I S S U E 8 | S E P 2026
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A connected future Why Australia now has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring its railways together in a truly national system.
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Behind the scenes at Broadmeadow
New critical risks identified
Suburban Rail Loop powers forward
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PAGE 34
PAGE 36
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AusRAIL
Contents 4
From the Editor
6
Industry news
50
Contracts, tenders, EOIs
COV E R S TO RY
10
ARTC: A connected future
PA S S E N G E R R A I L
14
14
Alstom: Better by design
WORKFORCE
16 ARA: Stronger rail industry starts with a stronger on-ramp 28
GM Rail: Lifting up the industry
M A N U F ACT U R I N G
24
17
ABB: Building sovereign rail capability
18
UGL: Trains built to last
22
Amokabel: Signalling success
MAINTENANCE
24
Downer: A one-stop shop in Maryborough
CONDITION MONITORING
30
Salix: Making the switch
32
Plasser: Measuring up
S A F E TY
34
36
ONRSR: Regulator cracks down on critical risks
M A J O R P ROJ E CT S
36 I S S U E 8 | S E P 2026
W W W. R A I L E X P R E S S . C O M . A U
A connected future Why Australia now has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring its railways together in a truly national system.
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Behind the scenes at Broadmeadow
New critical risks identified
Suburban Rail Loop powers forward
PAGE 18
PAGE 34
PAGE 36
COVER STORY With major investment flowing into Australia's interstate rail network, the industry has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to focus on creating a more interoperable and digitalised railway.
Suburban Rail Loop forges ahead
EVENTS
39
Bulk Handling Expo: Last chance for tickets
I N D U S T R Y O R G A N I S AT I O N S
40
PTAANZ: How climate action can start with mode shift
42
ARISO: Operations standard helps manage change
44
ARA: Rail planning must start before growth arrives
46
NTC: A Q&A with CEO Michael Hopkins
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Image: ARTC
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From the Editor Published by:
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Kayla Walsh
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Editor - Rail Express
Welcome to the September edition of Rail Express We’ve got a great edition of Rail Express in store for you this month, with multiple stories featuring the businesses powering our local manufacturing industry, as well as a focus on interoperability, condition monitoring and maintenance. For our cover story, the Australian Rail Track Corporation told us why Australia has a golden opportunity to modernise and connect the national network. Meanwhile UGL took us behind the scenes of its Broadmeadow facility, which has been operating for 107 years and remains a cornerstone of local manufacturing in the Hunter region of New South Wales. Amokabel Australia shared why its Australian-made cables are a smarter choice for operators' signalling and infrastructure needs. Alstom’s Advanced and Creative Design team in Brisbane gave us some fascinating insight into how it ensures trams and trains are safe, intuitive, accessible and comfortable for passengers. Downer also told us more about its iconic Maryborough Service Delivery Centre. This was where the first ever locomotive was built in Queensland – and it is still delivering for the local rail industry today, as a one-stop shop for everything from rolling stock overhauls to component manufacturing. It was a pleasure to catch up with Grant Mete, the founder of GM Rail, as well as several members of his talented team. Grant has built a very successful business – but one of the things that really stood out is how much he cares about his team, the rail industry and the wider community.
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Salix also updated us on the KONUX Switch, a predictive maintenance solution for turnouts which has been undergoing successful trials in Queensland. Continuing the focus on condition monitoring, we spoke with Plasser about its growing track measurement capabilities and how network owners can choose the right solution for their needs. We were pleased to be able to attend the recent Rail Freight Conference in Melbourne, where Dane Newton from the Office of the Rail Safety Regulator shared some of the critical risks that will be targeted during upcoming inspections. Find out more on page 34. It’s also been great to see the progress being made on the Suburban Rail Loop – take a look at some of the photos on page 36. Plus, we caught up with Michael Hopkins, Chief Executive Officer of the National Transport Commission, for an open conversation about rail reform. Wrapping up this issue, we’ve also got our regular columns from the Public Transport Association Australia and New Zealand, the Australasian Railway Association, the Australian Rail Industry Standards Organisation, and more.
kayla.walsh@primecreative.com.au
Meet the Downer team at InnoTrans 2026 Hall 2.2 | Stand 450 Let’s talk about what the next decade of rail and transit systems looks like: How to modernise fleets while managing availability, cost and risk Turning AI and digital technologies into operational outcomes Accelerate freight decarbonisation without compromising your operational integrity Extending asset life and improving whole-of-life performance Building more resilient rail and transit systems - securing the movement of passengers, freight and commodities We don’t just build and maintain rail assets. We help create the rail and transit systems communities will rely on for decades to come. Together, let’s create enduring value across rail and transit systems.
News
Image: Victorian Department of Transport and Planning – Adam Chandler
First NGT enters service
Melbourne’s new nextgeneration G Class tram at the Maidstone depot.
The first of 100 Next Generation G Class Trams has entered passenger service in Melbourne. The Next Generation Trams, or NGTs, represent the city’s first new tram design in more than a decade. Built locally by Alstom at its Dandenong facility in Victoria, the NGTs are the most accessible of all Melbourne’s trams. They offer level boarding, dedicated spaces for wheelchairs and mobility aids, more doors, cooling and heating and improved passenger information displays. The new trams can carry up to 150 passengers, which is about twice as many as the older Z and C Class trams they will replace. Initially, the fleet will operate in the west of Melbourne, including Route 59 (between the CBD and Airport West), Route 57 (between the CBD and West Maribyrnong) and Route 82 (between Footscray and Moonee Ponds). The first G Class tram entering service marks the start of delivery for a $1.1 billion contract awarded to Alstom in 2022. Alstom will maintain the fleet from a purpose-built
facility in Maidstone, Melbourne. The NGTs have been developed from Alstom’s Flexity 2 design, which was tailored to the needs of Melbourne’s tram network. More than 1000 stakeholders, including disability groups, tram drivers, the Public Transport Users Association and other passenger representatives, contributed to the design through an extensive consultation process. The trams have been built with over 65 per cent local content, and the NGT program has supported more than 2000 direct and indirect jobs. Alstom has invested more than $40 million in capital expenditure at Dandenong to strengthen local industrial capability. Deputy Premier and Minister for Public and Active Transport Gabrielle Williams said: “Built in Dandenong, rolling through Melbourne’s west – these are trams built by and made for Victorians.” “The G Class carries around twice as many passengers, is easier to board and built right here in Victoria – that’s good for commuters and good for local jobs.”
ARTC upgrades level crossings to be safe around rail. Collisions and near collisions at railway crossings are ongoing issues that put lives at risk. “They can have serious impacts on train drivers and other rail workers and severely disrupt rail services, traffic flow and the wider community.” The improvements are being delivered as part of the Federal Government-funded $150 million Replacement of Sleepers (Maroona to Portland) Project, in partnership with Ararat Rural City Council. The ARTC said the project will strengthen the 173-kilometre corridor from Maroona to Portland, improve train transit times, enhance network reliability and safety and allow more frequent, heavier and longer freight services. The project is part of the ARTC’s Network Investment Program, a joint initiative with the Australian Government to “strengthen and future-proof” the nation’s rail infrastructure. Almost $2.8 billion is being invested over seven years to 2032 to support the improved efficiency and reliability of rail freight movement around Australia.
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Mandatory stop signs have been installed at passive level crossings in Ararat.
Image: ARTC
Drivers at select rail level crossings in the Ararat region of Victoria are now required to come to a complete stop, with the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) completing safety upgrades. Four passive level crossings in the Willaura and Glenthompson areas have been upgraded with ‘Stop’ signs, improved advanced warning signs, refreshed line marking (where possible) and vegetation clearing. This gives drivers clearer sightlines to look for approaching trains and more time to react on approach to the crossings. “In regional areas, drivers can become used to not seeing trains,” the ARTC said in a statement. “Trains travelling at speeds of up to 115 kilometres per hour can appear at a level crossing suddenly and trains cannot swerve or be stopped quickly to avoid a collision. “These upgrades are designed to reinforce safe driving behaviour, avoid incidents, and potentially save lives.” TrackSAFE Foundation Executive Director, Heather Neil, said: “Regardless of where we live, it’s crucial road users know how
News
Light Rail Stage 3 now open
Image: Keolis
Passengers can now travel from Burleigh Heads to Broadbeach by tram for the first time.
Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3 is now open, connecting Burleigh Heads and Broadbeach. The milestone extends the G:link network by 6.7 kilometres and adds eight new stations, as well as five new trams.
For the first time, passengers can travel by tram from Burleigh Heads through Miami, Nobby Beach and Mermaid Beach to Broadbeach. Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional
Development and Local Government Catherine King said Light Rail Stage 3 is about delivering the infrastructure needed by one of Australia’s fastest-growing cities. “The Albanese Government is proud to partner with the Crisafulli Government and the City of Gold Coast on a project that will strengthen transport connectivity, support local businesses and help keep the Gold Coast moving.” Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said he expected this stage of the light rail to be the most popular on the network. “The completion of the next stage of the Gold Coast’s incredibly popular light rail system is a huge milestone for our growing city,” he said. “Gold Coasters and visitors will now have a seamless ride from Helensvale to Burleigh, a big win for locals, businesses and visitors. “I am sure this will be the most popular of all. All aboard.”
Your Partner in Rail GM Rail provides expert technical and project management services to support the rail industry in Australia and around the world. Large enough to design and manage rail infrastructure projects, but small enough to be agile, accountable and personable – that’s the GM Rail difference.
Find out more at www.gm-rail.com
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News
Auckland’s new Drury and Paerātā Railway Stations are officially open – marking the first new station openings in the city in almost a decade. The new stations have been built by KiwiRail with government funding and will be served by Auckland’s Southern Line. Trains will run from early morning until late evening, with late-night trains on Friday and Saturday nights. When the City Rail Link opens on September 13, 2026, the stations will be served by the South-City Line, with trains running every 10 minutes at peak times, every 15-minutes off-peak and every halfhour at night. Auckland Transport said the new stations enable “seamless public transport journeys” to Auckland’s city centre, Auckland Airport (via Puhinui and the AirportLink), Middlemore Hospital and destinations along the rest of the Southern Line. The opening of the two stations is also supported by an upgraded local bus network, making it quicker and easier for people in Paerata Rise, Ramarama, Drury, Waiuku, Glenbrook and Pukekohe to connect to Drury and Franklin train stations. Each station also has 350 park and ride spaces with room for extension in the future. Councillor Andy Baker, the Transport and Infrastructure Delivery Committee Chair
An event took place to mark the opening of the two stations.
and a Drury resident, said: “It’s been more than 50 years since there was a train station in Drury and since then we’ve seen a huge transformation of Auckland’s rail network, as well as in our communities. “These new stations are going to make such a big difference for people living in South Auckland and Franklin and
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save them countless hours stuck on the Southern Motorway. “For people who live in or move to subdivisions near the new stations they will have great modern public transport options from day one.” Auckland Transport’s Chief Executive Stacey van der Putten said the new stations are part of a much larger upgrade of Auckland’s public transport network. “Over the past few years there has been a massive investment in improved public transport links for South Auckland and Franklin, with the electrification of the Southern Line to Pukekohe and big improvements to bus services that line up with train timetables,” she said. “Auckland Transport has worked closely with KiwiRail during the design and construction of these stations, which include lots of useful features for passengers like Park and Ride facilities, pickup and drop-off areas, and parks for both bikes and motorbikes. “With the opening of these two new stations we are giving people real transport choices at a time when we know Aucklanders are looking further out of the city for more affordable housing and a lifestyle that suits them.” A third new station in Drury is under construction. Ngākōroa Railway Station is planned to open in 2027 and will also be served by the South City Line.
An aerial view of the new Paerātā Station.
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Image: Auckland Transport
Image: KiwiRail
Auckland gets first new stations in a decade
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Shorncliffe Station reopens Queensland’s Shorncliffe Station is now open following a restoration and accessibility upgrade. The station building has been restored to its original 1914 footprint, to preserve its heritage. The existing awning has also been restored, and the 1940s air raid shelter has been retained. Accessibility upgrades at the station included 90 metre high-
level platform raising at the boarding points, as well as upgraded hearing augmentation loops, tactile ground surface indicators, security cameras and lighting. New wayfinding and platform signage, a new accessible station entrance ramp, two new platform seats, and new accessible ticket windows, toilet and facilities are also part of the renovation.
Image: Queensland Rail
Queensland Rail staff celebrating the reopening of the station.
Queensland Rail said: “Queensland Rail engaged architects to draft the concept design, which considers the restoration of the station building while seamlessly integrating the accessible features of the upgrade such as the high-level platform at the accessible boarding points. “Heritage specialists have continued their involvement with the project to ensure the restoration and upgrade meet heritage requirements.” During the early stages of this project, hundreds of objects were found in the subfloor of Shorncliffe train station. It is thought that the items – including train tickets, clothes, newspapers and bottles – date back to the 1890s. Queensland Rail engaged independent heritage assessors to assist with safely removing the items and cataloguing them in line with best practice heritage investigation processes.
Australian Railway and Custom Cables Manufacturer Amokabel Australia excels in the design and manufacture of many unique and highly specialised cables. The company is based in Sydney and supplies products across Australia and overseas. Priding itself on being able to provide both custom and standard cables that are manufactured at our facility in Western Sydney. We can manufacture a wide range of products, many of which are custom designed and made to meet our clients’ requirements.
All your Railway Sector Cabling requirements, locally manufactured, such as OHLE cables, Trackside Power cabling, Points Systems, Level Crossing Infrastructure cabling, Contact Wire, Catenary & Bonding cables, Axle Counter cabling, Signalling cables, Train Control System cables, Telecommunications wires, Rolling Stock, Passenger Information Systems, SCADA & Station Building cables. Extrusion Processes utilising: Low Density Polyethylene, High Density Polyethylene & Cellular Foam Polyethylene, Polyurethane, Polypropylene, PVC, LSZH Megolon, Blue Intrinsically Safe coloured sheaths & Steel Wire Armouring, Termite and Rodent protection cable solutions. Quality and Compliance are at the heart of mitigating the risk of unplanned maintenance and downtime. Amokabel will work hard to ensure we supply high quality, high performance. The strictest quality assurance processes are backed by compliant cable testing processes.
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Image: SCT Logistics
Cover Story
A connected future
As Australia’s freight task grows, interoperability is a key priority for the rail industry.
