, crossing, point machine and trackbed – providing early warnings and actionable insights.
The self-contained unit can be installed in under 15 minutes and operates immediately, with a five-year battery life. The system delivers real-time intelligence on a cloudbased dashboard.
Operators gain visibility into asset condition at scale, enabling them to detect anomalies before they escalate, optimise inspection schedules, and plan
interventions at the right time, with the right resources. The software provides you with a 90-day look ahead of any failures. While KONUX Switch predicts asset failures ahead of time, it also validates maintenance activities and their success rate.
In a trial in Infrabel (Belgium National Railways), KONUX revealed 40 per cent of tamping operations on their turnouts were unnecessary and ineffective.
“For Australia, where delays can ripple across long distances and affect both passenger confidence and freight productivity, these results represent a game-changing opportunity,” said Silvana Kinninmont, Sales Manager for Salix.
FEATURES THAT MATTER
KONUX Switch brings together cutting-edge features tailored to the needs of rail operators.
Its Wheel Trajectory Reconstruction (WTR) is a world-first AI application that reconstructs the wheel path through the crossing area, detecting geometry defects at their earliest stages.
Another major benefit is smart alerts – context-aware alarms that account for weather, temperature, and train speed to cut down false positives.
Operators also have access to component reliability scoring – a unified health score across switch, crossing, point machine and trackbed, helping operators prioritise assets consistently across the network.
videos, and inspection records directly to asset profiles, supporting collaboration and long-term knowledge building.
Switch is an end-to-end predictive maintenance solution for turnout management.
BENEFITS FOR AUSTRALIAN RAIL
Kinninmont said KONUX Switch is not just about technology; it’s about outcomes that directly align with Australia’s rail priorities.
These include reducing disruption, with early detection preventing unplanned downtime and service cancellations.
Smarter interventions reduce unnecessary maintenance and extend component life, saving operators money, while real-time visibility enables better decision-making, as operators move from reactive to proactive management.
Importantly, less time spent on emergency field work means more scheduled, daytime activities and fewer safety risks.
For Australia, which is both investing in passenger rail expansion and managing some of the world’s heaviest freight corridors, predictive maintenance can significantly reduce the environmental footprint of operations while maximising capacity.
A BIGGER VISION
“KONUX isn’t just delivering a product; it’s creating opportunities for rail operators and their partners to work smarter together,” said Kinninmont.
“Through AI-driven insights, modular IoT technology, and the secure KONUX platform, we give operators and partners the tools to solve challenges faster, improve reliability, and unlock efficiencies across the network.
“Our vision for the future of rail is simple:
KONUX
KONUX Switch delivers real-time insights to a cloud-based dashboard.
In an industry where precision and reliability are non-negotiable, Hexagon delivers innovative digital solutions that transform rail operations, enabling smarter decision-making, enhanced safety, and optimised performance.
From advanced asset management and predictive maintenance to real-time monitoring and geospatial intelligence, Hexagon equips rail operators, infrastructure managers, and planners with the technology to tackle today’s challenges and build tomorrow’s rail networks.
At Hexagon, we don’t just keep you on track - we help you redefine it. Whether you’re building or managing complex rail networks, ensuring compliance, or driving operational efficiency, our solutions empower you to achieve more with less.
Visit Hexagon at stand | 598 & 599 at AusRAIL 2025.
Discover how we’re shaping the future of rail with innovation that moves you forward. Hexagon: Modernising Rail Networks
Rail insurance done right
With decades of experience behind them, Austbrokers City State Rail specialises in risk management and insurance solutions for the rail sector.
Active in the Australian rail industry since 1995, Austbrokers City State Rail has built a reputation for negotiating specialised policy conditions and competitive premiums specifically for the sector.
The organisation’s in-depth knowledge of the industry allows it to accurately complete risk assessments and loss analyses, and design and implement insurance solutions for the unique and often complex risk exposures encountered by rail businesses.
The expert team at Austbrokers City State Rail is also experienced in providing policy wordings approved by all state, territory and federal rail regulators.
DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF THE INDUSTRY
Brian Barreto, Director of Austbrokers City State Rail, has more than 25 years of experience in the industry.
He recognises the importance of the company’s understanding of rail when it comes to sourcing the right insurance.
“Some insurance companies can be put off by the rail industry, but we understand it, it's an incredibly safe and reliable sector,” he told Rail Express
“We have a diverse mix of clients of various sizes who work in and around the rail space, but our specialty lies in rail construction and maintenance.”
Austbrokers City State Rail is experienced in working with rail industry contractors
and sub-contractors in construction and maintenance, rail component engineers and manufacturers, specialist rail plant contractors, high rail equipment providers and operators, signal manufacturers, rail safety providers, engineers and consultants, and rail information technology and telecommunication providers.
In the rail construction space, Austbrokers City State Rail can help with public and products liability, contract works insurance, professional indemnity, management liability, plant insurance, contract performance/surety bonds and more.
For rail operators, the brokers are skilled in assisting with uniquely developed material damage cover for locomotives and rolling stock.
They also aren’t shy when it comes to insurance for major contracts or valuable assets, with liability programs going up to $350,000,000.
Plus, they can assist with civil fines and penalties cover (included within management liability insurance) as well as professional indemnity designed for the rail sector.
Austbrokers City State Rail also works closely with the heritage rail industry to support its sometimes-complex insurance needs.
“We have created a specialised product to support the growth of the rail heritage sector,” said Barreto.
“This includes purpose-
written policy wordings, particularly for public liability, volunteer personal accident and associations liability, combined with stable and competitive premium levels.”
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE RIGHT INSURANCE
Barreto said that while businesses may be in the same industry, there are always intrinsic differences between them.
“Our goal is never to walk in and assume we already know what a company might need,” he said.
“It is crucial that we listen and absorb what each of our clients is about, because if you are louder than they are, you might miss something critical.”
Not having the right insurance coverage could have serious consequences, so Barreto said it’s important that your policy is in good hands.
“If you miss something critical in the early stages of setting up your coverage, a problem could cost millions of dollars,” he said. “That could be devastating to any business.”
If something does go wrong and it’s time to file a claim, Barreto said Austbrokers City State supports its customers every step of the way.
“We have excellent attention to detail, and we go above and beyond to make sure our clients get a fair payout,” he said. “It’s about fighting for them and not rolling over. That’s what we’re here for.”
Olivia Falconer, Brian Barreto, Kyla Parry and Jessica Dimoski from Austbrokers City State Rail.
Technology
ABB: Global traction leadership - local impact
ABB is establishing Australia’s first Traction Factory and Centre of Excellence, marking a major milestone in the rail industry’s journey towards a more efficient and sustainable future.
As Australia embraces a new era of sustainable transport, technology company ABB is at the forefront of the rail industry’s transformation.
With the establishment of its new Traction Centre of Excellence in Maryborough, Queensland, ABB is delivering cleaner, more efficient solutions for rail operators throughout Australia and New Zealand.
The new facility will be a strategic hub for innovative traction equipment for trains, mining trucks, electric buses, and more.
Its first major project will be producing traction converters and motors for the Queensland Train Manufacturing Program (QTMP), which will deliver 65 new trains in preparation for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics and Paralympic Games.
Beyond that, ABB has big plans to ensure the facility continues to contribute to the region’s rail industry for many years to come.
We spoke to three members of the team –Ali Parvizi (Local Division Manager, Traction –Australia/New Zealand), David Boyle (Project Director QTMP), and Pradip Savaliya (Product Manager, Traction) – to find out more.
THE STORY OF ABB
ABB has more than 130 years of history, with a presence in Australia dating back
to the 20th century. Today, it employs approximately 110,000 people in more than 100 countries around the world, with over 690 team members in Australia spread across New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia.
The company boasts a broad electrical engineering and equipment portfolio and has had major projects in every state in Australia – from supplying traction systems for Queensland Rail’s IMU100/SMU200 fleet retrofit to modernising and hybridising traction systems for 50 trains in Adelaide.
“ABB is a global technology leader in electrification, automation, and traction solutions, supporting the transformation of Australasia’s rail industry toward greater sustainability and operational excellence,” said Parvizi.
“By integrating advanced engineering with digitalisation, ABB empowers rail operators to deliver high-performance mobility –enhancing reliability, energy efficiency, and environmental sustainability across both passenger and freight rolling stock.”
TRACTION CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE
With the establishment of the new Traction Centre of Excellence in Maryborough, ABB is investing deeply in the local economy and
the future of Australasian rail. The company is the first to produce traction and auxiliary converters and traction motors in Australia in the built-for-purpose facility.