With major investment flowing into Australia's interstate rail network, the industry has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create more modern, interoperable railways. For decades, the conversation about Australia’s rail industry has centred on building more railway – new passing loops, stronger bridges, expanded intermodal terminals, and additional capacity to support a growing freight task. Those investments have been essential, underpinning one of the world's largest rail networks and helping to improve safety, reliability and resilience. Today, however, the challenge is changing. The Australian rail industry is entering a new era. The Australian Government's recent commitment of $1.75 billion through the Network Investment Program (NIP) Horizon 2, announced as part of the May 2026 Federal Budget, is one of the most significant investments in Australia's 9600-kilometre interstate rail network in recent years. Combined with the existing NIP 1.0, this brings the overall commitment to national rail upgrades to $2.8 billion. While the funding focuses on strengthening the physical network, many industry leaders believe it also presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to modernise how Australia's railways operate and are managed for decades to come. The next chapter will be defined by building a railway that is digitally connected, operationally integrated and nationally interoperable.
As Australia's freight task grows, customer expectations evolve and supply chains become increasingly interlinked, interoperability is emerging as one of the industry's most significant strategic priorities. It is no longer simply a technical discussion, but is increasingly becoming an economic one. It is why in August 2025, federal, state and territory infrastructure and transport ministers agreed to list “improving interoperability of rail systems” as a national priority. BEYOND INFRASTRUCTURE Around the world, many railways are embracing digital train control, advanced traffic management systems, resilient telecommunications, predictive asset management and real-time operational information to improve safety, reliability and capacity. These technologies allow rail infrastructure managers and operators to move more trains, make better decisions and improve customer outcomes using existing infrastructure. Australia can follow a similar path. According to Wayne Johnson, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), the Australian Government's latest investment provides
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the platform to think differently about the future of the national rail network. "Australia has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to modernise the national rail network,” he said. “The Australian Government's investment provides the catalyst, but success will ultimately be measured by how effectively industry works together to deliver a safer, smarter and more productive railway for our customers. “Interoperability is fundamental to that future because it allows us to move beyond isolated projects and develop a nationally connected railway that delivers lasting productivity, resilience and safety benefits." A NATIONAL VISION Interoperability is often associated with signalling systems or digital train control. Many industry leaders say it is much broader and represents a greater opportunity to help enhance existing systems and services to benefit supply chain customers. It is about creating a railway where infrastructure, rolling stock, communications systems, operational information and digital technologies work together seamlessly, regardless of jurisdiction or operator. It is also about reducing unnecessary complexity that has developed over more
than 150 years of rail operations, avoiding a repeat situation such as the colonies adopting different gauge systems. The ARTC recently established a dedicated interoperability function to work
Image: Aurizon
Digital capability and interoperability will increasingly determine how successfully Australia meets its future freight task.
Image: ARTC
Interoperability allows infrastructure, rolling stock and digital systems to work together.
with governments, industry, suppliers and regulators to develop nationally consistent interoperability principles and a longterm digital railway roadmap. The ARTC’s Chief Interoperability and Development
Officer Adrian Teaha said the work is about creating a practical pathway for Australia's rail networks – not simply defining a future technology. "For more than 150 years, Australia's railways have evolved to meet the needs of individual jurisdictions and operators,” he said. “The next chapter is about connecting those networks into a truly national system. "Interoperability isn't just a technology program – it's an industry transformation that allows infrastructure, rolling stock and digital systems to work together, improving safety, unlocking capacity and ensuring rail remains competitive against road for decades to come." Teaha emphasised that this isn't about replacing everything overnight. “Australia has billions of dollars invested in legacy infrastructure and rolling stock that will continue serving the industry for decades,” he said. “The challenge is developing a practical transition pathway where today's railway and tomorrow's railway can safely coexist while progressively modernising the network." That philosophy aligns closely with work progressing through the National Rail Action Plan and collaboration between governments, the National Transport Commission (NTC), the Australian Rail Industry Standards Organisation (ARISO), the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) and the wider rail industry. WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 11
Cover Story
Rather than prescribing a single technology, the focus is on creating nationally agreed principles and clear outcomes that allow different technologies and operating environments to work together over time. ONE NETWORK, MANY OPERATING ENVIRONMENTS Australia's railway presents challenges unlike almost anywhere else in the world. The national network supports heavy haul mining operations, metropolitan passenger services, regional mixed-traffic corridors and interstate freight services operating trains up to 1800 metres in length across multiple jurisdictions. These railways perform fundamentally different tasks over more than 30,000 kilometres of track. Passenger railways generally operate closed networks with intensive signalling, high-frequency services and relatively standardised rolling stock. Interstate freight operates over vast distances in open-access environments, carrying diverse freight tasks in highly competitive commercial markets. Industry believes those differences must be recognised. The objective should not be uniformity, but nationally
consistent outcomes delivered in ways that remain proportionate to each railway's operational requirements. DELIVERING THE VISION – WHILE IMPROVING TODAY'S RAILWAY For freight operators, the opportunity is not simply about defining what Australia's railway should look like in 20 or 30 years' time. It is about ensuring the journey to get there delivers benefits along the way. Many industry leaders agree that the long-term vision being developed must be accompanied by practical initiatives that improve interoperability today, while creating a clear pathway towards the future digital railway. Andrew Harding, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Aurizon, said Aurizon is supporting detailed work being done by ARTC, and others in industry to help inform government decisions so that they deliver beneficial, cost-effective changes that enable improved rail freight interoperability. “The focus needs to be on practical improvements in areas such as reducing rolling stock accreditation timeframes and removal of duplication – as well as longerterm technology solutions for signalling and train control that promote interoperability
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and deliver genuine benefits for freight operators and customers. “Making improvements to freight operating rules to improve productivity is another component of improved interoperability. “A core objective of interoperability should be to lift the competitiveness of rail freight by making changes that are beneficial and cost-effective for operators. Better utilisation of rail will contribute to increased productivity, improved safety and end-to-end supply chain benefits for customers and the economy.” That balanced approach is echoed across the wider freight sector. Geoff Smith, Chair of the Freight on Rail Group (FORG) and Managing Director of SCT Logistics, believes interoperability is one of the most significant reform opportunities facing Australian rail, provided implementation recognises the diversity of operating environments. "Interoperability is not about imposing a single operating model across every railway. Australia's metropolitan passenger networks and long-distance interstate freight corridors perform fundamentally different tasks and have different operating requirements, asset lives, investment cycles and commercial models. Freight operators need confidence
Image: SCT Logistics
If the balance can be achieved, Australia can create one of the world's most modern rail systems – not simply because it adopts new technology, but because it applies that technology in a way that is practical, commercially sustainable and focused on delivering better outcomes for customers. The future of Australian rail will not be defined solely by the infrastructure that is built but by how effectively the industry connects the railway it already has. Increasingly, that journey begins with interoperability.
WHAT IS INTEROPERABILITY? Interoperability is the ability for different parts of the railway system to operate seamlessly together – regardless of the infrastructure manager, operator, jurisdiction or technology involved.
Australia's rail network includes metropolitan passenger systems, regional mixed-traffic corridors, heavy haul railways and longdistance interstate freight networks.
that future technologies and standards recognise those differences while delivering nationally consistent outcomes. "We need a pathway that allows industry to continue investing in rolling stock and technology with certainty, recognising the long service life of rail assets and the significant capital already invested across the sector. "The opportunity is to progressively remove unnecessary complexity from the national network, improve productivity and increase rail's competitiveness, while ensuring change is introduced in a practical, affordable and operationally sound manner." Together, the industry's message is clear. Australia now has a genuine opportunity to modernise its rail networks, but success will depend on balancing long-term ambition with practical delivery. The future digital railway cannot be built overnight. It will require a staged transition that delivers immediate operational improvements while progressively establishing nationally consistent standards, technologies and ways of working. LOOKING AHEAD There is growing recognition that Australia's future rail network will be challenged to maintain its competitive position without seeking a broader, wholesale uplift in
operations, performance, reliability and safety beyond what conventional methods provide. Digital capability, nationally consistent standards and interoperability will increasingly determine how effectively rail competes with other transport modes and how successfully Australia meets its future freight task. The Australian Government's investment through the NIP provides an important platform. What follows will require sustained collaboration between governments, infrastructure managers, freight and passenger operators, suppliers, regulators and customers. Australia's railway is one of the largest and most operationally diverse in the world. That diversity is a strength, but only if the industry works together to reduce unnecessary complexity while preserving the flexibility different parts of the network require. Action will be taken towards a long-term vision of performance and digitalisation. Action will also occur on near-term operational uplift and performance improvements that provide immediate and incremental benefit. These two speeds of effort must work together to constructively and positively uplift rail across the country.
While often associated with signalling or digital train control, interoperability is much broader. It encompasses infrastructure, rolling stock, communications systems, operational rules, data standards, telecommunications, traffic management and digital technologies working together as a single, connected railway. Importantly, interoperability does not mean every railway has to operate the same way. Australia's rail network includes metropolitan passenger systems, regional mixed-traffic corridors, heavy haul railways and longdistance interstate freight networks, each with different operational and commercial requirements. The goal is therefore national consistency, not uniformity – developing common principles, standards and interfaces that allow different operating environments and technologies to work together while remaining fit for purpose. Ultimately, interoperability is about reducing unnecessary complexity, improving safety, increasing capacity, lowering whole-of-life costs and creating a more competitive rail system for customers.
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Passenger Rail
Designing the future Alstom’s Advanced and Creative Design team plays a critical role in shaping the trains and trams the company delivers – transforming customer requirements into innovative, functional and passenger-focused designs. finishes, providing insights to our team on new materials, but also for standardisation. “Our studios collaborate on ways of working, design philosophy/language, and innovation. It’s what Alstom is famous for; global expertise delivered in a highly localised setting.” The Brisbane team uses sketching, 3D modelling and virtual reality to simulate commuter journeys and customise regional fleets through early design phases. “We use 3D modelling tools to create 360-degree walkthroughs, so our customers can visually step into a train or tram long before a physical mock-up or prototype is available,” said Huber. “We also use virtual reality, which is more immersive and allows us to account for the user’s position within a space. For example, a passenger using a mobility aid may have a view from a different height and perspective than someone who is standing. Virtual reality can give each participant a more realistic idea of how they will experience the physical vehicle.” SHAPING TŪHONO Alstom’s A&CD team is currently working in partnership with Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Council in New Zealand on designs for the new Tūhono train – the first battery Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) in the Southern Hemisphere.
A GLOBAL DESIGN NETWORK Alstom’s studio in Brisbane is part of a global network of six key design studios where each team can draw on the knowledge of the others, which Huber described as a major advantage. “Although my team has all worked for Alstom for a long time, on many different projects across Australia, it’s very useful to have access to designers across the world with expertise in specific areas or applications,” he said. “For example, our Saint-Ouen office in France has experts in colour and material 14 | ISSUE 8 – SEPTEMBER 2026 | RAIL EXPRESS
Alstom's Brisbane team tailors rolling stock designs to meet the requirements of customers in Australia and New Zealand, while also serving the needs of the community.
Huber said the team is collaborating closely with train crew, technical experts and customer teams to improve everyday journeys for passengers. “We’re in the early design phase, exploring everything from accessibility and layout to passenger comfort and local identity,” he explained. Accessibility is a top priority for Alstom, and the A&CD team tests and validates designs with consideration for people with disabilities, reduced mobility, vision and hearing impairments. To ensure the Tūhono trains meet the needs of all passengers, the team is engaging with a range of stakeholder groups. “We start by showing people from the community simple full-scale printed diagrams of the layout of the train,” Huber said. “They share their thoughts on everything, drawing on their own individual experiences, perspectives and needs. “It might sound low-tech, but it’s the best way to get direct feedback before we progress to a full-size, three-dimensional physical mock-up. The earlier we can spot an issue, the easier it is to adopt an innovative approach to solving it.” When it comes to creating an excellent passenger experience, Huber said there are many different factors to consider for the Tūhono fleet.
Images: Alstom
Alstom’s trains and trams are a familiar sight on networks across Australia. But behind every fleet is a design journey that starts long before new rolling stock hits the tracks. For Alstom’s Advanced and Creative Design (A&CD) team in Brisbane, design is about much more than just aesthetics. Ben Huber, the Industrial Design and Human Factors Lead for Alstom (Australia and New Zealand), explained: “Our team is responsible for the creative and industrial design of rolling stock, helping to define everything from vehicle exteriors and interior layouts through to the overall passenger experience, comfort and functionality. “We also lead assessments for human factors and accessibility testing, making sure that our trains and trams are intuitive, safe and inclusive for everyone who uses them. “We help to tailor Alstom’s products to meet the requirements of local customers in Australia and New Zealand, while also serving the real-world needs of the community.” The designers have worked on a wide variety of high-profile projects including Next Generation Rollingstock for Queensland Rail, VLocity trains for V/Line, Adelaide A-City trains, Gold Coast Light Rail, X’Trapolis 2.0 for Metro Trains Melbourne, the Perth B and C Series for Transperth, and the new Australind Diesel Multiple Units for Transwa (the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia), as well as the new Next Generation Trams now entering service in Melbourne.
Greater Wellington's Tūhono train will be the first battery Electric Multiple Unit in the Southern Hemisphere.
“We’ve got to think about the demographics in New Zealand, which are different to Australia,” he explained. “The Tūhono trains will be more long-distance than a metro commuter train, so there is a stronger focus on journey comfort. “The trains will have multiple floor levels and include features such as accessible and standard toilets, a vending machine, luggage racks and spaces for bicycle storage.” The A&CD team has also been working closely with train drivers to develop the driver interface. “It’s a slightly different layout to what some drivers are used to,” Huber said. “Some of the drivers are coming from loco-haul on the Wairarapa Line, while others are in the Matangi EMUs. “Similar to what we’ve done with the passenger saloon, we have invited drivers at an early stage to show them low fidelity mock-ups and get their feedback on things like the placement of buttons and seeking their input into how intuitive the interface is to use.”
Alstom uses sketching, 3D modelling and virtual reality to simulate commuter journeys.
Huber said another key aspect of design is honouring local cultural heritage. The Tūhono fleet will incorporate Māori artwork. “On previous projects, we have engaged with Indigenous artists through community groups,” he said. “Sometimes artwork will be incorporated across the whole exterior of the vehicle, like for Queensland Rail. For Tūhono, reflecting the culture of the region is a must. “We also try to bring elements of Indigenous art into the interior of a vehicle in terms of the upholstery of seats or feature walls. "I think it's increasingly important to reflect cultural aspects in train design as trains become part of the culture of the region where they operate.” Because it is a battery electric train, the Tūhono will deliver cleaner, quieter and more sustainable journeys for Greater Wellington communities. But sustainability is also a huge factor in everything on Tūhono, from the materials selected for interiors to the lighting onboard.
“Sustainability is part of our mandate,” said Huber. “In terms of design, we’re always looking at what materials we’re using and what will happen at the end-of-life of the vehicle. It’s a principle called Ecodesign, which is at the heart of Alstom’s design philosophy.” Many Alstom vehicles feature smart LED lighting – as a result of collaboration between the engineering and design teams. “Smart lighting provides sustainability benefits," said Huber. “However, its flexibility also has accessibility advantages. Some feedback we received on a previous project was that bright lighting can be quite uncomfortable and triggering for autistic people, for example. “We have minimum requirements for the illumination on board a vehicle, but we were able to adjust the colour temperature of the light to contribute to a more comfortable and inclusive environment for passengers.” MAKING A DIFFERENCE The first Next Generation Tram (NGT) officially entered passenger service in July – representing Melbourne’s first new tram design in more than a decade. Built locally by Alstom at its Dandenong facility, the NGT is the most accessible of all Melbourne’s trams. They offer level boarding, dedicated spaces for wheelchairs and mobility aids, more doors, cooling and heating and improved passenger information displays. Huber’s team is proud to have played a major role in improving the accessibility of the NGTs. “We had some great workshops with members of the community during the development of the design,” he said. “We’re very proud of the outcome, and all those little touches that make a real difference to people’s lives.” WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 15
Workforce
A stronger rail industry starts with a stronger on-ramp
Images: ARA
The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) shares some of the training courses and programs it offers in support of the rail industry.
The ARA’s Future Leaders program supports emerging leaders from across the rail industry.
The Australasian Railway Association’s (ARA) Professional Certificate in Rail was established in 2025 and has provided new opportunities for rail industry workers to develop a strong, foundational knowledge of the industry. The certificate brings together a range of online courses to provide a flexible, self-paced professional development opportunity for people building their career in rail. The development of the certificate is part of an evolution of the ARA’s course offering, which began with the shift of its foundational course Understanding Rail to an online format a few years ago. With additional courses on topics such as rolling stock, infrastructure, signalling and operations, there is now a range of ways people can broaden their industry knowledge and improve their understanding of key aspects of rail operations. Participants have reported high levels of satisfaction with the certificate, confirming the value of dedicated professional development programs that are delivered by industry, for industry. The ARA has continued to build on this focus, with the development of nationally consistent Safely Access the Rail Corridor (SARC) training. This was developed to deliver on the ambitions of the National Rail Action Plan, which highlighted the importance of nationally consistent training
to support harmonisation, safety and productivity. North Metro TAFE (Technical and Further Education) in Western Australia has adopted the program, with participants becoming the first to access this important training. New rail engineering units were also introduced at Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth in 2025, following the ARA’s efforts to improve training and education pathways into the rail industry. The units on railway systems mechanics; railway electrical, control; and signalling systems and rail design, construction and maintenance are offered to engineering students studying mechanical or electrical fields. The rail design unit is also a core unit for civil engineering students. The ARA and ECU worked alongside Rio Tinto, Arc Infrastructure and the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia to support the creation of the units and help address skills gaps in the industry. The ARA’s courses are complemented by a range of other programs delivered in support of industry. The annual Future Leaders Program had 45 participants this year, with the program supporting emerging leaders from across the rail industry in Australia and New Zealand. This six-month program is designed to boost participants’ industry knowledge and leadership skills and includes interactive, face-to-face workshops and site tours to
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provide a rich professional development experience and create national networks of emerging leaders. The ARA also introduced a new, online workshop entitled Leading together: Men supporting diversity in rail this year. The program provides a dedicated forum for men to have open, honest and practical conversations about inclusion in the rail workplace. It explores diverse perspectives and supports the development of respectful, high-performing team cultures. After the first workshop, 100 per cent of participants agreed or strongly agreed they had greater awareness of the challenges involved in creating a more diverse rail industry. The new program builds on the ARA’s diversity and inclusion focus, including through its Women in Rail mentoring program and its Rail Gender Equity Charter. These measures are critical to support improved industry outcomes, and to ensure an inclusive and equitable workforce for all. The ARA looks forward to continuing to deliver a range of courses and professional development opportunities for industry in the future.
Partcipants in the Future Leaders program trying out a tram simulator.
Manufacturing
Building sovereign rail capability ABB’s Traction Centre of Excellence in Maryborough, Queensland is a practical example of how Australia can grow sovereign rail capability by combining global technology with local production, skills and supply chains. Established as Australia’s first dedicated traction equipment manufacturing hub, the centre produces traction converters and traction motors and supports battery servicing. It has moved into serial production for the Queensland Train Manufacturing Program, supplying equipment for the state’s next generation of passenger trains. The development of the centre highlights the potential to address a traditional reliance on overseas capability for many specialised components and services, which can add time, cost and complexity in the rail industry. A leading technology company, ABB has drawn on specialist knowledge from its global operations to establish the centre and build the capability of its Australian employees and suppliers. This has included supporting the development of local businesses capable of producing converter cabinets – a highly specialised area previously dependent on offshore manufacturing. The early results of this work have been positive, with suppliers that now meet required standards growing their sales pipelines with greater confidence and less development risk. About 90 per cent of the centre’s employees have also been recruited locally. This has created regional jobs while building a workforce with specialised experience in traction technology, manufacturing and lifecycle support. LONG-TERM PIPELINE VISIBILITY IS CRUCIAL While the centre has shown what can be achieved with intentional policy settings to support national local content, clear and long-term investment pipelines will be required to ensure organisations like ABB can continue to build Australia’s rail industry capability. Stop-start procurement, fragmented requirements and long gaps between major rolling stock programs can make
Image: ABB
The Australasian Railway Association shares how one of its members, ABB, is helping to strengthen local supply chains.
ABB’s new Traction Centre of Excellence is expanding its local repair, testing, refurbishment and overhaul capacity.
it difficult for companies to retain skilled workers, invest in facilities and develop local suppliers. The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) continues to advocate for clearer, long-term procurement pipelines, in partnership with members such as ABB. Greater coordination and visibility across government procurement programs would provide industry with the confidence to invest for the long term. More consistent local content settings would also help ensure capability developed for one project can be sustained and applied to the next. In the meantime, ABB is already positioning Maryborough to operate beyond manufacturing. The facility is expanding its local repair, testing, refurbishment and overhaul capacity, including converter overhaul and traction battery services. These expanded services will ensure rolling stock can be maintained and upgraded locally over time. Local diagnostic, repair and overhaul services can reduce turnaround times, improve fleet availability and limit reliance on overseas service centres. They can also help operators extend asset life and modernise existing trains rather than replacing them before the end of their useful life. BUILDING LOCAL CAPABILITY TO SUPPORT DECARBONISATION ABB’s work on the Adelaide Metro dieselhybrid upgrade is extending the life of rolling stock while reducing emissions. It uses onboard traction batteries to capture braking energy and reuse it as electricity.
ABB says the upgrade can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 6100 tonnes a year, while also lowering fuel use and maintenance requirements. Hybrid and retrofit solutions will remain important where full network electrification is not immediately practical. They provide a pathway to lower emissions while making better use of existing assets. This approach reflects a broader shift in the rail industry. Sustainability, productivity and sovereign capability are increasingly interconnected. A locally supported fleet can be more resilient. A modernised fleet can use less energy and remain in service longer. A skilled domestic workforce can respond more quickly to operational needs and support future technology adoption. COLLABORATION THE KEY TO FUTURE GROWTH The Maryborough centre shows what can be achieved when procurement, investment and capability development are aligned. The next challenge is to turn individual project success into enduring national capability. That will require sustained collaboration between governments, operators, manufacturers, suppliers and training providers. Australia has the opportunity to build a stronger rail manufacturing and technology base. Making it a reality will depend on maintaining a steady pipeline, supporting local skills and recognising that long-term industry capability is itself a critical piece of infrastructure. WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 17
Manufacturing
Built to last UGL Transport’s Broadmeadow site has shaped Australia’s rail history – and continues to be a cornerstone of local manufacturing in the Hunter. “We can procure raw steel from our suppliers and fabricate it into a cab, then fitout that cab with electronics, insulation and drivers’ stations prior to installing it onto a locomotive, all on site. “On the locomotive production line, we start with the base platform and through a series of production stations we assemble the locomotive until a complete locomotive comes out the other end, ready for testing, painting and delivery to the customer.” Currently, UGL Transport delivers on average one locomotive every two weeks. Its customers include major operators such as One Rail Australia, Pacific National, Rail First, and Aurizon. In partnership with Wabtec, UGL Transport is delivering 50 Evolution (EVO) locomotives for Pacific National. These highly advanced locos were designed and built at Broadmeadow. “The EVO is the most fuel-efficient diesel locomotive in the Australian market,” Briggs said. “While we've seen some competitors go offshore, UGL Transport has sustained its Australian-made, Australiandelivered product.” UGL Transport completes projects on a wide range of wagons, including: grain wagons, container wagons, well wagons and flatbeds.
A HUB IN THE HUNTER Today, UGL Transport, jointly owned by Sojitz Corporation and UGL Pty Ltd, has four major workshops on site at Broadmeadow. Broadmeadow itself is the largest of around 15 manufacturing and maintenance facilities operated by UGL Transport in Australia. Steven Briggs, Senior Operations Manager and responsible for the Newcastle manufacturing and maintenance businesses at UGL Transport, said the Broadmeadow operation has expanded and diversified its capabilities over time. “When it comes to the manufacturing and maintenance of rolling stock, we can do almost anything at Broadmeadow,” Briggs said. “We currently employ 330 bluecollar employees on site – a skilled team of fabricators, painters, electrical fitters, mechanical fitters, vehicle builders and many other tradespeople. 18 | ISSUE 8 – SEPTEMBER 2026 | RAIL EXPRESS
UGL Transport is delivering 50 Evolution (EVO) Locomotives for Pacific National.
“The company is currently delivering a large contract with KiwiRail – by the end of that project we will have delivered over 1600 flatbed wagons for use on the North Island,” said Briggs. In addition, UGL Transport manufactures bogies for domestic and international use – exporting them to such countries as Pakistan, China, South Africa, Mozambique, Thailand, Egypt, Angola, Kazakhstan, and Cameroon. “Another ongoing project is with Toshiba Group – we manufacture bogies that are exported to Japan, to be installed onto locomotives that are then delivered to Taiwan,” Briggs added. “We also recently completed a project for Wabtec Corporation to manufacture bogies for the CBH locomotives that have just entered service in Western Australia.” UGL Transport can also fully break down assets to component level as part of maintenance. “We overhaul all of the individual components from rolling stock assets and return them to a serviceable condition for their next term of use.” The Hunter Valley Maintenance Centre is also linked by a rail line to the Broadmeadow site. “It’s just 800 metres away, and we maintain and service about 120 locomotives per year through that facility.”
Image: Salty Dingo
For more than a century, a site in the heart of the Hunter Valley has been keeping Australia moving. In 1899, Alfred Goninan founded a business to support the local mining industry – with its first major job to manufacture 100 coal wagons for Rhondda Colliery in Teralba. Over the next 127 years, Goninan’s business grew, diversified and developed into what became UGL and is now UGL Transport. Alfred Goninan initially leased a five-and-a-half-acre site in Wickham, New South Wales, but as the business expanded, he acquired a 29.5-acre site in nearby Broadmeadow. Today, the Broadmeadow facility is UGL Transport’s largest manufacturing and maintenance site in Australia. In continuous operation for 107 years, it supports the design, manufacturing, maintenance, and rebuilds of locomotives, wagons and bogies – maintaining its historic links to the heavy haul industry, as well as electric overhauls for passenger rail, freight and mining. We find out more about Broadmeadow’s legacy, what is being achieved there today, and why the hub is key to keeping manufacturing alive in the Hunter long into the future.
Image: Salty Dingo
The Evolution Locomotive is Australia’s most fuel-efficient diesel locomotive moving the continent’s freight task.
PRESERVING A PROUD HISTORY Few people know the Broadmeadow facility better than UGL Transport’s Manufacturing and Maintenance Quality Compliance Manager Neil Anderson. Anderson has worked at the site for more than 47 years, starting out when he was just 17 years old. “When I finished my high school certificate, I started as a storeman – and I never left!” he said. “My dad also worked at Goninan as a fitter and turner, so the company has played a big part in my life.” Over nearly five decades, Anderson has watched the site evolve from a more traditional set-up – with a blacksmith shop, foundry and boiler shop – into a modern rail
Image: UGL Transport
The Outer Suburban Cars (OSCars), built at Broadmeadow, have been in revenue service for 20 years.
manufacturing and maintenance hub. He has developed a keen interest in the business’s history, and has even written a book, 100 Years of A. Goninan & Co. “Over the years, the Broadmeadow site has produced or managed everything from passenger cars, locomotives, bogies, wagons, mining equipment to cargo barges to equipment for the sugar cane milling industry," he said. “From the 1960s to the 1990s, most Australian homes contained at least one rubber or plastic product that was manufactured by a machine at Goninan. “We continue to play a role in people’s lives by keeping Australia moving through our transport manufacturing and maintenance operations.”