Additionally, the Centre of Excellence will offer a local service centre for the repair, maintenance, and overhaul of traction batteries and converters, ensuring ABB can meet the needs of its growing installed base across Australia and New Zealand.
David Boyle, who is based in Maryborough as the Project Director for QTMP, said the project is supporting the local market –both to satisfy the contract and for the benefit of the region.
“This is a huge investment from our side,” he said. “We’ve got very specific requirements for our converters.
“We typically invest about six months of engineering time with a supplier before they are ready to deliver us our first converter cabinet.
“We’re developing local skills to build up a sustainable supply chain that will continue far beyond the QTMP project.”
ABB has hired locally for its new team of 20 staff at the Traction Centre of Excellence.
“Maryborough’s biggest export has been its people,” Boyle shared. “We’re proud that 90 per cent of our new team has come
Dr Ali Parvizi, Local Division Manager at ABB Australia Traction.
from the Maryborough or Hervey Bay areas, which is great for the local economy and the community.
“Our people are our competitive advantage – they're the most important asset in the business.”
High-quality training is a major priority for ABB, which has even sent some of its key production personnel overseas to its factories in China, Poland and Switzerland.
“They spent several months over there learning the production and manufacturing techniques and have come back with a lot of knowledge, as well as an international network of contacts. ABB truly embraces the concept of collaboration,” said Boyle.
“We invest heavily in training as we see the great value it brings.”
He said ABB has received positive feedback from the community as work progresses on the Traction Centre of Excellence.
“Maryborough is a historical regional location with a relatively small population of 15,000, which has a long history in rail projects.
“We’re engaging with the community whenever we can to keep people informed, and we’ve had a lot of people visit the factory.
“It’s been great to see how enthusiastic the community is about it – they can see that we’re setting up for the long-term.”
In situations where full electrification of rolling stock is not possible, ABB offers alternatives, such as hybridisation.
A SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION
ABB is supporting Australia’s rail industry to transition away from diesel-powered transport applications through its energy-efficient electric propulsion systems.
Pradip Savaliya, Traction Product Manager at ABB, said: “We offer products and integrated solutions across the entire lifecycle that help Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and operators to improve reliability,
An example of this is when the company was upgrading the traction systems for Adelaide Metro’s fleet.
“The customer approached us with concerns about the impact of diesel train operations at Adelaide Railway Station, particularly regarding air and noise pollution,” Parvizi said.
“We were able to work closely with them to convert the trains to a hybrid train operating on a battery, so the diesel engine
Parvizi said ABB has built a highly capable and committed team across all core functions, from sales, marketing, and product management to engineering, procurement, and service.
“I’m proud of the depth of expertise within our organisation and the passion our people bring to their work every day,” he said.
“With experienced project managers, skilled production teams, and a locally embedded workforce at our Traction Centre of Excellence, we’re delivering meaningful impact for our customers and the broader region.
“At ABB, we continue to invest in talent development because we recognise that our people are our most valuable asset.”
With growing demand for sustainable transport solutions, ABB aims to secure long-term opportunities in manufacturing, service, and retrofitting.
“We have a strong pipeline in Australia and New Zealand, particularly in rail,” said Parvizi.
“Aside from QTMP, we are working on two major projects that will bring us up to mid-2030 and we’re in the sales phase for a number of other projects.
“We’re very positive about the future of our business and we expect to be here for the long haul. This is how we are helping the rail industry outrun – leaner and cleaner.”
Most of ABB’s staff for the new Traction Centre of Excellence come from the local area.
Images: ABB
The Traction Factory and Centre of Excellence will manufacture traction converters and motors to support rolling stock projects.
Smarter analytics, stronger rail networks
Loram shares how its Platinum Asset Management Services is allowing rail operators to harness data to extend the life of their assets and maximise productivity.
In today’s rail environment, traffic volumes are increasing, maintenance windows are shrinking, and the demands on infrastructure have never been greater.
For rail operators, staying ahead of maintenance cycles is no longer just about efficiency – it is about safety, compliance, and long-term asset life. This is where Loram’s Platinum Asset Management Services (PAMS) is making an impact.
PAMS is a web-based platform that combines customer rail data with Loram’s expertise to deliver a clear, real-time picture of network health.
“More than a dashboard, PAMS is a decision-making tool that empowers operators to plan smarter, execute better, and extend the life of their rail assets,” said Nathan Usher, Regional Sales Manager for Loram Eastern Australia.
TAKING THE GUESSWORK OUT OF GRIND SCHEDULING
The timing of grinding work is one of the most critical factors in maximising rail performance.
When performed on time, grinding removes the ideal amount of surface metal at efficient speeds while optimising the wheel-rail interface.
Grind too late, and cracks propagate deeper into the rail head, requiring slower work, multiple passes, or even costly corrective action. Grind too early, and valuable material is wasted, shortening rail life unnecessarily.
“PAMS is designed to remove this guesswork,” said Usher. “By aligning work with the true condition of the network, the system ensures grinding is carried out precisely when it delivers the most benefit.”
Predictive alerts notify operators when segments are approaching their grind window, while scenario-planning tools allow managers to model the impact of different scheduling decisions.
“The result is not just better timing, but smarter resource allocation and lower lifecycle costs,” Usher added.
REAL-TIME MONITORING FOR INFORMED DECISIONS
Beyond scheduling, PAMS transforms the way operators monitor their networks.
By ingesting traffic and accumulated tonnage (Million Gross Tonnes) data, the system provides a live, continuously updated view of segment status.
A simple green, yellow, or red compliance indicator highlights whether each segment is up to date, due, or overdue.
Forecast due dates are then calculated, giving planners the visibility to align grinder availability with future needs before bottlenecks occur.
“For many customers, this level of real-time monitoring represents a step change in how maintenance is managed,” said Usher.
“Instead of reacting to problems, operators can anticipate them – improving both short-term productivity and long-term asset reliability.”
The timing of grinding work is a major factor in maximising rail performance.
The software combines customer rail data with Loram’s expertise to deliver a real-time picture of network health.
DRIVING NETWORK-WIDE COMPLIANCE
Network compliance has traditionally been one of the toughest challenges for operators, particularly as traffic volumes increase. PAMS tackles this headon by continuously tracking compliance against MGT targets.
Dashboards display not only the current compliance percentage but also how that figure has trended over time.
Customers can tailor the metrics to match their strategic objectives, whether that’s maintaining grind frequency, controlling costs, or maximising output
“The benefits are tangible,” said Usher. “Across global networks, Loram customers leveraging PAMS have achieved compliance levels of 94–98 per cent, even under conditions of significant traffic growth.
“Automated reporting makes it easy to communicate these results internally, keeping executives and operations teams aligned around a single, data-driven view of performance.”
INSIGHTS THAT DELIVER RESULTS
Another distinctive feature of PAMS is the integration of Loram Virtual Rail (VR), which transforms raw data into intuitive, mapbased visualisations.
Operators can see exactly where grinding work has been completed, where it is due, and where urgent attention is required.
Each shift’s productivity data – spark time, grind speed, and output – is automatically captured, creating a feedback loop that highlights best practices and areas for improvement.
Scope-of-work forecasting takes this further by projecting how many shifts will be required to complete upcoming work under different productivity assumptions.
Usher said this gives managers a “powerful tool” for planning, budgeting, and negotiating track access with confidence.
“PAMS is not only powerful but also practical,” he said. “Its dashboards are designed to highlight the most critical information first, while still offering the ability to drill into the detail. The platform is optimised for both desktop and mobile
devices, ensuring insights are available where they are needed most – whether in the office or trackside.
“Embedded training and guided support tools make it easy for teams to get up to speed quickly, ensuring the benefits of the system are realised from day one.”
CONTROL, NOT JUST MONITORING
A key advantage of PAMS is that it moves operators from monitoring performance to controlling it.
By combining predictive scheduling, realtime monitoring, compliance tracking, and productivity analysis, the platform provides a comprehensive view of network health and a clearer path to improved outcomes.
“In an era where every ton of traffic counts and every maintenance window matters, smarter dashboards translate directly into stronger, safer, and more efficient rail networks,” said Usher.
“With PAMS, railways can move beyond reactive maintenance and into a future defined by data-driven decision making, improved compliance, and extended rail life.”
Bigger and better
Alstom is taking its presence at AusRAIL PLUS to the next level in 2025, with virtual reality experiences and much more.