BROADMEADOW THROUGH THE DECADES 1890s–1900s Alfred Goninan leased the former Hudson Bros works at Wickham in 1899. Its first major rail contract was the construction of 100 eight-ton coal wagons for Rhondda Colliery. This marked the beginning of what would become one of Australia's most significant rail manufacturing businesses. 1910s–1920s As demand grew, Goninan acquired the site of the old English & Australian Copper Company in Broadmeadow in 1918, clearing grounds for new workshops. Operations continued at Wickham into the mid-1920s. The 1920s saw rapid expansion in rail production. Goninan supplied 100 coal wagons to Paxton Colliery, and built a rail connection linking the Broadmeadow site to the main railway line. It delivered side-dumping trucks for Commonwealth Portland Cement Company, as well as structural steelwork for the Mortdale Railway Sheds and Wynyard Railway Station (for NSW Government Railways). “By 1925, Broadmeadow had the most modern facilities in Australia, including a foundry, pattern shop, store, machine shop, power house, blacksmith’s shop and wagon shop,” Anderson said. “From 1899 to 1926, Goninan had built 9000 10-tonne and 100 12.5-tonne coal hoppers and over 20,000 coal skips. It had also designed a new coal wagon with a steel underframe, which would be considered the wagon of the future.” During this period, Goninan also delivered brake vans, skips, goods wagons, masts for WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 19
Manufacturing
railway electrification, overhead cranes and rail tank cars. 1930s–1940s During the 1930s, Goninan continued supplying specialised railway equipment and rolling stock, including the 60-tonne coke cars, the largest truck used on Australian railways. Following extensive projects for the Ministry of Munitions during World War II, the company returned to railway
production in the mid-1940s. Contracts included trailer frames for D38 steam locomotives, coal hopper wagons and underframes, and flat-top wagons for NSW Government Railways. 1950s–1960s The 1950s marked a major milestone for Goninan: the start of locomotive production. In 1953, the company manufactured three 70-tonne single-ended Bo-Bo shunting locomotives for mining company BHP, as
An aerial view of the Broadmeadow site in the 1960s.
A 16-tonne LCH Coal Hopper, manufactured at Broadmeadow for NSW Government Railways in 1946.
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well as two 45-tonne double-ended Bo-Bo locomotives for Lysaght’s, a steel works in Port Kembla. The following year, Goninan signed an agreement with General Electric to manufacture diesel-electric and electric locomotives. It built three 1100-horsepower mainline single cab Co-Co locomotives for Queensland Government Railways – containing the first all-welded bogies used on passenger locomotives in Australia. 1970s In 1977, Goninan secured a breakthrough $44 million contract to build 150 double-deck S-Set and K-Set passenger cars for the Public Transport Commission of New South Wales. This was one of the largest passenger rolling stock contracts awarded in Australia at the time, and Goninan’s first passenger train project. “The production rate of two cars per week was believed to be an Australian record,” Anderson said. Deliveries began in 1978, followed by eight air-conditioned double-deck suburban cars in 1979 – the first suburban rail cars in New South Wales to feature air conditioning – known as the K-Sets (due to be retired in 2026). The Broadmeadow site also started production of diesel hydraulic rail cars for the first time, manufacturing 10 for the Western Australian Government Railways. 1980s In 1982, Goninan had delivered its 200th double-deck passenger car to the New South Wales Public Transport Commission, and secured another order for 100 airconditioned suburban passenger cars. After the Public Transport Commission was dissolved and replaced by the State Rail Authority (SRA) of New South Wales, SRA awarded Goninan a $5 million contract to build five diesel-electric power vans. These vans were used to provide power to existing air-conditioned passenger trains in New South Wales, and were capable of operating with the Indian Pacific and XPT carriages in emergencies. A defining achievement for Goninan came in 1986, with the contract to build 450 Tangara passenger cars for the SRA. “This was the largest passenger train contract let in Australia,” Anderson said. “Tangara is acknowledged as a worldclass double-deck Electric Multiple Unit (EMU). “The first four-car set was delivered in December 1987, within 14 months from contract signing, an Australian record.
Images: UGL Transport
A defining achievement for Goninan came in 1986, with the contract to build 450 Tangara passenger cars.
Designed and built at Broadmeadow, and still running today.” Goninan continued to strengthen its locomotive capabilities during this time, manufacturing 14 single-cab mainline GE CM30-8 locomotives (EL Class) for Australian National Railway, which included 17 single-cab mainline GE CM25-8 (P Class) locomotives for Westrail manufactured at the company’s Bassendean workshops in Western Australia. The business also introduced highly advanced GE Dash 8 technology to Australian railways – the Westrail locomotives were the world’s first narrow gauge Dash 8 locomotive. “Dash 8 allowed lighter locomotives to pull heavier loads while using less fuel than older locomotives,” Anderson said. “These EL Class and P Class locomotives are also still running today.” 1990s During the 1990s, Goninan continued to diversify its rail portfolio. It built 22 Sprinter diesel rail cars for V/Line in Victoria, featuring air-cooled engines that reduced fuel consumption by 40 per cent compared with locomotivehauled trains. Broadmeadow became accredited as a railway owner and operator in New South Wales during this decade, and refurbished 47 XPT trailer cars. One of its proudest achievements came in 1993, when it secured an order for 120 GE Cv40-9i locomotives for National Rail Corporation – the largest Australian-made locomotive order since diesel-electric production began in the 1950s. Manufacturing of the fleet was split between the Broadmeadow and Bassendean workshops. Goninan also won contracts to refurbish hundreds of CityRail suburban and intercity passenger cars. In 1999, Goninan was sold to United Constructions (United Group) – renamed United Goninan in 2001. 2000s ONWARDS After the acquisition, the Broadmeadow site
continued to produce major rail projects, including delivering the Outer Suburban Cars (OSCars) and Hunter Rail Cars that this year celebrate 20 years of revenue service across Sydney’s intercity network and the Hunter Valley. The team also designed and built the Prospector trains for Western Australia, servicing Perth and Kalgoorlie. In 2010, United Goninan won a contract to refurbish 446 Tangara passenger cars, and the following year, it created three prototype PH37 narrow gauge locomotives for Pacific National. In 2012, United Goninan was renamed UGL and re-branded under the functional banner of UGL Rail. Five years later, UGL became a member of the CIMIC Group. Today, the Sojitz Corporation has purchased 50 per cent of the UGL Transport business, which includes the manufacturing and maintenance business. Between 1899 and 2026, Goninan/UGL Transport has manufactured more than 450 locomotives, 1000 passenger cars, 23,000 freight vehicles (wagons, tankers etc) and 4000 bogies. A TRAINING HUB TO THIS VERY DAY UGL Transport is proud of its history manufacturing passenger cars for the New South Wales Government. Steven Briggs said the business looks forward to a return to passenger car manufacturing at its Broadmeadow site in the future. “Many of our longer-serving staff have previously worked on fleets like the Tangaras and the OSCars,” he pointed out. “We maintain a strong knowledge and experience base around manufacturing passenger cars.” UGL Transport’s Broadmeadow site supports 140 white-collar jobs in addition to its 330 blue-collar jobs. “We’re a significant employer in the Hunter, and we also contribute to the local economy through our partnerships with local suppliers,” Briggs said. UGL Transport is also helping to build a skilled manufacturing workforce for the future, with 20 apprentices currently gaining experience at Broadmeadow in 2026 alone.
“UGL Transport is a founding member of HunterNet, a network of manufacturing, engineering and specialist services companies in the Hunter and Central Coast Regions of New South Wales,” said Briggs. “We work with HunterNet to bring on apprentices every year, across a range of trade types. “Our electrical apprentices, for example, get the opportunity to rotate through different departments and experience different types of work across both the manufacturing and maintenance businesses within UGL Transport.” Briggs highlighted that UGL Transport is committed to continuous improvement and efficiency, which enhance its competitiveness in the market. “The difference an Australia manufacture provides is in the quality of the product delivered,” he said. “While the initial value might be more, it is worth it over the long term because we can provide a high-quality product that supports our customers through total lifecycle cost, fuel reductions, and reduced mean time for overhauls. “We are always looking at how we can do things better on a day-to-day basis, and how we can manage our manufacturing process to be as efficient as possible.” He said that in addition to strengthening the local economy, there are many benefits to working with UGL Transport, an experienced Australian manufacturer. “We work very collaboratively with our customers,” he said. “Our close relationships and physical proximity enable them to come on site once a week or every two weeks to inspect their product and to understand the progress that is being made.” Briggs said global dynamics have highlighted the importance of a sovereign supply chain. “The Hunter has always been a strong base of manufacturing knowledge and experience,” he said. “We want to maintain that now and into the future – because supporting Australian manufacturing is important.” WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 21
Manufacturing
Signalling success We find out more about the cables that keep a rail network moving. Cables are like the nervous system of a rail network – playing a critical role in everything from traction and power supply to signalling to passenger information systems and telecommunications.
Mark Foster is General Manager and Sales Director at Amokabel Australia, a leading local manufacturer of cable solutions. He shared why Amokabel has the answer to Australian network owners’ cable needs.
AUSTRALIAN-MADE, FOR AUSTRALIAN NETWORKS Amokabel Australia produces many different types of cables at its modern facility in Western Sydney, including signalling and
TH E C A BLE N E T WORK I N FR A S T RU C T U R E Infrastructure cables serve passenger terminals, staff and driver areas, and platform/concourse passenger information systems. Also in this category are cables for alarm systems, heating and air conditioning, elevators and escalators, as well as low-voltage power and fixed wiring.
T R ACK SI D E P OW E R Trackside cables provide power to on-track systems such as points/switches, wayside signalling enclosures, termination boxes and level crossing mechanism systems.
SIG N A L LI N G Train control system cables are used to transmit signalling between fixed points and moving blocks, while providing reliable signal transmission and continuous power to trackside signalling applications, including the signal aspects, points indicators and route indicators.
RO L LI N G S TOCK This category includes cables that provide power, control, communications, lighting, heating and air conditioning to passenger and freight trains.
CO M M U N IC ATIO N S Communications cables are used to transmit data for control and monitoring on safety-critical systems. This grouping includes axle counter cables, SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) Pilot systems cable, and SSI (Solid State Interlocking) system data link cables.
Image: Ngoto/stock.adobe.com
OV E R H E A D C A B L E S Overhead line cabling supports the electrification of a network. This includes conductors, catenary wire, contact wire, feeder cable, bonding cable and return screening conductors.
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AusRAIL
infrastructure cables. “We have a turnaround time of just three to four weeks from order to completion, tested and certified,” Foster said. “With a local manufacturer like Amokabel, you avoid the supply chain delays or customs issues that can occur with overseas suppliers. “This is very useful for projects where time is of the essence.” Amokabel has already supplied signalling and infrastructure cables for many different customers across Australia, including the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), Transport for New South Wales, Sydney Trains, UGL Ltd, DT Infrastructure, Queensland Rail, and the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia. Being locally based allows for close collaboration with customers. Amokabel regularly carries out in-person demonstrations of the cable manufacturing process at its Sydney facility and can customise orders to fit the needs of its partners. “For the ARTC, we provide signalling cables that can be buried – to prevent copper
theft – which are also suitable for clipping to the rails,” Foster said. “We add nylon 12 termite-proof jackets (in accordance with the AS/NZS5000.1standard) to those cables to protect them.” Through its subcontractors, Amokabel also provides cables to several heavy haul rail operators in Western Australia. “Those cables – termite-proofed, steelwired armoured, standard signalling, data and power cables – can also be sheathed in the distinctive intrinsically safe colour for the mines, with specialised low-voltage control,” Foster added. “The practice of putting blue sheaths on the wires and cables is done so they are easily identifiable when installed in intrinsically safe circuits. “This prevents cross-contamination and miswiring in hazardous areas.” Amokabel can also provide a high degree of flexibility in its cables, which makes the installation process faster and easier for the contractor and maintainer. “Our insulation and sheathing materials lend themselves to bending and flexing
during installation, which can save the installers hours, or even days. “With cables of a lower quality than ours, you don’t get as much flexibility.” In addition, Amokabel’s fire-rated cables are certified to Australian standards. “A specific test, as an example, proves that our cables self-extinguish when the fire source is removed, the conductor is intact and there are no drips of molten plastic,” Foster explained. “They provide circuit integrity longer than a standard cable in the event of a fire, with the aim being to maintain critical system operation as long as possible.” Globally, Amokabel is in the process of modernising its testing facilities. “We’re undergoing a group-wide upgrade to state-of-the-art testing and measurement equipment,” Foster said. “We plan to move to a bigger factory in Sydney in 2027, and I’ve already got a plan for the equipment and design of the new test lab. “We’re looking forward to growing our capabilities in the future.”
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28/07/2026 9:44:53 AM
Maintenance
A one-stop shop
Downer’s Maryborough facility supports 346 team members.
For more than 150 years, Downer's Maryborough Service Delivery Centre has supported Queensland's rail industry. Today, the iconic site combines manufacturing, rolling stock overhaul and much more. Downer’s Maryborough Service Delivery Centre holds a special place in Queensland’s rail history. Way back in 1873, it was where the state’s first-ever locomotive was built – a steam engine named the Mary Anne. More than 150 years later, the site is still delivering for the local rail industry. It offers whole-of-life asset management from a single, integrated facility – from component overhaul and fleet modification to structural fabrication and life extension programs. We spoke to the team at Downer to find out more. SHAPING RAIL HISTORY In 1857, the Union Foundry of John Walker & Co was founded in Ballarat, Victoria. Renamed Walkers Limited in 1888, the company produced parts for machinery for railway rolling stock and ships. In 1869, it opened a branch in Maryborough, Queensland. In 1980, Evans Deakin Industries bought Walkers Limited, and in 1996 the company purchased Clyde Engineering. Then in 2001, Downer merged with Evans Deakin Industries to become Downer EDI, Downer’s rail business.
Walkers Limited’s original Queensland site is still in operation today as Downer’s Maryborough Service Delivery Centre (MSDC). “Downer’s Maryborough facility is iconic, but not everyone knows the full extent of its history,” said Downer’s General Manager Operations for Queensland, Tony Prove. “From 1896, over the next 50 years, there were over 580 steam trains built here. During World War 2, we built 10 warships for the Australian navy, followed by another 31 ships. “There were almost 1000 rail cars and locomotives built here during the electrification of Brisbane’s rail network, from 1979 to the mid-1990s – including the Cairns tilt train and the Rockhampton tilt train.” A ONE-STOP-SHOP Downer’s Maryborough facility brings national scale together with a single-site delivery model. The 110,000 square metre complex is a “one-stop-shop", enabling everything from complex overhaul to manufacturing and life extension programs to be delivered onshore and end-to-end. Prove said that there are many benefits associated with MSDC’s integrated model.
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“We’re very agile in terms of how we can support our customers, because of everything we have on site,” he noted. “Our repair capability is fully integrated with our manufacturing and overhaul operations, combining dedicated workshop layouts, specialised component expertise and flexible production lines tailored to each project.” Supported by integrated material handling and 24/7 operations, Prove said this enables high-volume throughput and reduced turnaround times. “Our integrated capabilities reduce interfaces and delays,” he said. “From fabrication through to testing and finishing, large and complex scopes are delivered without splitting work across multiple suppliers.” COMPONENT OVERHAUL CENTRE Downer’s multi-disciplinary workshop supports the overhaul of pneumatic and electric components such as traction converters, as well as looms and harnesses. Solutions include working from rotatable pools of components, with the support of a clean room and testing facilities. “We do quite a significant number of component overhauls in-house,” said Prove.
COMPONENT MANUFACTURING CENTRE Downer has the capacity to make many different types of train components in house. Prove added: “We have a high-precision water jet profile cutter, as well as pressing capacities up to 600-tonne and a newly purchased CNC brake press for folding. “We also have a range of material processing equipment for cutting, drilling, punching and bending.” FABRICATION WORKSHOP Downer has a designated fabrication workshop at MSDC, with experience in all facets of welding including gas metal arc welding (GMAW), manual metal arc welding (MMAW), tungsten inert gas (TIG), metal
C16 class locomotives were delivered by Walkers in 1912.
The MSDC enables everything from complex overhaul to manufacturing to be delivered locally.
inert gas (MIG) arc welding and submerged arc welding (SAW). “We are medium and heavy fabrication specialists, with extensive capability in stainless steel and alloy products,” said Prove. There is also a designated machine shop containing equipment capable of handling very large castings or fabrications. One example is a four-axis drilling and milling machine, with capabilities of up to 12 metres by 4.5 metres by two metres high. There is also a four-axis turning, milling and CNC machining centre that can work on fabrications up to 1.9 metres high, with a 20-tonne limit. NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING LABORATORY The Maryborough site contains a nondestructive testing (NDT) laboratory, approved by the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA).
Images: Downer
Complete bogie overhaul can be carried out at the MSDC, from dismantling and cleaning to weld inspections, structural maintenance, painting, assembling and testing. The site has a wheel and gearbox workspace, with a wheel turning and centre lathe for wheel sets, shaft turning lathes, and a wheel press. “Our Asquith CNC (Computer Numerical Control) universal machine centre underpins our already extensive heavy machining capabilities, which gives us unparalleled accuracy when machining to customer required tolerances,” said Prove. “We’ve also just installed a new CNC Mazak machining centre.”
“It is quite rare to have something like this in Australia,” said Prove. “The team can carry out testing and inspection with full traceability, including magnetic particle testing, dye penetrant testing, ultrasonic testing and fracture analysis, as well as material thickness and hardness, fatigue analysis, weld and visual inspections. “This group also does all the weld procedures and preparation, including welder qualification.” BLAST AND PAINT BOOTHS The MSDC has two booths on site – one for sandblasting and one for painting – each measuring six metres by 30 metres by six metres high. These can be used for coating everything from systems for components through to entire locomotives. Downer also has a back-up, collapsible sand and blast booth that can be rolled out when needed. “We’re also about to install a brand-new sandblast and paint booth for a new project that we’re delivering, further expanding our capabilities,” Prove shared.
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Maintenance
OVERHEAD CRANES There are about 20 overhead cranes across the MSDC site, with a maximum lifting capacity of 100 tonnes. ROLLING STOCK OVERHAULS Downer delivers complete customisable overhauls for all types of rolling stock, with type testing and back in service certificates included in the process. The MSDC team recently completed work on 22 Interurban Multiple Unit (IMU) 100 and Suburban Multiple Unit (SMU) 200 trains for Queensland Rail. These three-car trains were originally built in Maryborough and returned for a major overhaul and traction package upgrade. Boris Schneider, General Manager for Queensland Projects and Contract Delivery, said the project resulted in the life of the trains being extended by about a decade. “If you want to extend the lifespan of a train, you have to carry out a major overhaul – which is about much more than just updating the seats! “It depends on the scope, but you have to bring the train up to regulation and safety standards, you have to carry out maintenance, upgrade the seats and doors, and more.” Currently, Downer has the original Electric Multiple Units (EMUs) on site, which have reached end-of-life and are being decommissioned. “This involves removing all the components of the trains, with over a 90 per cent recycling rate,” said Schneider. “This is quite unique work for a rolling stock site to be doing – but we have the capability.” Downer is also delivering a major overhaul of Queensland Rail’s IMU 160 and SMU 260 fleet, which first entered service on the network as early as 2007. Schneider said overhauls of older trains can produce unusual challenges that require a combination of expertise and innovation to fix – which is where the experience of the Maryborough team comes in. “These trains were handmade, and every one is different,” he said. “Sometimes you come across the unexpected. “Some of our team have been working in Maryborough for more than four decades. They have unique insight into these trains and how they work. “For example, the general manager of operations was an apprentice when the EMUs were first built [between 1979 and 1986]!’”
Downer delivers complete customisable overhauls for all types of rolling stock.
A STRONG PARTNERSHIP Downer works closely with Queensland Rail through what’s called the Rail Fusion Alliance. Prove said they have a “no-blame” culture and collaborate to get each project done on time and in a cost-effective manner. “Queensland Rail is more than just a customer – we are an alliance,” he explained. “We’re open with each other, and constructive in finding solutions that are in both parties’ interest, and in the interest of the taxpayers.” THE LOCAL ADVANTAGE Downer’s local manufacturing capabilities bring a range of benefits for its customers, from shorter turnaround times to greater supply chain resilience. “We support operators across rail and heavy industry to keep critical assets performing, reduce downtime and bring complex work back onshore,” said Schneider. “Being based in Queensland reduces supply chain risk and exposure to offshore delays while supporting local industry and skills. “Meanwhile the MSDC is backed by Downer’s significant scale and knowledge on a national level, making us a reliable partner for both individual works and multiyear programs.” Schneider pointed out that the Faser Coast is also attracting other businesses in the rolling stock sector. “This allows us to easily partner with local suppliers, further supporting Queensland’s manufacturing industry.” In addition, the Maryborough site connects directly to the Queensland Rail network, so trains can be shunted instead of being transported by truck. Dynamic testing can also be carried out on the Main Line. AN EXPERIENCED WORKFORCE Downer’s MSDC supports 346 team members, including 181 blue collar workers – from fitters, electricians, coppersmiths and carpenters to machinists
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and boiler makers. There are also about 70 blue collar staff in support roles not directly related to particular projects. “We’ve got the NDT team, forklift and crane operators, the on-site facility maintenance team, and the warehouse team,” Prove said. “We’ve also got a designated shunt team. Because electrification finishes at Maryborough West, we’ve got some diesel locomotives that we use to tow electric locomotives to the site.” Amongst the 64 white collar workers on site, there are 31 skilled engineers as well as specialists in procurement, project management and other disciplines. Prove said Downer is a major employer in regional Queensland, and the location means the workforce is more likely to stay with the company long-term. “People are settled here compared to big cities, and many of them have families,” he explained. “We are able to maintain our highly skilled workforce long-term. Some of our team members have been with us for several decades.” Downer is also committed to training new staff to help build Queensland’s rail manufacturing workforce for the future. “Over the past 10 years, we’ve put 95 apprentices through this site,” Prove said. “That’s something we’re really proud of. “We’ve also got approval for two new staff via a transition to work program, helping youth that might come from a difficult background, who need an opportunity.” LOOKING TO THE FUTURE As Queensland looks to the future and gears up for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brisbane, Downer looks forward to continuing to support the state’s growing rail industry. Schneider said: “We continue to uphold the legacy of the iconic Maryborough site, and build momentum into the future.”
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Workforce
Lifting up the rail industry GM Rail founder Grant Mete is passionate about more than delivering complex projects, with a strong focus on supporting his team, giving back to the community and inspiring the next generation of engineers. “I didn't always know what I was doing, but the best advice I ever got was to never go to the manager without a solution. Always have an answer prepared, and you’ll be coached – rather than just expecting to be told the answer.” During this time in his career, Mete was involved in everything from Sydney Metro to mining projects. “I was answering questions like ‘What are all the forms of risk here – from safety to delivery, commercial, legal and reputational? “Who owns that, and what is the right approach when considering the stakeholders? “Based on all this experience since I was in my mid-20s, through to now as the head of GM Rail, it gives me confidence in assessing opportunities and responding efficiently where appropriate, while maintaining a strong focus on risk and quality.” He said GM Rail’s strong relationships with its clients have stood the test of time. “Our approach has helped us establish enduring partnerships built on mutual respect and reliable delivery.”
Images: GM Rail
Grant Mete founded GM Rail in 2014.
When Grant Mete first graduated as a civil engineer, he wanted to design skyscrapers. But he found his way to the rail industry – and today, he leads GM Rail, a rail professional services company with a key focus on design, compliance, project management, construction and maintenance. Founded in 2014 after Mete gained an opportunity to work for BHP, GM Rail has since partnered with major clients such as Fortescue Metals Group, Rio Tinto, CPB Contractors, Downer, UGL, Rhomberg Sersa, Port of Brisbane and Sydney Metro. The business has played a role in delivering some of Australia's most highprofile rail projects – building a reputation for addressing technically demanding issues and helping clients navigate complex engineering challenges. Mete, who was recently nominated for the 2026 Engineers Australia Professional Engineer of the Year Award (Western Australia), has come a long way since starting his career at a design house –
where he remembers being exhausted from having to catch a 4am train from Wollongong to work in Sydney every day. While the business has continued to grow and evolve, Mete remains focused on creating positive outcomes for clients, supporting his team and contributing to the broader community. THE GM RAIL DIFFERENCE With a growing team now spread across Australia, Mete said GM Rail is large enough to design and manage rail infrastructure projects, but small enough to be agile, accountable and personable. The major responsibility he took on early in his career has given him the confidence to mobilise his team quickly when needed. “When I was at the design house, it was quite high-stakes and there was a lot of scrutiny on my work,” he said. “I was having to do complex calculations and make sure I got everything correct, because I was expected to work to a high standard.
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GIVING BACK Mete is passionate about giving back to the community, sponsoring multiple different sports organisations including the Fremantle City Football Club Girls Academy, the Western Australian Ice Hockey Association and the Conscious Combat Cub (which describes itself as a safe space for women living with trauma to reclaim their body, confidence and strength through trauma informed martial arts). “With the Fremantle City Football Club Girls Academy, it’s not just about teaching the girls to kick a ball around,” he said. “They have prestigious psychologists speaking to them about some of the challenges they may be facing and helping them through their teenage years, which are an important time in their lives.” Growing up as a child of migrants, Mete said he didn't have a privileged youth, and funded his own further education. “Further education beyond high school, like university, was not something that
many people I grew up with could genuinely consider as a pathway into a career,” he said. “The support systems just weren’t there. I want to help create opportunities for people who may not have access to the same level of support and encouragement as others.” EDUCATING THE NEXT GENERATION Mete has now been engaged by several universities across Australia to advance education in rail engineering, including the University of Tasmania, Edith Cowan University and the University of Wollongong. “I really enjoy helping the next generation to find their passion in rail,” he said. “Through its education partnerships, GM Rail is helping to strengthen the future rail engineering workforce by providing students with exposure to real-world industry challenges and opportunities." Led by Dan Green, National Operations Manager at GM Rail, GM Rail also develops annual group projects for the University of Western Australia (UWA). “UWA doesn’t offer a specific Master's degree in railway engineering, so we’re trying to bridge that gap,” Green said. “Engineering graduates are joining the rail industry and they’ve never actually looked at anything to do with rail before, and they’ve had to learn everything on the job. We’re trying to get to that a bit earlier in the piece.” In collaboration with GM Rail, third-year students at UWA complete an intensive rail unit for one week, four times a year. “What I find really rewarding at the end of the course is that at least half of the students that complete it have said they would want to continue studying rail or potentially pursue rail as a career in the future.” Charlie Tate, a senior engineer with GM Rail, has also enjoyed being part of the projects with UWA. “I think it’s quite unique that GM Rail is invested in the future generation of engineers, as much as it is invested in its current employees,” he said. “GM Rail's commitment to supporting future engineers demonstrates a long-term investment in the industry's development throughout Australia.” AN EMPLOYER WHO CARES Mete is proud of his team of talented men and women, who are a range of ages and nationalities. GM Rail's commitment to developing talent is reflected in the achievements of its people, including highly accomplished female engineers who continue to gain
Sam Onayli and Trong Nguyen delivering a complex project on the Hancock Iron Ore Network.
recognition within the industry. Among them is Ksenija Stantic-Colic, who was awarded the International Railway Journal's Top Woman in Rail Award in 2026. Mete said this international recognition reflects the calibre of people across GM Rail. “Her significant success highlights both her individual contribution to the rail industry and GM Rail's ongoing commitment to fostering an environment where talented professionals can thrive and advance their careers,” he said. “We're incredibly proud of Ksenija and the recognition she has received. “Her achievement is a testament to her professionalism, technical expertise and leadership, and it demonstrates the important contribution women continue to make across the rail industry.” Meanwhile Phil Smith, 55, is grateful to Mete for offering him a job after his previous role finished up. “I had worked with Grant many years ago, and I was very pleased when I got the opportunity to work with him again,” he said. “Through GM Rail, I’ve been embedded with Fortescue’s engineering team, coordinating Loram’s grinding program. It’s been a very positive experience and I get the opportunity to learn something new every day.” Smith doesn’t have a university degree, but was supported by Mete and Green in getting his advanced diplomas recognised by Engineers Australia. The company's commitment to supporting employees extends beyond the workplace,
including assistance with long-term professional and personal goals. Sam Onayli, a senior engineer at GM Rail, is originally from Turkey. “I’ve been sponsored by GM Rail for my permanent visa and the company has been great throughout the process,” he said. “In my role, I’ve been lucky enough to travel, delivering large-scale works across most states in Australia. It’s been an amazing adventure.” Anil Efe, another Turkish staff member and GM Rail’s resident concrete expert, is grateful for the flexibility the company has offered him in the lead-up to the birth of his first child. “I was doing Fly In, Fly Out work but coming up to our child being born, GM Rail has been really helpful and supportive of my need to be with my wife,” he explained. INTEGRITY AT THE CORE For the team at GM Rail, integrity is everything. “If you say you’re going to do something, you’ve got to be confident that you can do it,” said Mete. Despite his decades of experience in the rail industry, Mete is always open to learning new things. “I will always own up if I don’t know how to do something, and I will go away and do additional research and figure out the answer. “No matter the challenge, the focus remains the same: understand the problem, collaborate effectively and find the best path forward.” WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 29
Condition Monitoring
Making the switch A smart predictive maintenance solution is helping operators detect failures earlier, optimise maintenance and reduce costly disruption. Turnouts and crossings are crucial parts of a railway network, allowing trains to shift safely from one track to another and cross intersections smoothly. The resilience of critical turnout components is central to a network’s efficiency and punctuality. However, their mechanical geometry means they deteriorate much faster than plain track. This vulnerability to wear can lead to unexpected failures and expensive downtime. Australian rail business Salix has identified a clear market need for a smart condition monitoring solution to improve maintenance planning, increase reliability and reduce costs. It has found that solution in KONUX Switch – a predictive and prescriptive maintenance solution for turnouts and crossings. Powered by artificial intelligence (AI), it enables operators to shift from reactive maintenance to data-driven asset performance management. Mark Fulford, Chief Executive Officer of Salix, said Salix is pleased to be an exclusive supplier of KONUX Switch in Australia and New Zealand. “KONUX Switch already has more than 7000 units in service globally, including on leading European networks such as Deutsche Bahn in Germany, Infrabel in Belgium, ADIF (Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias) in Spain and Network Rail in the United Kingdom,” he said. “Salix is proud to partner with KONUX to bring this proven system to Australia and New Zealand, giving operators access to world-class rail technology adapted to local conditions.” AN EARLY WARNING SYSTEM KONUX Switch continuously tracks the health of critical turnout components (switch, crossing, point machine and trackbed) to predict – and warn operators of – failures before they happen. Operators are provided with a cloudbased dashboard that includes asset health rankings, early warning alerts, predictive failure forecasting, maintenance validation insights, and network-wide visibility. Designed specifically for turnouts, KONUX
Switch combines AI, Internet of Things (IoT) devices and extensive rail knowledge. The AI-powered platform has a highly advanced predictive ability, refined by more than 550 million train traces across more than 10 countries. As a result, it can accurately forecast potential failures up to 90 days in advance – enabling crews to optimise their maintenance activities and avoid operational disruption. WHEEL TRA JECTORY RECONSTRUCTION: A CUTTING-EDGE FEATURE Turnout structure deformation and deterioration is driven by the contact force between the wheel and the rail. The size and pattern of this force is determined by the wheel-rail dynamic interaction which, in turn, is determined by how the wheel moves on the rail. Existing manual or semi-automatic methods for condition assessment can
Figure 1: Konux WRCF & WT digital twin illustration.