As Headline and Yellow Dinner partner again this year at AusRAIL PLUS, Alstom is planning to have a unique and dynamic presence on the exhibition floor – splitting its stand into four interactive areas, a Virtual Reality Zone and a full “mobility theatre” with host presentations from industry leaders to engage visitors with its sectorleading products and solutions.
Via the power of virtual reality (VR), conference attendees will be transported into Alstom’s new Next Generation G Class Tram (NGT) and X’Trapolis 2.0 (XT2) train, both of which are currently being manufactured in Dandenong (NGT) and Ballarat (X’Trapolis) ) ahead of testing on the network in 2025 – providing an exciting glimpse of their design and features without leaving the exhibition hall.
Alstom’s Director of Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility, Robert Gunning, said Alstom’s stand will showcase the full range of products and services that the business covers, from rolling stock to maintenance to digital infrastructure and signalling.
“We're nearing the point of delivering some absolutely iconic rolling stock projects in Victoria with the NGT and XT2 products, so we will show off these solutions through an impactful and engaging experience,”
Gunning said. “The way we’ll be doing that is by virtually placing people inside the XT2 and the NGT through a fully immersive VR experience.
“You’ll put the goggles on and be encased in the interior of both of those products.”
Gunning said this will give conference attendees a real sense of what the finished train and tram will be like, in advance of them entering passenger service next year.
“It's a sneak peek of what the interiors are like, but you’ll also be able to see all the design specifications we've undertaken to make sure that they're tailored specifically for the needs of Melbourne.
“With the work that we've done in partnership with the state with engaging a wide range of representative and community groups, a lot of design nuance has gone into the end product.
“This is what we uniquely do as a business – global technology solutions combined with local know-how to meet the needs of the customer.”
Alstom is setting up a virtual photo booth too, so visitors can grab a snap with the new train and tram before they’re out on the tracks.
It’s also the first year the transport solutions provider will be running a Mobility Theatre, featuring panel discussions and
presentations from Alstom experts as well as customers and stakeholders.
“It’s a great way for people to learn and exchange ideas, which is a key part of what AusRAIL is about,” said Gunning.
“We want our presence to be meaningful and impactful, so we can present ourselves to customers and the industry in the best possible light, reflecting our status as the rail industry leader in Australia.”
GLOBAL INSIGHTS
Alstom’s Chief Executive Officer Henri Poupart-Lafarge will have a major presence at the exhibition and conference, flying from France to give a plenary speech titled Tracks to Transformation: Australia’s Opportunity in the Global Rail Evolution.
Gunning said that having Poupart-Lafarge at the show will be a fantastic opportunity for attendees to hear a global perspective from an industry thought-leader, both at the plenary as well as at the Mobility Theatre at Alstom’s stand.
“Having international leaders of Henri's calibre attending the show is great news for the Australian rail industry,” Gunning said.
“His presence is a reflection of the importance of the Australian and New Zealand market, not just for Alstom, but for the sector at large.
Pascal Dupond, Managing Director of Alstom Australia and New Zealand.
Passenger Rail
“This is of course healthy for the country and illustrates the dynamic market where innovation is thriving. All possible, of course, because of continued investment in rail from governments and private sector players.”
As the leader of the largest pure rail player in the world, Gunning said PoupartLafarge will provide unique insights into trends in the global transport market.
“Henri is uniquely placed to understand trends across continents, geographies and governments all across the world – whether it's high-speed rail in the United States, innovative railway solutions in the Middle East, or the major projects that we're doing here in Australia,” he said.
“The important thing is the translation of that knowledge to the Australian context.
“He will offer global perspectives on local, contextual problems – from challenges around interoperability to decarbonisation, digitalisation and more.”
Speakers from Alstom will also be sharing their perspectives as part of the main AusRAIL PLUS conference program, with technical sessions covering topics such as advances in signalling and the journey towards battery-powered trains.
INDUSTRY LEADER
In addition to being Headline Sponsor of the conference, Alstom will once again sponsor the Yellow Dinner on the evening of Wednesday, 26 November.
Gunning said Alstom is proud of its strong and historic partnership with AusRAIL and
the organisation behind it, the Australasian Railway Association.
“We’re happy to show our support of the rail industry through our sponsorship,” he said.
From a brand perspective, Alstom
sees AusRAIL PLUS as a key opportunity to reinforce the message that the company is much more than just a rolling stock manufacturer.
“We’re proud to have that association with manufacturing rolling stock, because we’re the only company that does it in Australia from end to end – but we also have an extremely significant presence in services and signalling across states,” Gunning added.
“With the success that we've had over the years, growing our market position, AusRAIL PLUS is a key part of building our brand and showcasing our expertise in Australia and New Zealand.”
Gunning said the Alstom team is looking forward to experiencing everything AusRAIL has to offer, catching up with customers and making new connections.
“The rail industry is a relatively small one, and a lot of important networking gets done at events like this, so facilitating those conversations and ensuring we continue to connect with people that we work with is significant,” said Gunning.
“We hope people come along to our stand – whether it's to grab a cup of coffee and a cookie, to try the virtual reality experience, have a chat, or listen to our Mobility Theatre presentations.
“It’s going to be a great show!”
Images:
Alstom
Alstom is the headline sponsor of the Yellow Dinner at AusRAIL PLUS.
Alstom’s robot dog was a huge hit at the last AusRAIL PLUS in 2023.
Virtual Worlds for Real Life
Built on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, Dassault Systèmes’ Rail Freight Operations solutions leverage data-driven planning, and simulation to optimise crew, fleet, and yard activities in real time. Operators gain end-toend network visibility, streamlining logistics while cutting delays, costs, and environmental impact.
For more information, visit 3DS.com
Protecting critical assets Technology
Senceive’s condition monitoring technology, supplied by Aptella, keeps rail infrastructure safe while enabling more efficient track maintenance.
Aptella, a leading name in automated technology solutions, is helping to protect critical railway assets across some of Australia and New Zealand’s most remote and challenging environments.
For more than eight years, Aptella has been the only local provider of Senceive technology – a brand well known for its innovation in smart safety and wireless condition monitoring.
Senceive’s condition monitoring systems use high-precision sensors to detect even the smallest movements in tracks, embankments, or surrounding terrain.
These sensors can wake up in response to specific triggers, like a rockfall, and instantly send alerts.
The collected data allows engineers to spot long-term trends, monitor drift, and predict failures before they happen.
This proactive approach not only ensures rail infrastructure remains safe and operational during and after major projects but also allows for better planning and more efficient maintenance.
ESSENTIAL MONITORING
Andrew Jones, Market Development Manager of Monitoring at Aptella, works closely with rail operators, engineers, and construction firms to implement Senceive solutions.
"We work in two primary ways," said Jones. "One is supporting construction projects near rail infrastructure, ensuring both can operate without disruption.
"The other is long-term monitoring of rail
assets, especially in remote regions."
Jones said monitoring is essential not only before and during construction but across the full life cycle of rail infrastructure.
Before a project even begins, Aptella assists tier-one contractors with planning, often conducting a year-long baselining phase. This period involves collecting data under normal operations to understand how the rail behaves without external impacts. Once construction starts, that data becomes invaluable in identifying any changes or signs of stress caused by nearby activity.
In regions such as the west coast of Tasmania or the top end of Western Australia, sending out crews for manual inspections can take days.
“In worst-case scenarios, such as derailments due to undetected track movement, the remoteness of these locations exacerbates the problem,” said Jones.
“Monitoring technology offers a smarter, faster way to catch these issues before they escalate.”
DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS
Senceive’s sensors not only take regular readings but can be programmed to transmit alerts any time they are triggered by movement.
“That kind of responsiveness is crucial for reacting to incidents,” said Jones.
With multiple readings per day, operators can build up a rich dataset over time, telling them how their infrastructure behaves
across seasons, weather conditions, and load patterns.
“Operators can learn things about their tracks that they might not have learnt otherwise,” said Jones.
“Our clients have noticed long-term benefits from the deep understanding they gain.
“It also allows rail operators to make data-driven decisions on maintenance, prioritise investments, and ultimately improve safety and reliability.”
Jones added that installing the technology is quick and easy, minimising downtime for operators.
“Clients can install the hardware themselves, and once it’s set up, Aptella handles the full configuration and provides ongoing support.”
NEW INNOVATIONS
A recent innovation from Senceive is CameraHub – a third-generation, solarpowered solution featuring a high-quality camera in a single, fully-integrated unit that complements Senceive’s sensors.
CameraHub captures high-resolution images of tracks and surrounding areas every six hours, or sooner if movement is detected. It can also be operated remotely for on-demand images.
“CameraHub is designed with functionality in mind,” said Jones.
“It features solar-powered operation, excellent low-light performance, and a 50-metre range, which is engineered to spot something as small as a football-sized rock.”
THE FUTURE OF MONITORING
Looking to the future, Jones sees even more promise in visual monitoring.
“We’re heading towards a point where advanced imaging will allow us to measure dynamic movement, like how a rail flexes as a train passes, just through visuals,” he said.
“We’ll be able to monitor stress, heat, and wear through imagery alone.”
With exciting innovations on the horizon, the future of rail infrastructure monitoring is looking smarter, faster, and even more accurate.
With Aptella’s expertise and Senceive’s technology, Australia and New Zealand’s rail networks are being equipped to meet the rail industry’s challenges with flying colours.
CameraHub is a recent innovation from Senceive.
Image: Aptella
CELEBRATING 80 YEARS OF INNOVATION IN RAILWAY MAINTENANCE
The first choice for quality and productivity B 35
Reliable and compact, but mighty in performance
Our 80th anniversary is more than a milestone,it’s a symbol of resilience and evolution. Since1945, MATISA has continuously adapted to the changing needs of rail operators worldwide. Our legacy is rooted in Swiss engineering precision,reliability and field-proven performance. Yet, our mindset is future-oriented.
Come visit us at AusRail 2025 in Melbourne to see our latest innovations.
P 95 TRACK RENEWAL SYSTEM
C Tamping Machine
Plant and Equipment
Grinding while the city moves
Vossloh’s HSG-city allows rail grinding and measuring to take place at up to 60 kilometres an hour without the need for track closures.
Urban rail networks are under increasing pressure. As cities grow and public transport ridership rises exponentially, operators face the challenge of maintaining infrastructure without disrupting passenger services.
Vossloh’s HSG-city high speed grinding machine offers a groundbreaking solution: it is the only technology worldwide that enables rail grinding and condition monitoring at speeds of up to 60 kilometres an hour – during scheduled traffic.
This high-speed capability allows for cyclical, preventive maintenance without the need for track closures or service interruptions. The result: smoother rails, reduced noise emissions, and extended asset life – all while keeping trains running.
But the HSG-city is more than fast. It’s smart.
Equipped with a suite of integrated sensors, the machine continuously records the condition of the rail infrastructure.
It captures the complete transverse profile, including rail head deviation, wear, and longitudinal profile for corrugation detection.
It also measures track gauge, track position, and deformations. In tramway networks, the system even assesses groove depth using a non-contact optical measuring system with laser triangulation sensors.
Each measurement run is precisely geolocated using an odometer and Global Navigation Satellite System-based positioning, ensuring data accuracy down to the metre. The collected data is then uploaded to mapl-e, Vossloh’s digital platform, where it is pre-processed and visualised as a digital twin of the network.
mapl-e simplifies condition assessment using a traffic light system – green for “good,” yellow for “bad,” and red for “critical.” Asset managers can customise
thresholds using variable tolerance bands, enabling targeted planning of maintenance activities such as noise reduction or structural preservation.
The HSG-city has already been deployed in more than 20 countries, including Germany, France, China, Canada, and Australia.
Mathew Waterhouse, Business Development/Operations Manager for Vossloh, said the HSG-city has proven its value in Sydney’s autonomous metro system.
“HSG-city ensures acoustically optimised rail surfaces, as confirmed by mapl-e’s before-and-after comparisons showing the impact of targeted grinding campaigns,” he said.
“The technology is fully approved and operational in Australia, setting a new benchmark for urban rail maintenance.
“With unmatched speed, precision, and digital integration, HSG-city redefines how cities care for their rail networks.”
HSG-city machines can also be coupled together, which increases the grinding performance.
Image:
Vossloh
Time for change
Green shoots are emerging in the Australian rail sector, but more needs to be done – and soon, says the National Transport Research Organisation.
Australia’s rail sector is embracing innovation and new technologies to meet the needs of the country’s growing population, but it needs to happen faster.
That’s the key message from Michael Caltabiano, Chief Executive Officer of the National Transport Research Organisation (NTRO), who says more needs to be done at policy and asset management levels to drive effective change.
“I'm very pleased to say there's movement in Australia, and I couldn't have said that five years ago,” Caltabiano told Rail Express
“But to put it in perspective, China built 48,000 kilometres of high-speed rail in 18 years, which runs 350-kilometre-an-hour trains, and this was driven by a government policy to connect all Chinese cities of half a million people or more with a high-speed rail solution.
“You compare that with Australia, and we still don’t have the policy drivers to connect Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane on the east coast corridor. The Sydney–Melbourne air link is one of the busiest aircraft corridors in the world, and the emissions and the economic overlay speak to high-speed rail as the solution.”
As is often the case, the path towards change is complicated by a variety of factors. Caltabiano said each state’s individual policies around the implementation of rail systems – dating back to Federation times – is still having a significant impact when
it comes to delivering projects that cross state boundaries.
“Having different standards in different states means it is incredibly difficult to get interoperability of a rail system,” he said.
“Hence, high speed rail has to be separate from every other piece of rail infrastructure, delivering a completely different service. It's the only way to do it.
“The rail space is also heavily regulated. Yes, that is critical for safety, but that then leads to a natural reticence to do anything different or to innovate – however, these are two completely separate activities.”
Caltabiano said a cultural shift is required, just as much as a technological shift.
“You can present the industry with the evidence, but when there’s a cultural environment where it's not okay to make change, change isn’t going to happen,” he said.
“However, there is movement in this space, with new leaders who are embracing innovation to affect change.
“I think we're on the cusp of shifting the dial there.”
AT THE HELM
Positioning itself as an organisation undertaking a systems thinking role that encompasses all of transport, Caltabiano said NTRO is driven by the end goal of enabling Australia’s transport networks to function more efficiently and safely, while supporting population growth.
One project that NTRO has played a key role in is improving safety at rural, unsignalised level crossings by developing a portable level crossing solution to warn drivers of oncoming trains. Another area it focuses on is helping the industry improve the quality of below-rail assets.
“We are addressing questions such as, ‘How do you build embankments using sustainable methodologies?’” Caltabiano said.
“We are deliberately looking to solve problems in a different way. We can't roll out the same solutions that we had 20 or 30 years ago.
“Society is far more sophisticated, and we have different problems to solve –that's why we come through a transport lens, not a mode lens.”
Moving forward, Caltabiano said that he wants to see a far more deliberate policy stance being taken by governments to increase the pace of infrastructure delivery.
“What is required are clear government policy positions. So, a definitive approach to building a high-speed rail line from Melbourne to Brisbane or moving to Electronic Train Control Systems.
“We're growing incredibly quickly as a nation, so we've got to get to pace in terms of getting the infrastructure to meet the population growth.
“NTRO’s priority is to be there every step of the way, supporting that growth.”
Michael Caltabiano, Chief Executive Officer of the National Transport Research Organisation (NTRO), speaking at the NTRO International Technical Conference.
TMACS Electronic Authorities celebrates 10 years
4Tel marks a decade since it first delivered digital movement authorities into train control operation in regional New South Wales.
Australia’s vast geography has always presented unique challenges for rail operators. With long distances, low-density lines, and isolated regions, delivering safe and efficient train control in remote areas has historically come with less safe administrative safety controls and inefficient safeworking methods such as staff-and-ticket.
The alternatives of conventional rail vehicle detection and coloured light signalling systems were simply too expensive in those track areas.
Consequently, the decision was made to move away from administrative processes and physical infrastructure, and build a communications-based train control system that could issue vital train orders via radio, which then became the main method of safeworking until 2015.
Over the past decade that’s changed significantly, thanks to the introduction of clever software-engineered systems and processes, developed by Australian transport technology specialists 4Tel.
Now celebrating 10 years since commissioning the Electronic Authorities (EAs) functionality of the Train Management and Control System (TMACS), it stands as a success story for Australian-developed rail technology. It is used to manage the New South Wales (NSW) Country Regional Network (CRN), covering approximately 2400 kilometres of rail track territory.
As a result of its reliability and simplicity for users, Electronic Authorities have become the dominant digital train control method used across thousands of kilometres
of regional track, prioritising safety, efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
4Tel’s goal when creating Electronic Authorities was to shift from an administrative to an engineering-controlled process. This addressed communication issues including network control bottlenecks, and enabled train operators to accept and fulfil authorities quickly.
The design focus was to work with existing onboard equipment, digitise the control process, and create an interoperable system for all track users.
As the founder of 4Tel, Derel Wust, explained: “We made the decision to build a technology that would meet Australian conditions and allow the remote authorisation of all users on controlled tracks.