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provide information such as the existence and magnitude of rail cracks, relative wear levels, the magnitude of track displacements, and detailed track and rail geometry. However, this information reveals little to nothing about the wheel-rail contact forces that excite the turnout structure and determine its operational behaviour. A new feature of KONUX Switch is a system for reconstruction of wheel rail contact forces and wheel trajectories on turnouts, with a digital twin calibrated in near-real time, using acceleration measurements from the KONUX Switch device, which continuously monitors the turnout. For each detected wheel passage through the crossing transition, the system reconstructs Wheel Rail Contact Forces (WRCF), Wheel Trajectory (WT) and calculates the dip angle of the crossing nose.
Images: KONUX
replacement is required – a condition where weld repair is likely to be ineffective.
Figure 2 (above): Wheel trajectory progression curve indicating changes following a crossing replacement. Old crossing (red), new crossing (green).
Image: One Big Circle
WHEEL TRA JECTORY IN KONUX USER INTERFACE The WRCF and WT reconstruction process is triggered daily and is fully automated. The WT and WRCF are displayed in the user interface (UI) for review and analysis by the maintainer. The displayed WTs represent data derived from all processed train passages of that day. The example shown in figure 2 above highlights the significant improvements in trajectory following a crossing replacement. The figures below show an additional example of WT on a different asset. Here it is combined with a recent image of the railhead condition at the crossing wheel transfer area provided through rail technology company One Big Circle’s Automated Intelligent Video Review (AIVR) platform. This WT is indicative of a short wheel transfer length (shown by the second peak at the 130-140 millimetre distance), along with some apparent wheel unloading, further confirmed through inspection of the track imagery. This combination of tools is designed to enable maintenance engineers to further contextualise data from remote condition
monitoring systems and improve planning of remedial activities. WHEEL TRA JECTORY RECONSTRUCTION IN TURNOUT CONDITION MONITORING Compared to existing techniques for monitoring crossings, wheel trajectory reconstruction offers condition assessment that is fully remote, monitoring response of the track to a wide variety of trains. It requires no on-site work or calibration, provides actual impact force values rather than analogues such as kinematic dip angles, and delivers detailed information about the real-time operational condition of a crossing. When combined with trackbed condition assessment, it enables crews to target maintenance actions and validate the effectiveness of those actions. The analysis of WRCF and WT is designed to detect: 1. Defects in the crossing transition that are not detectable by other means. 2. If poor wheel-rail contact occurs in the crossing transition, leading to multiple force unloading and reloading events. 3. If force and dip angle values exceed thresholds associated with a high risk of internal cracks, indicating that rail Figure 3 (below): Wheel trajectory progression curve.
VALIDATION: DYNAMIC AND KINEMATIC TRA JECTORY The near real-time calibration – a worldfirst AI application – reflects any changing conditions, such as temperature fluctuations, or after maintenance. This enables geometry defects to be detected at their earliest stages. “The wheel rail contact forces and wheel trajectories reconstruction provides an invaluable addition to existing approaches, such as visual inspections, track geometry measurements or crack detection systems,” said Fulford. “It enables monitoring of the behaviour of turnouts under real operational conditions and thus helps to better identify turnouts with high risk of increased degradation and occurrence of faults; diagnose root causes of fast degradation and frequent occurrence of failures; and provide targeted recommendation and evaluation of maintenance activities.” The digital twin has been made available to thousands of operators across Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom, and it is now coming to Australia. REDUCING UNNECESSARY MAINTENANCE Deployments of KONUX Switch across Europe have achieved up to a 50 per cent reduction in delay minutes, a 40 per cent decrease in repair downtime, a 30 per cent reduction in operating expenditure, and up to a 20 per cent extension in asset life. On one of Network Rail’s routes in the United Kingdom, the deployment has delivered a £11.7 million net benefit over five years, achieved a payback period of just one to two years, and realised a benefit–cost ratio exceeding 4:1. “These benefits began accruing immediately following deployment, demonstrating the value of predictive monitoring as both an operational and strategic investment,” said Fulford. KONUX SWITCH IN AUSTRALIA Through its partnership with KONUX, Salix is working with Australian rail operators to deploy trial programs and develop rollout strategies tailored to network requirements. “KONUX isn’t just delivering a product; it's creating opportunities for rail operators and their partners to work smarter together,” said Fulford. “Our vision for the future of rail is simple: make it easier for customers to collaborate, adapt, and gain the insights they need to keep Australia’s railways safe, resilient, and ready for what’s next.” WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 31
Condition monitoring
Measuring up Plasser Australia shares its growing track measurement capabilities – and how network owners can choose the right solution for their network. MATCHING THE SOLUTION TO THE NETWORK Johnson said before looking at specific products, it is worth asking what actually drives a measurement equipment decision. “For a network owner, the question is usually about fit – does this system suit our own asset, our own maintenance regime, our own risk profile? “For a contractor or service provider working across multiple networks, the priority is often flexibility – how quickly can this be mobilised, and how easily can it move between jobs and geographies?” He added that there is also a simple efficiency argument that is easy to overlook. “If a machine is already moving across the network for another purpose, whether that's a tamper undertaking maintenance or a service train running its regular timetable, there is real value in capturing track geometry data at the same time, without requiring a dedicated train path or additional possession time.
Images: Plasser
“Track measurement has never mattered more to Australian rail networks,” says Steven Johnson, General Manager – Customer at Plasser. “Whether it's a suburban metro line managing thousands of daily services, a heavy haul corridor carrying some of the heaviest axle loads in the world, or a lightly used branch line requiring occasional compliance checks, the ability to capture accurate, actionable track condition data underpins safe and efficient network operation.” Johnson explained that while the importance of track measurement is widely accepted, what's less understood is that the right measuring solution looks very different depending on the network. “Plasser Australia, drawing on capability developed across the wider Plasser Group, can offer a genuine range of options rather than a one-size-fits-all product, and just as importantly, the local presence to support that equipment for the long term.”
“On networks where path availability is tight, that can matter as much as the measurement technology itself.” FOUR WAYS TO MEASURE ROSPECT Rospect, a Robel product, is a compact, fully electric modular measuring unit. It is designed for smaller networks, balloon loops, and lines where operational constraints make high-speed measuring impractical, prioritising compliance checking over network-wide speed. Its modular design means various measuring systems can be fitted to the platform, and its light weight allows it to be transported by road and placed on track quickly at a specific job site. INERTIAL TR ACK GEOMETRY Plasser's inertial measurement system is a non-contact platform that records track geometry data while a machine travels at up to track speed. Already installed on
Traditional measuring vehicles offer the broadest measurement capability of any option available.
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“The real differentiator is what happens after the equipment is delivered.” The InfraSpector Container is a containerised measuring system that can be slotted into an existing service train consist.
Steven Johnson, General Manager – Customer, Plasser two machines operating in Australia, it can be integrated into an existing tamper or other vehicle, effectively turning it into a geometry car. The result is alignment data and maintenance intelligence gathered as part of a machine's normal duty cycle, rather than through a separate measuring run. INFR ASPECTOR CONTAINER Plasser’s InfraSpector Container is a containerised measuring system that can be slotted into an existing service train consist, collecting data passively as the train runs its normal route. Rated for operation at speeds of up to 120 kilometres per hour, data is uploaded remotely, removing the need to operate and crew a dedicated measuring vehicle. TR ADITIONAL MEASURING VEHICLES For networks with more complex or extensive requirements, a traditional dedicated measuring vehicle remains the most comprehensive solution. These are customised to the specific data points, functionality, and scale a network needs,
and while they require operators, stabling, and support crew, they continue to offer the broadest measurement capability of any option available. WHY IT MATTERS BEYOND THE HARDWARE “Australian operators already understand the value of good track geometry data,” Johnson said. “Monitoring capability is especially critical on heavy haul networks, where defects can develop quickly, but there are fewer, shorter maintenance windows.” Repeat monitoring, combined with data-driven maintenance planning, can significantly reduce recurring defect areas over time. Johnson said the same logic extends to metropolitan networks, where remote condition monitoring tools help teams make evidence-based decisions and proactively plan for track and infrastructure maintenance without the need for constant physical inspection. “The real differentiator, though, is what happens after the equipment is
delivered,” he continued. “Australian operators have grown used to the frustration of overseas-based support models, long lead times on parts, limited local technical presence, and after-sales service that struggles to keep pace with the demands of a working network. “Plasser Australia's position is different: local people, local parts holding, and a genuine on-the-ground presence in St Marys, Sydney, backed by the resources of the broader Plasser Group.” LOOKING AHEAD This range of measuring capability reflects an evolving group capability, with Plasser Australia continuing to draw on expertise and technology from across the wider group to bring more comprehensive solutions to the Australian market. “Whatever the size or type of network, the aim is the same,” Johnson said. “Matching the right measuring solution to the right job, backed by support that doesn't disappear once the sale is done.” WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 33
Safety
Regulator cracks down on critical risks
Image: Prime Creative Media
The Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator has shared the critical risks it will be targeting when carrying out inspections, in light of some recent incidents in the rail industry.
Dane Newton, Acting COO for ONRSR.
The Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) has warned freight rail operators of what it will be targeting during inspections and audits over the next 12 months. Speaking at Informa’s Rail Freight Conference in Melbourne, Dane Newton, Acting Chief Operating Officer for ONRSR, outlined the organisation’s new model for rail safety regulation. He said one of the key products of the model is ONRSR’s compliance program, which includes audits, inspections, field visits and inquiries, and can be broken down into four streams. One of these is the critical risk stream, which is the regulator’s suite of proactive audits and inspections to seek assurance that risks are being managed by operators “so far as is reasonably practicable”. To deliver the critical risk stream, ONRSR has identified 20 critical safety risks that it will target over the next year.
“These are risks that are managed by operators that have the potential to result in catastrophic consequences – fatal consequences,” said Newton. “From a freight perspective, think about some of the tragic collisions we've had in recent decades, such as the collision between freight trains at Hines Hill in the '90s and Jumperkine, more recently, both in Western Australia. “The many collisions with road vehicles at level crossings around the country, or even recent near misses with freight train runaways in New South Wales.” Newton said the potential consequences of such events are a key reason why the rail industry is subject to a rigorous regulatory framework for safety. When it comes to freight operators, some of the critical risks ONRSR will be targeting include collisions between freight trains and road vehicles at level crossings, train crew factors leading to collision or derailment
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(including human aspects such as impairment, violation of fatigue or cognitive overload), and rolling stock irregularity leading to a collision or derailment. “We'll be out there seeking assurance that freight operators have robust systems and processes in place to manage those risks and will take action if we find weaknesses or vulnerabilities in operator systems and procedures,” Newton said. In response to a question from the audience about runaway trains and whether this should be added to the list of critical risks, Newton acknowledged that this is a serious issue in the rail industry. “Rollaway risk is real,” he said. “We do have a critical risk on the list, CR5, which is around train crew factors leading to derailment or collision. “A lot of the issues we've seen with rollaways have stemmed from train crew factors, human factors, procedural noncompliance shortcuts and so on.
ONRSR will be targeting 20 critical risks during upcoming inspections and audits.
focus on improving safety at regional level crossings. “The code of practice was seen as the best mechanism to ensure a structured approach for rail and road entities to work together to improve train conspicuity at level crossings.” Newton said Code of Practice seeks to enhance train visibility within the broader objective of improving level crossing safety, but it’s not a “silver bullet”. Over the next 12 months, ONRSR will begin to roll out a program of compliance inspections, where it seeks to measure and monitor operator progress at adopting this code. “While the code does allow for a fiveyear transition, our expectation is that risk assessments have been undertaken and plans are well defined and well underway towards adoption of the code,” he added. Newton closed his speech by offering ONRSR’s support for the freight sector and calling for a renewed commitment to safety. “We all want a strong, productive, efficient, and competitive freight industry,” he said. “But productivity must never come at the expense of safety. “In light of some recent safety issues and incidents we've had in the freight sector, I ask for a renewed commitment to safety vigilance, and to protect our essential freight workers and the people that interact with our railway. “We've been quite fortunate that nobody was hurt.”