“We designed TMACS to work remotely and over any distance, while interoperating with existing onboard and other user systems of the CRN rail fleet and workforce.”
TMACS IN ACTION
The term “TMACS Electronic Authorities” describes a digital communications environment comprising structured messages, formatted data and alarms for managing track access and alerts for any track user, including trains, track vehicles and track workers.
TMACS movement authorities are managed centrally by a vital safety server, which ensures that no two users can enter the same section of track at the same time.
This “vital” function is key to TMACS’s safety credentials. Whether the user is a train driver in the cab, a track worker with a smartphone, or a network controller in a control centre, they all interact with the same central vital server for up-to-date data.
The system also features automated alarms for out-of-authority events, proximity alerts, and even a fallback voice-based train order working mode, ensuring operational continuity in degraded conditions.
An Electronic Authority being accepted by a train driver.
TMACS uses Electronic Authorities – digitally issued instructions that grant a train, maintenance vehicle, or track worker permission to occupy a section of track.
According to Wust, one of TMACS’ greatest strengths is its interoperability with existing systems. Rather than requiring costly updates, TMACS transmits structured data messages that interface with existing train radios, allowing movement authorities to be issued directly to a locomotive using software alone.
“It would cost hundreds and thousands of dollars to fit out an entirely new system on a locomotive,” Wust said.
“With more than 1200 standard gauge locomotives operating across Australia, the cost of installing new hardware would be very high. We knew from the start we had to work with what was already on board.”
That same thinking extends to trackside crews. Since 2018, more than 5000 track workers and vehicles have used the 4PTW (Permit to Work) app, customised for each Rail Infrastructure Manager, which links directly to TMACS to issue and manage track access authorities via a smartphone or tablet.
These interoperable solutions mean rail operators can upgrade safety and efficiency without the high capital cost of fleet-wide hardware installs, an approach that has enabled fast deployment across New South Wales and beyond.
With the support of John Holland as the network control authority, the rollout of Electronic Authorities in 2015 was very smooth, Wust said.
“It’s through our technical innovation and John Holland’s operational innovation that together we were able to deliver this enhancement to optimise network efficiency,” he said.
“Ten years on, it has proven to be very popular and we're very proud of the features we have been able to give train drivers and network controllers.”
TMACS is well suited to regional lines, where train movements are less frequent and the cost of traditional signalling is hard to justify.
“In regional New South Wales areas generally where TMACS operates, you rarely see red or green lights anymore,” said Wust.
“That infrastructure isn’t there because it’s no longer needed. TMACS has replaced most of it with software.”
By removing physical assets from remote areas, TMACS has significantly reduced maintenance, minimising the need to send technicians into hard-to-access locations and improving overall system uptime and reliability.
Over the past decade, Electronic Authorities have grown into a widely accepted function, with 99.9 per cent of train movement authorities on the Country Regional Network now issued digitally.
“Interest in TMACS continues to grow,” Wust added.
4Tel was recently awarded a contract to extend TMACS operations across more than 1276 kilometres of track between Tarcoola in South Australia and Kalgoorlie in Western Australia for the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC).
Wust said the future of rail control lies in software-first solutions.
“The trend is clear – we’re moving off the track and into smart trains,” he said.
“Extensive trackside infrastructure is just too costly and doesn’t provide the flexibility digital systems like TMACS can offer in remote and regional areas.”
Wust said that as railways look to the next decade, TMACS stands as a model for how targeted technology, grounded in local insight and guided by local operating rules, can modernise even the most remote rail operations safely, cost-effectively, and with lasting impact.
“TMACS has become a system the industry trusts and uses every day.
“As we look at emerging technologies, like our more recent work with Artificial Intelligence, the possibilities grow even further.”
Vossloh Australia can offer locally manufactured components and complex integrated rail solutions from the Vossloh Group anywhere on the globe.
Investing in the future of rail
DT Infrastructure is gearing up for its biggest presence ever at AusRAIL PLUS, the highlight of the rail industry’s 2025 calendar.
This year DT Infrastructure (DTI) is excited to have its largest representation to date at AusRAIL PLUS 2025.
Proudly showcasing its comprehensive end-to-end rail offering, DTI has gone bigger and better this year with a significant presence on the showroom floor.
Notably, the company’s stand includes a theatre-style set-up where an impressive line-up of DTI rail experts will present mini technical talks on a range of topics: from greenfield construction to longterm maintenance contracts to effective community engagement.
As the premier rail event in the southern hemisphere, AusRAIL PLUS provides an opportunity for the company to showcase its expertise, connect with industry leaders, and demonstrate how it is helping to shape the next generation of rail solutions in Australia.
“Our 2025 delegation represents some of best and brightest minds in the industry, and we are thrilled that they will be able to highlight the depth and breadth of our rail capabilities,” said Tom Perkin, General Manager Strategy at DTI.
“From design, construction, testing and commissioning to operations and maintenance, we are showcasing our ability to provide integrated solutions that deliver long-term value for clients, communities, and the national transport network.
“Our comprehensive program of presentations means attendees can drop by at the scheduled time to learn more about a particular topic that’s relevant to them.”
DTI Program Manager David Khoo also forms part of the official AusRAIL Plus technical stream and will present his paper titled: “From data to action: Transforming existing rail systems into predictive maintenance powerhouses.”
Khoo will offer insights into how datadriven innovation is reshaping the way rail networks are maintained and operated.
Back at the DTI stand, presentations to take note of include a panel facilitated by Head of Social Impact, Greg Rafferty, that will discuss the importance of embedding social impact, community engagement and innovation into infrastructure projects.
“Increasingly, clients are prosecuting the case that ensuring a positive project legacy that has tangible community benefits is equally as important as demonstrating a company’s technical proficiency and experience to deliver,” said Rafferty.
DTI is also delighted to have newly appointed Executive General Manager Rail, Paul Hawthorne, attending AusRAIL PLUS.
Hawthorne joins the company in November to lead its national rail business and drive its strategic growth in this critical sector.
With bench strength and a line-up like this, DT Infrastructure is putting rail front and centre, led by experts with demonstrated industry experience and a strong reputation.
“Our team brings passion, knowledge, and specialist expertise to every project, and their commitment to continuous
the communities we serve,” said Perkin.
“AusRAIL PLUS 2025 is the perfect stage to share that passion and reaffirm our commitment to advancing the rail industry together.”
Catch up with the DT Infrastructure team at AusRAIL PLUS, Booth 432.
Bryan Lai will be giving a talk on the importance of system integration in project success at this year's AusRAIL PLUS.
From legacy to leadership Technology
Hexagon’s scalable solutions help rail operators overcome the challenges associated with legacy systems – playing a key role in the transition to smart, connected infrastructure.
With thousands of industry representatives descending on Melbourne for the biggest rail event in the southern hemisphere, AusRAIL PLUS, the spotlight will turn to the future of the industry.
A major theme that appears to be emerging across the event is the transition from legacy systems to digital leadership.
And it’s no wonder, as Jeff Sharp, Principal Industry Consultant (Asia-Pacific region) for Hexagon’s Asset Lifecycle Intelligence division explained that the need for integrated, data-driven solutions has never been greater.
“Rail is a very conservative sector, naturally, because safety is so critical,” he said.
“Unfortunately, that means that operators are facing numerous challenges because of their use of legacy systems.”
Sharp said one of the biggest challenges comes from disconnected data.
“You have data sitting across different siloes and operators are struggling to get a holistic view of where things are at,” he said.
“If you’re requiring someone to log into five or six different platforms just to get all the data available to them, it can become a major headache. You’ll also find different divisions or departments within an organisation will have their own systems, and they are not connected to each other, so they are making decisions without seeing each other’s data or understanding
the impact of those decisions.” He said this can lead to all kinds of problems, from maintenance getting done in the wrong order to incomplete ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) data being reported.
“As an example, maintenance might be planned for 12 months ahead for a Sunday – but there’s a big football game scheduled for that day that the operational team hasn’t told maintenance about.”
Sharp said operators need to remove these siloes, for better outcomes when it comes to efficiency, safety, sustainability and more.
This is where software solutions such as Hexagon’s Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) and Asset Performance Management (APM) come in.
These solutions provide customers with a visualisation of their data, contextualising it so they can make better decisions.
“With all the data they need at their fingertips, operators can become aware of potential issues before they become a major problem,” Sharp said.
“They can carry out preventative maintenance, ensuring less disruption to rail schedules and avoiding safety incidents.