Image: ONRSR
“So, we do think rollaway risk is covered under CR5.” However, Newton said ONRSR remains open to modifying its list of critical risks in the future. “This is our first iteration of these 20 critical risks, and we will learn a lot over the next 12 months as we start to roll out our compliance program. “If we find that a risk is just too big and too high level, we may look to break that down a bit further.” Aside from the critical risk stream, ONRSR has a safety initiatives stream, which are standardised audits and inspections to support safety programs and national initiatives. It also has a reactive stream, which is about activities in response to safety incidents, trends, complaints, or concerns that it has become aware of. Finally, it has a regulatory governance stream, which is a series of formal periodic governance meetings that it holds with accredited operators to ensure it has got an “open and cooperative flow of safety information”. Newton also spoke about the Train Visibility Code of Practice, which is ONRSR’s first code of practice. “There are more than 23,000 level crossings nationally, all of which present a degree of rail safety risk,” he said. “Throughout 2022 and 2023, ONRSR facilitated research to improve awareness and visibility of trains as part of a broader
THE 20 CRITICAL RISKS IDENTIFIED BY ONRSR • CR 1: Person struck by train at level crossing/vicinity of station • CR2: Train strikes vehicle at level crossing • CR3: Rail worker struck by train • CR4: Train crew related factors (e.g. error, violation, impairment, train handling issues) leading to derailment/collision • CR5: Fire/explosion on train or railway premises (inc. tunnels) • CR6: Obstruction on track leading to derailment/collisions (excl. level crossings) • CR7: Rolling stock irregularity leading to derailment/collision • CR8: Earthworks failure leading to derailment • CR9: Significant incident within a possession • CR10: Network controller/ signaller error leading to derailment/collision • CR11: Signalling equipment irregularity leading to derailment/collision • CR12: Structural failure/collapse leading to derailment • CR13: Track irregularity leading to derailment • CR14: Network controller/driver communication issues leading to derailment/collision • CR15: Incorrect loading/ marshalling of trains leading to collision/derailment • CR16: Inability to effectively responds to a major incident/ accident or emergency • CR17: Collision between light rail vehicle and heavy road/light rail vehicle on shared right of way • CR18: Person train interface hazard leading to significant injury/fatality (e.g. train moves with person caught in doors/gap, fall from open door of a moving train) • CR19: Electrical traction irregularity leading to significant injury/fatality (e.g. overhead wires falling near occupied areas, failures resulting in electrocution) • CR20: Collision between light rail vehicle and person on shared right of way
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Major Projects
Suburban Rail Loop forges ahead We share the latest updates on the project, from Cheltenham to Box Hill. BOX HILL Workers are relocating underground services at the future SRL station site in Box Hill. The Suburban Rail Loop Authority said the new underground station will be in the “heart of Box Hill”, close to the existing Box Hill Station. Two new parks are being built near the station at Ellingworth Parade and Watts and Court streets, with a basketball court, play equipment and nature play space.
TBM Alice in the ground in Burwood.
$1 billion contract to build 13 automated Metropolis metro trains for SRL, along with 15 years of maintenance, the Urbalis Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) system, cybersecurity, wired and wireless communications, stations platform screen doors, and overall system integration. The trains are expected to enter passenger service in 2035. Let’s look at what construction work has been done on SRL East so far in 2026, and what is yet to come.
An aerial view of the site at Monash.
Images: Suburban Rail Loop Authority
Construction is surging forward on the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) East in 2026, with tunnelling soon set to start. SRL East is the first section of the Suburban Rail Loop – a 90-kilometre orbital underground rail project in Melbourne. Twin 26-kilometre tunnels are being built for SRL East, which will run from Cheltenham to Box Hill and connect major employment, health, education and retail destinations in Melbourne’s east and southeast. According to the Victorian Government, the line will reduce travel times and create better transport solutions for people travelling on the Gippsland corridor. Six new underground stations will be constructed, including four with interchanges to existing stations at Cheltenham, Clayton, Glen Waverley and Box Hill, as well as new stations at Monash and Burwood. Clayton will become a “transport super hub” for regional passengers. A train stabling facility and power supply substation is planned for Heatherton, and there will also be a substation at Burwood. An emergency support facility will be based in Mount Waverley, including an intervention and ventilation facility and backup control centre. And of course, the line will need rolling stock. Alstom has been awarded a
BURWOOD Two giant tunnel boring machines (TBMs) have been lowered into the ground in Burwood, where they’ll start carving the tunnels between Glen Waverley and Box Hill later this year. The 500-tonne TBM shields were assembled on the surface and lifted into the shaft using a specialised heavy-lifting crane. This allowed work to continue within the launch site and on ground level while TBMs were assembled. In keeping with tradition, the TBMs have been named after acclaimed Victorian women. TBM Alice gets her name from Melbourne musician and producer Alice Ivy, while TBM Hacia honours construction industry advocate and Empowered Women in Trades founder Hacia Atherton. While the TBMs are gearing up to launch from the first site at Burwood, a second site is now being excavated. This is where the huge machines will begin digging the twin tunnels towards Box Hill in 2027.
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AusRAIL
When finished, this launch site, which is near Burwood Highway, will be 21 metres deep, 38 metres long and 27 metres wide. Eventually, the two launch sites will become the ends of the new Burwood Station. This will deliver a direct rail connection to Deakin University for the first time. GLEN WAVERLEY Major construction of the new station is underway in Glen Waverley, with piling works continuing to create the underground foundations that will support the station structure. Once piling is complete, crews will begin excavating the site for the new underground station. “The future light-filled station will be surrounded by new public spaces and walking and cycling links, connecting more people to the heart of Glen Waverley,” the Suburban Rail Loop Authority (SRLA) said. The Myrtle Street east and west car parks are now open, providing about
270 car spaces while the station is under construction. MONASH Crews are installing underground concrete support walls in preparation for excavating the future SRL station site at Monash. Work that has already been completed includes moving underground services, upgrading traffic intersections and demolition to prepare the expansive site for major construction. SRL will provide a direct rail connection to Monash University for the first time. The SRLA said this will make it easier for students, staff and visitors to get to the campus. CL AY TON At Clayton, workers have completed the installation of underground concrete support walls and are now excavating the future SRL station site. Work is also underway on the underground passenger connection that
will link SRL and the existing Clayton Station, making it easy for passengers to move between services. The Suburban Rail Loop Authority said: “When complete, the new SRL station at Clayton will become a transport super hub, connecting more people to Clayton’s town centre and the Monash Medical Centre, and providing faster and more convenient journeys across Melbourne and Gippsland.” CHELTENHAM Works are underway to deliver new and improved open spaces at Sir William Fry Reserve in Cheltenham, including a new skate park and basketball court. Designs have been finalised for the replacement open space for the new underground station, and the new parkland will be delivered in the former Highett Gasworks site in Highett, next to Sir William Fry Reserve. The new station at Cheltenham will be the southern gateway to SRL, connecting Frankston line passengers with Monash and Deakin universities.
Women in Rail: leadership in action The refreshed AusRAIL Women in Rail Forum brings leaders and emerging leaders together for focused presentations, shared learning and a practical workshop.
Register today AusRAIL_Rail Express_ 210mmx150mm_V1_01042026.indd 6
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Image: Prime Creative Media
Events
The event provides an important platform for the bulk handling sector to come together.
Last chance for tickets Bulk Expo offers access to networking opportunities, expert insights and solutions to challenges facing the bulk handling industry. The final countdown is on for the Bulk Handling Technical Conference and Expo, Australia's only dedicated exhibition and conference for the bulk solids handling industry. Taking place from 16–17 September 2026, Bulk Expo brings together engineers, manufacturers, suppliers, operators and industry leaders from across the bulk handling sector. The event will showcase the latest technologies, innovations and solutions shaping the future of materials handling. From the exhibition floor to the dedicated conference program, attendees will have access to two days of valuable insights, industry connections and opportunities to discover solutions for some of the biggest challenges facing the sector. A key highlight of the event will be the Networking Drinks, sponsored by SRO Technology, providing attendees with the perfect opportunity to connect with peers, suppliers and industry experts in a relaxed setting. Held in the catering area on the Show Floor from 5pm on Wednesday
16 September 2026, the networking event will bring the industry together to continue conversations beyond the exhibition floor. The Technical Conference, curated by the Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling (ASBSH), will feature a leading line-up of experts sharing practical insights and technical knowledge across the full spectrum of bulk materials handling. Conference highlights include presentations from: • Alex Phillips, Radar Solutions Specialist and Business Development Manager at Hexagon • Matthew Bailey, BFM Global and BFM Australia Engineer • Jonty Hollins, Senior Mechanical Design Engineer at RCR Mining Technologies • Nicholas Russell, Principal Mechanical & Mining Engineer at Worley • Trevor Powell, Chairman and Founder of Ultra-Dynamics The program will explore critical industry topics including conveyor technology, wear management, mining innovation, dust
control, safety, storage, flow challenges and engineering solutions designed to improve efficiency, reliability and performance across bulk handling operations. Molly Hancock, Head of Marketing – Events for Prime Creative Media, the organisation behind the expo, said the event provides an important platform for the industry to come together. “Bulk Expo is about bringing the industry together to share knowledge, showcase innovation and create meaningful connections. With a strong exhibition floor and an outstanding conference program curated by ASBSH, attendees will gain valuable insights they can take back to their operations,” she said. “Whether you are looking to explore new technologies, solve operational challenges or connect with industry peers, Bulk Expo is the place to be this September.”
Secure your ticket now at bulkhandlingexpo.com.au/attend
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Industry Organisations
How climate action can start with mode shift Picture an ordinary morning in the Australia we leave to our grandchildren. A child wobbles to school on a bicycle without her parents fearing for her life. A nurse finishes a night shift knowing a safe, reliable train will take her home. A family moves into a growing suburb and does not need to buy a car simply to participate in daily life. A young person in a regional community can reach education, work and opportunity without having to leave the place they love. None of this sounds radical. Yet for too many Australians, it remains out of reach. Professor Dr Marco te Brömmelstroet – a keynote speaker at the Public Transport Association Australia and New Zealand (PTAANZ)’s 2026 New Zealand conference in Wellington – has challenged us to ask a more human question of our transport systems: what kind of cities and regions are we leaving to our children and grandchildren? Children wobbling on bicycles are not making our communities unsafe. The danger lies in the choices we make about speed, space and whose movement matters most. This is not about cars versus trains versus buses versus bikes. Australia is vast, and cars will remain essential for many people. It is about creating clean, safe and connected places where rail, buses, ferries, walking, cycling and driving work together – and where choosing not to drive is every bit as practical, attractive and dignified as driving. Transport is Australia’s third-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, responsible for around 22 per cent of the national total. Passenger cars and light commercial vehicles account for 60 per cent of transport emissions and more than onetenth of Australia’s overall emissions. The consequences are not measured only in carbon. Air pollution accounts for almost 93,000 years of healthy life lost in Australia each year. Congestion and public transport crowding cost the economy an estimated $19 billion in 2016 and were projected
to approach $40 billion by 2031 without continued investment. These are not inevitable costs of modern mobility. They reflect choices about housing, streets, infrastructure and services. Australia’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard is an important step forward. Cleaner cars are necessary, but replacing every petrol vehicle with an electric one will not, by itself, create the communities we want. Electric vehicles still occupy road space, require parking and contribute to congestion. Vehicle technology is part of the answer. It cannot be the limit of our ambition. The greater opportunity is to give more people a genuine choice not to drive. People rarely change their daily lives because they are told it would be better for the climate. They change when the better option becomes the easier option. That means trains frequent enough that passengers do not organise their lives around a timetable. Stations that are welcoming, accessible and safe. Buses that meet the train rather than disappearing moments before it arrives. Simple fares, clear information and journeys that work from the front door to the final destination.
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The Te Ara Tupua walking/cycleway improves transport connections between Wellington and Lower Hutt.
Lauren Streifer, Chief Executive, Public Transport Association Australia New Zealand. Image: PTAANZ
Frequency is climate policy. Reliability is climate policy. Safety, accessibility and integration are climate policy. So is building homes where people can reach work, education and services without driving for every journey. Rail has a special place in that story. A railway does more than carry passengers. It changes the geography of opportunity. It brings jobs within reach, connects regional economies and gives growing communities a spine around which homes, businesses and civic life can flourish. Every railway is also a promise made across generations. The people who plan and build it may never see its full impact. Decades later, however, trains still carry students to their first day of university, workers towards new opportunities, families to one another and entire cities through the rhythm of daily life. We can already see the next chapter taking shape. Sydney Metro is resetting expectations (and the appeal!) of frequent, high-capacity urban rail. Cross River Rail will transform connections across South East Queensland. Perth’s METRONET is linking rail investment with new homes and communities. Image: Brady Dyer
Lauren Streifer, Chief Executive, Public Transport Association Australia and New Zealand, shares how more integrated, reliable and safe transport options can shape the communities we leave to future generations.
Image: Victorian Government
Auckland’s City Rail Link will turn a terminating railway into a through-running network, changing not only how trains move but how the city itself works. My own city's beacon – the Melbourne Metro Tunnel – has connected communities that have never been connected before. High-speed rail asks us to imagine on an even wider canvas: cities and regions brought closer together, economic opportunity reaching beyond established capitals, and journeys now made by plane or long-distance car becoming part of a connected national rail story. Internationally, cities with great transport networks demonstrate what becomes possible when rail is treated not as a standalone asset, but as part of the DNA of a city. Tokyo Metro is woven into daily life and the dense, thriving neighbourhoods it serves. Paris is using the Grand Paris Express to connect communities across the wider metropolis and redraw the geography of opportunity. London’s railways and Underground allow a global city to function at a scale roads alone could never support. But steel and concrete cannot create mode shift on their own. A station cannot fulfil its promise if passengers cannot safely walk, cycle or bus to it. A new line cannot transform a region if connecting services are unreliable. Rail precincts cannot become thriving communities if transport, housing and landuse planning happen in separate rooms.
Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel has created new rail connections across the city.