“You can use the data available to you to improve efficiency and therefore reduce energy usage and extend the life of your assets – which is a major sustainability benefit as well as saving operators’ money.”
Sharp sees EAM as a “foundational” solution, allowing operators to link their three-dimensional CAD (Computer-Aided Design) models, LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), GIS (Geographic Information System) data and more.
Meanwhile APM is particularly suited to high-risk or critical assets.
“It allows operators to understand the criticality and the risks associated with those assets, bringing in sensor or IoT (Internet of Things) data or SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) data.
“Using this, you can understand the health of an asset and carry out predictive modelling based on the trends that machine learning has detected.”
Hexagon provides support to customers interested in transitioning away from legacy systems, every step of the way.
If an operator wants to try the technology in one area of their operations before rolling it out more widely, Hexagon can also facilitate that.
“With a lot of potential customers, we’ll build a business case, show them the benefits of our solutions – and then measure and prove those benefits,” Sharp said.
“It’s a great way of ensuring you create champions for the technology within a business – and that helps to create cultural change.”
With all the data they need at their fingertips, operators can become aware of potential issues before they escalate.
September 2026
EXHIBIT IN 2026. BE SEEN. BE HEARD. BE CHOSEN.
Systematiq expands tender support services
With million – if not billion-dollar – major projects underway across Australia, the stakes are high when it comes to bidding on contracts. Systematiq is ready to ensure its clients make an impact.
consulting in the rail sector, has announced an expansion of its tender support capability to better serve the rapidly evolving needs of
offering to help rail operators, government agencies, and suppliers navigate complex
value-driven bids. The team at Systematiq
services including bid managers, writers, co-ordinators, and subject matter experts including engineers and contract managers.
rail projects such as the Melbourne Metro Tunnel, light rail projects with Yarra Trams, network upgrades, and the Queensland Rail Manufacturing Program (QTMP).
The company’s multidisciplinary team has been instrumental in crafting successful tenders, working both with Tier 1 contractors and local suppliers.
COMPREHENSIVE RAIL TENDER SUPPORT Systematiq offers:
• End-to-end bid management and tender response development tailored to rail project specifications
• Local Industry Participation strategy development to maximise state and local content and supply chain engagement
• Stakeholder engagement planning and industry positioning in the context of rail infrastructure delivery
intricacies of rail procurement, including an understanding of the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), state transport departments, and the passenger and freight market's unique challenges.
SUPPORTING MARKET ENTRY AND GROWTH IN RAIL
To accelerate market entry for new suppliers and help established players secure complex projects, Systematiq has developed a rigorous bid evaluation process, along with a strategic advisory service that works with individual companies to position themselves competitively.
The company also runs bespoke workshops and procurement training sessions tailored for the rail industry, supporting clients from early market engagement through to project mobilisation.
“Our experience delivering for projects like the Melbourne Metro Tunnel and QTMP has shown that rail tenders demand more than compliance – they require a compelling narrative about capability, innovation, and value for communities,” said Norton.
“We help our clients tell that story, backed by evidence and strategy.”
LOOKING AHEAD
With major investments underway –including suburban rail loop projects, inter-city upgrades, and freight corridor expansions – Systematiq stands ready to be a strategic partner for organisations across the rail supply chain.
experienced tender support within the rail sector,” said Sarah Norton, Head of Project
proposal writers – they want strategic advisors with a deep understanding of rail procurement, government policy, and major project requirements. That’s exactly what Systematiq provides.”
Systematiq’s expertise has been demonstrated in supporting transformative
• Costing and pricing strategies designed for government-funded and Public-Private Partnership (PPP) rail projects
• Compliance documentation aligned with national rail safety and accreditation standards
• Transition to operations and asset management planning for new and upgraded rail infrastructure
Systematiq’s expansion reflects a continued investment in building a team with direct experience in the
The company maintains offices in Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, and Brisbane, and actively participates in rail industry events such as the upcoming AusRAIL PLUS conference and trade show.
To find out more about Systematiq’s rail tender services or to request a copy of its Bid and Tender Capability Statement, visit: systematiq.com.au/rail-consultants
Systematiq’s Pre-Contracts and Proposals team.
Image: Systematiq
¬ insulates stray current
¬ quick and easy installation possible, can be installed during on-going operation
STRAILastic protects the superstructure from stray current. In addition, noise emissions are considerably minimised.
¬ available for all superstructure types by encapsulating the rail, the primary airborne noise is considerably ¬ reduced compared to an open construction method
Precision, power, and performance Plant and Equipment
Enerpac’s RP70A Rail Tensor is helping rail operators meet tight deadlines while maintaining high standards of accuracy and safety.
As Australia’s rail infrastructure continues to expand and modernise, Enerpac’s RP70A Rail Tensor is engineered to deliver controlled, high-force rail stressing with precision.
Beau Nash, Enerpac’s Vertical Market Manager of Rail for the Asia-Pacific region, said the rail tensor’s lightweight, modular design allows for easy transport and setup, even in remote or constrained environments.
“This is a critical advantage for rail teams working across Australia’s vast and varied terrain,” he said.
With a capacity of 70 tonnes and a stroke of 200 millimetres, the machine enables rail contractors to apply the necessary tension safely and efficiently to continuously welded rail (CWR) during installation and maintenance.
Nash said one of the standout features of the RP70A is its integrated gauge and stroke limiter, which ensures precise control over the stressing process.
“This not only improves operational safety but also reduces the risk of over-stressing, which can lead to rail damage or long-term performance issues.
“In addition, the unit’s robust construction and corrosion-resistant finish make it ideal for harsh outdoor conditions, ensuring long service life and minimal maintenance.”
Nash said Enerpac’s commitment to the rail sector goes beyond product innovation.
“With a dedicated team of application
specialists and service technicians across the APAC region, Enerpac provides comprehensive support – from initial consultation and product selection to on-site training and after-sales service,” he continued.
“This ensures rail contractors can maximise the value of their investment and maintain peak performance throughout the life cycle of the equipment.”
The RP70A Rail Tensor is already making a difference in major Australian rail projects, helping teams meet tight deadlines while maintaining the highest standards of safety and quality.
Nash added: “Whether it’s for new track construction, CWR maintenance, or emergency repairs, the RP70A delivers the reliability and precision that rail professionals demand.”
The unit can be used for track construction, continuously welded rail maintenance, or emergency repairs.
The rail tensor’s robust construction and corrosion-resistant finish allow it to withstand harsh outdoor conditions.
Images: Enerpac
AUSTRALIA’S PORTABLE WHEEL LATHE SERVICE
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Backed by over 12 years of industry experience, our team delivers in-field recovery and precision machining using portable CNC wheel lathe technology— allowing maintenance to be performed on-site without the need to transport or lift the Rollingstock.
This enables faster turnaround times but also allows other essential maintenance tasks to be carried out simultaneously.
Using our industry leading Calipri Laser wheel measuring technology, our team captures data wheel data with laser accuracy and provides ongoing traceability for assets, ensuring preventative maintenance can be undertaken, potentially reducing asset down time.
NGL Rail Services offers Australia’s only mobile wheel lathing solution. Contact our team for further information on how we can help you.
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MATISA turns 80 Plant and Equipment
MATISA offers efficient and reliable track maintenance machines, customised to meet the needs of the Australian rail industry.
This year marks a significant anniversary for MATISA: 80 years of dedication to the railway industry.
MATISA’s Product Director, Dr Simone Amorosi, said that since 1945, the company has continuously adapted to the changing needs of rail operators worldwide – and its 80th birthday is more than a milestone, it is a symbol of resilience and evolution.
“Our legacy is rooted in Swiss engineering precision, reliability, and field-proven performance,” he said.
“Yet our mindset is future-oriented: we are embracing digitalisation, automation, and sustainability while preserving our fundamental values of performance, simplicity, and customer focus.
“From mechanisation to data-driven operations, MATISA has grown from a trusted supplier into a true solution partner for railway infrastructure.”
MECHANISATION SOLUTIONS
Alfie Hunziker, Managing Director of MATISA Australia, said MATISA’s P95 Track Renewal Train (TRT) has become the global benchmark for track reconstruction.
“Trusted by both network owners and contractors, the P95 has recently been delivered, or is on order, in countries such
as the United States of America, Italy, Brazil, France, and Germany,” he said.
“MATISA is the world leader in track renewal systems, with expertise built on decades of collaboration with users –many of whom operate multiple MATISA systems worldwide.”
Hunziker said customers rely on MATISA’s machines for their reliability and efficiency.
“With no full-system track renewal train currently in operation in Australia, now is the right moment to bring this capability to the country’s networks,” he added.
“The MATISA TRT delivers the lowest carbon footprint per sleeper compared to conventional renewal methods – a vital advantage for large-scale upgrade campaigns where minimising disruption is essential.”
COMPACT TAMPERS
Customer feedback has also shaped MATISA’s portfolio. The B35C compact tamper is now well established in Australia, Brazil, and Japan, with additional units ordered for Brazil, Africa, and beyond.
Designed for Australia’s three main gauges and convertible between them, the B35C tackles the challenges of the country’s diverse railway heritage.
Hunziker said: “The B35C is very nimble, but it packs a punch."
Despite its compact frame, it uses the same heavy-duty tamping units as MATISA’s larger machines, ensuring outstanding quality and versatility.”
In just 18 months, a B35C operated by an Australian tier 1 construction company has already completed more than 500,000 tamping insertions.
A recent adaptation for Australia equips the B35C with self-loading jacks, enabling easy transfer onto road trailers.
STANDARDISED PLATFORMS, LOCAL ADAPTATIONS
Hunziker said MATISA’s approach is based on modularity and adaptability.
“Every machine is built on a standardised platform, customised to local requirements – whether track gauge, safety regulations, or environmental standards,” he said.
“By working closely with certification bodies, MATISA ensures a fast, smooth homologation process.
“The result is machines that are both compliant and optimised for local conditions, without compromising lead times or product quality.”
The P95 Track Renewal Train delivers the lowest carbon footprint per sleeper compared to conventional renewal methods. Image:
Australia’s trusted rail maintenance partner
Inver has a proven reputation for high-quality, value-for-money products, services and unrivalled customer support. Inver’s centralised and fully integrated one-stop-shop facility is tailored for freight and passenger rail components, refurbishment, repair, maintenance, overhauls and new build capabilities.
Inver Engineering has a full-service wheel shop that offers the highest
service to all operators and maintenance providers.
Six specialty rail maintenance, service and engineering divisions: 1. Wheels 2. Bogies 3. Gearboxes
Responsive and accountable: / Private Australian owned / ISO 9001: 2015 certified / 100+ Skilled personnel / 20,000 M² facility
The sound of silence
Plant and Equipment
/
STRAILastic’s sound protection systems combat noise at its point of origin – so there’s no need for unsightly barriers to blight the landscape.
Traditional, high-rise noise barriers along train tracks are often an eyesore, obstructing views for both residents and passengers.
The most effective way to reduce noise is to address it at its source, as close to the tracks as possible.
STRAILastic has developed an optimal solution with its product line, offering a variety of sound protection systems that maintain clear views.
THE BENEFITS OF STRAILASTIC SYSTEMS
The STRAILastic systems are designed to be installed as close to the rails and the track clearance gauge as possible. By tackling noise at its point of origin, these systems can be much lower in height.
The smallest sound protection wall, mSW360, is just 36 centimetres above the top of the rail, which allows it to be placed very close to the kinematic envelope –trapping the noise under the train while also absorbing the noise. STRAILastic's higher walls stand away from the track, with heights of 73 centimetres (just beyond the tamping area) and 125 centimetres (at the line of the structures gauge).
This low-profile design ensures that the noise barriers are far less visible than conventional ones, blending seamlessly into the landscape. This also allows passengers to enjoy the view from the train despite the presence of the sound protection.
In addition to their unique shape, the effectiveness of these products comes from their material: high-quality, fibrereinforced rubber with a highly absorbent acoustic surface.
The systems are also durable, shatterproof, and resistant to ultraviolet rays, fire and graffiti. They can easily withstand the pressure and suction forces created by passing trains, which prevents material fatigue and ensures a long product lifespan. For exposed sections of track, such as bridges or retaining
walls, STRAILastic offers special sound protection elements. These elements, called infill panels (IP), can be mounted directly onto existing, structurally suitable railings. This eliminates the need for an additional support structure and its corresponding planning approval. These elements effectively shield the tracks from the surrounding area without being obtrusive. The infill panels are installed vertically and can be customised with printed panels to mimic, for example, the appearance of a hedge or a stone wall.
Infill panels can be mounted directly onto existing railings.
STRAILastic’s smallest sound protection wall is just 55 centimetres high.
Enhancing operations
One of the leading rail operators in the world, MTR is looking forward to building on its rich legacy of operational excellence.
Founded in Hong Kong in 1975, the Mass Transit Railway Corporation, now globally known as MTR, is a recognised worldclass operator of sustainable rail transport services and a leader in safety, reliability, customer service and efficiency.
journeys worldwide every weekday across Hong Kong, mainland China and other international markets.
The company’s mission is to connect and grow communities with caring, innovative and sustainable services – to deliver what
management – from planning, design and construction through to commissioning, daily operations and maintenance. Going beyond railway delivery and operation, the Rail + Property model enables MTR to build vibrant and connected communities that integrate commercial, residential and transport facilities seamlessly.
COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION
For more than 45 years, MTR has been a major transport backbone of Hong Kong’s public transport system. Today, MTR operates ten heavy railway lines, a light rail network and a feeder bus service that connect millions of passengers daily.
In addition, the High Speed Rail services further extend connectivity from Hong Kong into about 100 destinations across mainland China, allowing passengers to travel conveniently to many destinations in the Chinese mainland. Each week, MTR operates an impressive 36,000 train services, consistently achieving a 99.9 per cent ontime performance rate – an international benchmark for operational excellence.
To uphold these standards, MTR has committed more than HK$65 billion (A$13
MTR has operated Melbourne’s busy metropolitan train network since 2009.
MTR has been a major transport backbone of Hong Kong’s public transport system for more than 45 years.
Passenger Rail
billion) between 2023 and 2027, solely for asset renewal and maintenance.
This investment not only strengthens the reliability of railway infrastructure but also accelerates innovation and technology adoption, advancing asset management to new levels of precision and efficiency.
BUILDING CONNECTED, SELF-SUSTAINING COMMUNITIES
MTR's Rail + Property (R+P) model stands as an important mark of sustainable urban development. By integrating residential, commercial, and public spaces around transit hubs, the R + P model fosters communities where shops, parks, and essential services are all within walking distance of railway stations.
This strategic development model channels property development proceeds directly into funding railway construction, upgrades, and operations, reducing dependency on public subsidies.
“Over the years, this approach has supported the creation of thriving, transit-oriented new towns and financed multiple railway expansions that enhance Hong Kong’s connectivity,” said David Tang, MTR Property and International Business Director.
SUCCESS IN MELBOURNE
Since taking over operation of Melbourne’s Metro Trains network in 2009, the support MTR has given to Metro Trains Melbourne (MTM), operator of the Metro Trains network, has delivered transformational improvements in service quality and operational performance on the network.
With more than 2000 daily services spanning 1000 kilometres of track, MTM employs about 7000 staff across 222 stations. Under MTM’s management, the network’s punctuality has risen from 85.9 per cent in 2009 to more than 93 per cent in 2025, while service delivery now exceeds 98.7 per cent.
MTM’s involvement in Melbourne-wide infrastructure initiatives, including the Level Crossing Removal Project – which has eliminated 87 high-risk crossings – and the Metro Tunnel Project, featuring Australia’s first mixed-mode high-capacity signalling system, underscores its commitment to safety and network advancement.
These projects are set to redefine service frequency and capacity across the city's network.
A GLOBAL COLLABORATION
MTR’s international operations are guided by a spirit of collaboration and shared excellence.
The company’s teams across Hong Kong, London, Sydney, and Melbourne work together to refine operational readiness, elevate safety standards, and exchange best practices in incident management and daily operations. Lessons from major projects such as the Sydney Metro M1 Line and London’s Elizabeth Line have informed preparations for Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel opening.
Tang said: “Through these global synergies, MTR continually enhances safety, reliability, and innovation across its network – demonstrating the power of collective expertise in advancing urban mobility.”
DRIVING GLOBAL EXCELLENCE IN RAIL AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
From its Hong Kong origins to its international rail operations, including MTM in Melbourne and the Sydney Metro M1 Line, MTR Corporation exemplifies the potential of integrated, innovation-driven transport solutions.
Tang added: “By combining worldleading rail services with sustainable urban development, MTR continues to connect cities, empower communities, and set new benchmarks for excellence in global rail transport.”
MTR operates Sydney's Metro M1 Line.
“The Australian rail industry is entering a new era shaped by interoperability, integrated connectivity, safer construction methods, and a stronger shift of freight to rail. Leveraging our people’s expertise, passion, continuous improvement mindset, and commitment to technology and innovation, we are supporting the rail sector’s move to become the backbone of a sustainable and resilient national transport network.”
John Anderson CEO, DT Infrastructure
Unlocking opportunities
Organisations
Strengthening industry advocacy Industry
The Australasian Railway Association sets out its priorities for the next five years.
The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) has confirmed its 2025–30 strategic plan after extensive consultation with members and stakeholders.
The plan confirms our priorities for the next five years and provides a platform to strengthen our advocacy on behalf of the rail industry.
Pleasingly, the consultation process found that our members and stakeholders believe the ARA is providing a strong voice for industry and is advancing work that is having an impact.
The new strategic plan consolidates our focus areas to enable the ARA to further strengthen its advocacy and deliver improved outcomes for industry.
Our vision for a thriving, sustainable rail industry for Australia and New Zealand is supported by four strategic pillars: advocate for rail, enhance industry productivity, build industry capability, and elevate the rail workforce.
ADVOCATE FOR RAIL
The ARA will continue to champion influential, evidence-led advocacy that drives investment, mode shift and sustainability.
It is widely acknowledged that greater use of rail can improve the productivity and efficiency of our transport networks, make our cities and towns more liveable, relieve congestion and drive down emissions.
A certain, long-term and nationally coordinated investment pipeline is needed to realise these outcomes.
The ARA will build on its existing research and advocacy to make the case for continued investment in the rail network, both to maintain the productivity and efficiency of existing networks and enable expansion into areas currently under-served by rail.
Coordinated, well planned investment will ultimately support greater use of rail to enable improved economic and sustainability outcomes across the transport sector.
ENHANCE INDUSTRY PRODUCTIVITY
The ARA will drive rail reform and productivity across the national rail network.
The ARA’s advocacy has led to historic gains for the rail industry in recent years, with the Federal Government’s National Cabinet identifying rail interoperability as a priority and the implementation of the National Rail Action Plan driving reforms to improve national consistency across the rail network.
With productivity high on the national agenda, the rail industry has a clear opportunity to leverage further gains to support national harmonisation and improve efficiencies across the supply chain. The ARA will continue to work
with government and industry to support productive, harmonised and efficient industry outcomes.
BUILD INDUSTRY CAPABILITY
The ARA is committed to building a competitive, resilient and future-ready rail industry.
Whether it is through our committees and working groups, or our conferences, events and study tours, the ARA provides a range of opportunities for industry to network, share knowledge and collaborate. We will continue this focus, to support innovation and growth in the industry.
Australia and New Zealand can already be proud of the significant capability that exists across the rail supply chain. The ARA will also continue to showcase the depth of talent that exists in Australia and New Zealand rail, both to policy makers locally and to the rest of the world, while advocating for measures that ensure we have the capability we need to meet future requirements.
ELEVATE THE RAIL WORKFORCE
The ARA will promote rail as a career and create a safe, inclusive, and skilled workforce.
There is an ongoing need to promote rail so that we can attract and retain the diverse range of talent we need for the industry to succeed. The ARA will continue to promote the benefits of working in rail, support the development of rail-specific career pathways and nationally recognised skills frameworks, and advance measures to support improved diversity and inclusion in the industry.
NEXT STEPS
The ARA is engaging with its members as we develop a work plan to support these four strategic pillars and maximise our impact in future years. This will include an increased focus on advocacy and government engagement to highlight the significant benefits rail has to offer our economy and community, and to make the case for further reforms to improve outcomes for industry and increase investment. We look forward to keeping industry updated as this work progresses.
Caroline Wilkie, CEO of the ARA.
Caroline Wilkie speaking at a parliamentary event in Victoria to highlight the contribution rail makes to the state economy.
Industry Organisations
The Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board has published a Standard and written a Code of Practice to address risks related to road rail vehicles.
constrained rail environments where visibility, communication, or procedures may be inconsistent,” he said.
“The ONRSR is focused on ensuring operators review these and associated risks to help prevent unsafe movements, miscommunication, or incorrect placement of vehicles on live tracks.”
These challenges point to the need for clearer, nationally consistent requirements, which the updated AS 7502 and the CoP now provide.
REAPING THE BENEFITS OF HARMONISATION
One of the most significant benefits of these changes is harmonisation.
With multiple operators, contractors, and jurisdictions involved in rail maintenance, inconsistent practices have historically created confusion, duplicated certification and registration requirements, and gaps in safety assurance.
A national standard and code of practice help eliminate these inconsistencies, giving all parties – from manufacturers to maintainers – a common reference point.
This consistency supports better training, reduced approval processes, clearer expectations, and improved accountability.
and in regulatory alerts from the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR).
To help industry address these risks, the Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board (RISSB) has produced two key publications.
AS 7502 ROAD RAIL VEHICLES
Published in September 2025, this Standard focuses on the design and commissioning of RRVs.
The establishes the technical benchmarks vehicles must meet before entering service, ensuring that safety-critical systems are fit for purpose.
THE CODE OF PRACTICE –OPERATION OF ROAD RAIL VEHICLES (COP)
To be released in December 2025 this CoP complements the AS 7502 standard by covering day-to-day operations.
It provides guidance on safe practices
For example, an ATSB investigation into an incident near Kwinana in Western Australia in 2022 found that a road rail vehicle ran away after being incorrectly secured in rail mode.
Fortunately, no-one was injured, but the incident highlighted a critical safety challenge: the reliance on both vehicle design integrity and operator procedures to prevent unintended movements.
Risk associated with road rail vehicles, in particular collisions, is also one of the ONRSR's national sector safety themes.
ONRSR’s General Manager of Brisbane Operations, Greg Wagner, who is leading the regulator’s work in this space, said a collision between road rail vehicles can result in serious injuries to rail safety workers, fatalities, and damage to the rolling stock.
“RRVs often operate in complex,
It also reduces the likelihood of incidents caused by inconsistent compliance requirements or varying operational approaches.
A SAFER, MORE EFFICIENT RAIL INDUSTRY
“For an industry where safe access to the network is essential, the new CoP, supported by the updated standard AS 7502, provides a significant step in improving the management of road-rail vehicle safety,” said Sudha Niles, General Manager of Products and Innovation at RISSB.
By tackling the technical and operational challenges of RRVs head-on, the rail sector benefits from significantly reduced risk of incidents, it can safeguard workers and infrastructure, and improve overall efficiency through the adoption of this CoP and Standard.
Road rail vehicles are widely used by both Rail Infrastructure Managers (RIMs) and external contractors.
Image: RISSB
Bulk is back
The Bulk Handling Technical Conference and Expo is making a comeback in 2026 – with a bonus conference element.
Get ready! The Bulk Handling Technical Conference and Expo returns in 2026 with a fresh new format that blends the popular exhibition floor with a world-class technical conference. Held on 16-17 September 2026 at the
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, this biennial event will connect leading suppliers with senior decisionmakers, engineers, operators, procurement professionals, and contractors from across the country.
The newly-added conference is curated by the experts at the Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling (ASBSH), exploring the latest research, practical case studies, and innovations shaping the future of bulk materials handling across industries such as mining, agriculture, ports, food processing, construction, and manufacturing.
Learn about everything from bulk solids behaviour and storage design to conveying solutions, dust control, and process optimisation.
Bulk 2026 tackles the big challenges facing the sector today: supporting food security and agricultural productivity, driving sustainable operations and emissions reduction, embracing automation and digitalisation, improving infrastructure and supply chain resilience, and fostering skills development and workforce safety.
The Australian Bulk Handling Awards – the nation’s only awards program dedicated exclusively to bulk solids handling – will also be returning in 2026. This prestigious evening celebrates innovation, excellence, and leadership, offering a relaxed networking environment where industry peers come together to recognise outstanding achievements and set new benchmarks.
Want to stand out? Sponsoring the awards gives your organisation unparalleled visibility alongside industry leaders and key decision-makers.
General Manager of Events at Prime Creative Media, Siobhan Rocks, said Bulk 2026 promises to be the must-attend event for the industry.
“Bulk 2026 is all about bringing the industry together, showcasing innovation, sharing knowledge, and celebrating the people and projects driving bulk handling forward,” she said.
“Whether you’re an engineer, operator, or supplier, Bulk 2026 offers insights and connections that you simply can’t get anywhere else.”
Don’t miss Australia’s premier destination for bulk handling innovation, knowledge exchange, and industry leadership.
Bulk 2026 tackles the big challenges facing the sector today.
Attendees will learn about everything from bulk solids behaviour to process optimisation.