The railway may be the spine. The entire system must move with it. That is the conversation Australia now needs – and in November 2026, it will happen in one room. PTAANZ’s Global Transport Leaders Summit in Sydney will bring together more than 500 leaders from the Australian Government, cities and states, transport agencies across Australia and New Zealand, industry and international delegations representing some of the world’s leading transport systems. Andy Lord, London’s Transport Commissioner, will deliver the keynote address on “Cities that Breathe”. He will be joined by leaders from Tokyo, Paris and across our region – including Sally Stannard, Director-General of Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads; Brett Gliddon, Chief Executive of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi; Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore; and senior leaders responsible for planning, funding, building and operating transport across our region and around the world. They will confront difficult questions with generational consequences. How do we build rapid rail networks that reshape cities rather than merely shorten journeys? How can stations become the heart of new housing, jobs and community life? How do buses, walking and cycling extend the reach of every railway? How do we grow patronage, not merely capacity? And how do we build the political and public mandate needed to sustain change beyond one budget or electoral cycle? And what
happens, dare I ask, if we don't do that? The Summit is not about admiring transport systems elsewhere. It is about putting the people leading those systems into direct conversation with those shaping Australia and New Zealand – and charting our own path forward. We want governments, agencies, operators, infrastructure organisations and industry partners to send the people who will help make these choices: their established leaders, technical experts, emerging leaders and future decision makers. Bring the teams who understand the complexity – or want to. Bring the people prepared to challenge assumptions, share what has worked and confront what has not. Bring those who will return to their organisations ready to turn the Summit's difficult discussions into a decade of practical action. And do it while having fun, too. Australia’s most persuasive climate contribution will not be rhetoric alone. It will be proof that climate action can improve everyday life. A family that can live well without owning a car. A worker connected to more jobs. A new suburb served by frequent transport from the beginning. A regional community brought closer to education and healthcare. An older person able to remain independent. A child free to wobble. That is climate action. That is the Global Transport Leaders Summit in Sydney, 4-5 November 2026. WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 41
Industry Organisations
Operations standard helps manage change The Australian Rail Industry Standards Organisation (ARISO) explains how a revised standard is enabling the rail industry to make changes more safely and efficiently. A revised standard for the management of change in railway operations provides rail transport operators with a practical, riskbased framework for identifying, assessing and managing change in a way that supports safer, more reliable and more consistent railway operations. The revised AS 7472 Railway Operations – Management of Change arrives as railway operations become more technologyenabled, interconnected and complex. For operators, contractors and project teams, the value is clear: changes can be planned, assessed, implemented and reviewed in a way that supports
safety, compliance, interoperability and productivity. Change is part of everyday rail operations, from new technology and infrastructure upgrades to revised procedures, organisational restructures and evolving operating practices. When these changes are not fully understood, assessed or communicated, they can introduce new hazards or alter existing risks. “AS 7472 helps organisations identify and assess the impacts of change before implementation, reducing the likelihood of unintended safety, operational or interface
Michael Maartensz, Standards Development Manager for ARISO.
issues,” said Michael Maartensz, Standards Development Manager for the Australian Rail Industry Standards Organisation (ARISO) and lead for the review of this standard. “It guides organisations through identifying and defining proposed changes, understanding impacts, assessing and controlling risks, engaging stakeholders, implementing change, and reviewing outcomes.” At its core, the standard provides a lifecycle approach to managing change, creating a clearer audit trail, strengthening governance and helping capture lessons that can inform future improvements.
The revised standard helps rail operators navigate the complexity of change.
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Images: ARISO
The result is a more disciplined approach to change that supports safer transitions, stronger decision-making and more reliable railway operations. BACKED BY INDUSTRY EXPERTISE The revision of AS 7472 was developed through broad industry collaboration, bringing together expertise from rail operators, regulators, consultants, manufacturers and government agencies. The development group had broad representation, including members from the regulator, rail infrastructure managers, rolling stock operators, state jurisdictions, suppliers and contractors. Gregor Borbely, Principal Consultant Railway Operations at engineering and construction company AtkinsRealis and a member of the development group, said management of change is an area with direct consequences for rail safety and operational performance. “Management of change is often underestimated, but many rail safety issues can be traced back to changes that were not fully understood or assessed,” Borbely said. “AS 7472 gives rail organisations a practical way to evaluate impacts, involve the right people and manage risks before implementing change.” Borbely said greater emphasis on understanding the impact of change supports a more consistent and practical approach to decision-making and helps organisations contribute to safer and more reliable railway operations.
Railway operations are becoming more technologicallyenabled and complex.
WHAT HAS CHANGED The revised AS 7472 introduces enhancements that make the standard easier to apply and demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements. The update provides clearer alignment with the Rail Safety National Law and Rail Safety National Regulations, helping organisations understand notification, approval and accreditation considerations before change is implemented. It also strengthens change impact assessment by encouraging early assessment of effects on people, processes, technology and organisational systems, when risks can be managed most effectively. The standard also takes a scalable approach, matching the level of governance, assurance and oversight to the complexity and risk of the change. This means low-risk changes can move efficiently, while higherimpact changes receive the scrutiny they require. Greater emphasis on stakeholder consultation, workforce involvement, interoperability and post-implementation
review helps organisations confirm that objectives have been achieved and lessons are captured. PRACTICAL VALUE FOR OPERATORS One of the standard’s most important benefits is that it is built for integration. Rail transport operators do not need to overhaul their Safety Management Systems to adopt AS 7472. Instead, the standard can be embedded into existing management frameworks, giving organisations a practical and nationally consistent way to show how changes were identified, assessed, consulted on, approved, implemented and reviewed. This matters because resources, governance and assurance activities can be directed where they have the greatest safety and operational benefit. Straightforward changes can be managed without unnecessary burden, while complex or higher-risk changes receive the planning, consultation and assurance needed to control risks so far as is reasonably practicable (SFAIRP).
LOOKING AHEAD As technology, operating models and stakeholder interfaces continue to evolve, effective management of change will remain a critical capability for the rail industry. AS 7472 provides a practical framework to help rail transport operators navigate that complexity with confidence, ensuring changes are properly assessed, risks are managed SFAIRP and safety remains at the centre of decision-making. By aligning regulatory obligations with scalable implementation guidance, the standard supports safer change, stronger interoperability, clearer accountability and more resilient railway operations across Australia.
Download the AS 7472 standard at www.ariso.org.au. Contact info@ariso.org.au for more information.
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Image: Sydney Metro
Industry Organisations
The Sydney Metro City Line has shown the broad impact transport investment can have.
Rail planning must start before growth arrives Caroline Wilkie, Chief Executive Officer of the Australasian Railway Association, shares why transport development needs to come before new housing. Australia is entering a period of significant growth. Its population is increasing, freight demand is rising and governments are under pressure to deliver more housing, stronger supply chains and betterconnected communities. Rail must be at the centre of how we respond. The rail industry already contributes almost $40 billion to the Australian economy each year and supports around 200,000 jobs. It connects people to employment, education and essential services, moves goods across the country and supports businesses throughout our cities and regional communities. But its broader contribution is even more important. Good rail infrastructure can shape where people live, support new housing, unlock commercial development, reduce congestion and improve access to opportunity. Greater use of rail also reduces emissions, improves road safety and makes our cities more liveable. That is why Australia needs to think differently about the way it plans transport infrastructure.
Caroline Wilkie, CEO of the ARA.
DRIVING OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) hosted its first Parliamentary Friends of Rail event in Canberra in August 2026, bringing together political leaders on both sides of the aisle to discuss the importance of long-term, coordinated transport investment planning. The ARA’s Future of Rail report, released in June 2026, found that transport development too often follows growth rather than enabling it. Housing developments can move from rezoning to occupation within three to five years, while a major rail project can take 10 to 15 years to move through planning, approvals and delivery. This disparity
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means that the delivery of public transport connections to expanding suburban areas can happen long after people have moved in, locking people into car dependence and congestion before new suburbs are even complete. Transport planning needs to come first, to ensure new housing is supported by appropriate transport access from the very start. Sydney Metro shows what can happen when governments take a longer-term view. The Sydney Metro City Line has demonstrated the much broader impact major transport investment can have. More than 45 retail and food outlets have opened across the new stations. New commercial developments above Martin Place and Gadigal stations accommodate tens of thousands of workers. A 234-apartment development has opened above Gadigal, with further residential development progressing at Waterloo and Crows Nest. At the same time, thousands of cars have been removed from the Sydney Harbour Bridge each day and capacity has been
freed up elsewhere on the existing heavy rail network. These benefits will continue to grow as the network becomes more established and further stages are completed. This is just one example of a project that showcases the catalytic nature of rail investment. METRONET in Western Australia and the Gold Coast Light Rail in Queensland have driven new opportunities for urban development and housing, revitalising areas along the rail line at the same time. Planned projects such as the Suburban Rail Loop also offer significant opportunities to create new health and education precincts and improve travel efficiency for large tranches of the population. At its first Friends of Rail event, the ARA highlighted the need to keep the focus on long-term, sustained investment in rail to meet Australia’s future needs. This approach requires ongoing collaboration between state and federal governments, together with industry. ONGOING FREIGHT INVESTMENT IS CRITICAL The same long-term approach is urgently needed for freight. On the Sydney to Melbourne corridor, rail’s modal share has fallen to around two per cent.
Between Sydney and Brisbane, it is around three per cent. At the same time, freight demand is expected to grow substantially. Without intervention, much of that freight will be carried by road. That means more heavy vehicles, greater congestion, higher emissions and additional pressure on roads that are already heavily used. Australia needs all freight modes to operate effectively, to make the best use of all modes and ensure a productive national freight network and supply chain. This will require intentional policy intervention to support mode shift to rail and ensure we get the balance right when growing our freight network to support future demand. Recent Federal funding for upgrades across the Australian Rail Track Corporation network is welcome and will help improve productivity, efficiency and resilience. However, further investment will be required, particularly given the decision not to proceed with Inland Rail beyond Parkes in the short term. Capacity must still increase, and transit times and reliability must improve. Rail must become more competitive if it is to play a meaningful role in meeting future freight demand. Just as major passenger projects require years of planning before
communities see the benefits, rebuilding rail’s share of the national freight task will require consistent policy, investment and cooperation over many years. NEW RESEARCH TO INFORM FUTURE PLANNING The ARA is undertaking further research to identify the rail projects and network upgrades that will be required to support Australia’s future economic growth. It is anticipated this will help inform government decision-making on future transport planning, to ensure we maintain a sustained investment pipeline for the rail industry over time. There is significant capability within the Australian rail industry. We have experienced people, a strong supply chain and a workforce that has delivered some of the most significant infrastructure programs in the country’s history. The opportunity now is to use that capability to plan what comes next. The decisions we make now will shape how Australians live, work and move for decades. Rail planning must start well before the growth arrives.
Image: Queensland Government
Gold Coast Light Rail in Queensland has driven new opportunities for housing.
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Industry Organisations
A Q&A with Michael Hopkins Image: Alistair/stock.adobe.com
We sat down with Michael Hopkins from the National Transport Commission to discuss the path forward for interoperability across Australia’s rail networks. Michael Hopkins has been working in government for 35 years – and more than 30 of those years have been within the transport sector. Since 2023, he has been the Chief Executive Officer of the National Transport Commission (NTC), a statutory body that leads national transport reform to improve safety, productivity, sustainability and regulatory efficiency. While Hopkins is a self-described “policy wonk”, he’s also passionate about communicating the work of the NTC in simple terms. Here’s what he had to say about interoperability, how to create a more mobile rail workforce, and more. What do you enjoy about your work with the National Transport Commission? It’s easy to say this, but one of the nice things about the public sector is, you're always there to make a difference. We don’t run a network; we don't provide services to travellers – our entire focus is on how we can make the transport system work better. Harmonising rail across state boundaries is a priority for the NTC. Our founding fathers, for reasons that made perfect sense in 1901, decided
In future, the Rail Safety National Law will have a stronger focus on interoperability.
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that states and territories would have independent responsibility for stuff with wheels. Our role is to support them in that, but stitch together those laws so they make sense across borders. When it comes to rail, the NTC’s focus at the moment is the National Rail Action Plan (NRAP), which aims to create a modern, interoperable and safe rail system across Australia. What are the latest developments on that? We’re reviewing the Rail Safety National Law (RSNL) and focusing on the bits we missed the first time [when the RSNL was enacted in 2012]. Interoperability was the biggest thing. Earlier this year, we closed consultation on the Regulatory Impact Statement for amendments to the RSNL. That came off the back of a review that we did with rail specialist Tom Sargent. Ministers have agreed to all the recommendations in that. Now we're just trying to put the flesh on those bones. This will mean that the RSNL will have a stronger focus on interoperability. We will clearly spell
Michael Hopkins, Chief Executive Officer of the NTC
out a role for the Australian Rail Industry Standards Organisation (ARISO). A few things came up in the review about the sharing of information between the regulator and regulated parties, so that’s also in there. But the other part of it will be – how do you build in standards, and what is the smallest number of mandatory standards that we want in place? ARISO is an industryled body, so having them looking after some of those industry-specific standards is absolutely critical. Realistically, when can the rail industry expect to see the impacts of these changes? Assuming everything works as best as it can, ministers will be meeting at the end
of 2026, and we hope they will be making those final decisions around the RSNL later in 2026 or early 2027. We would then sit down with the parliamentary counsel, who are lawyers who draft legislation. That process can be pretty long and painstaking, because they don't want to approve anything unless they're absolutely clear it does exactly what the ministers want. There's a 12-month back-and-forth process which would put legislation in the South Australian Parliament (the host jurisdiction for the RSNL) by the end of 2027 or beginning of 2028. You’re looking at mid-2028 before those changes are really in place. How do you keep the rail industry engaged during this process, when it takes such a long time? We do get some complaints, but unfortunately this is the nature of national reform. Part of our role
is to get nine governments to unanimously agree to things – eight out of nine is usually a fail. If you haven’t been in that world of inter-governmental relations, it can seem both bewildering and glacial. I completely get that. A priority is communicating to the industry where we’re at now, and where we hope to get to. It’s an ongoing challenge. There is currently a three-tiered system for rail standards: Tier 1 Mandatory Standards (for safety and interoperability), Tier 2 Harmonised Standards (voluntary but encouraged, for national consistency) and Tier 3 Local Standards (for network-specific efficiencies). Where there has been low adoption of voluntary standards, do we need to look at making more of them mandatory? We've got a co-regulatory model built into the law, so that we can have the smallest number of mandatory standards that still
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Industry Organisations
Why has signalling been chosen as a top priority for interoperability? One of the reasons was that signalling was an emerging and quite critical risk. We had the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) considering a system that would have been incompatible with the ETCS that Queensland and New South Wales were bringing in. We wanted to make sure that we didn’t lock in the digital equivalent of the different rail gauges we have now. You’ve said before that the rail industry is generally in favour of interoperability, but there is some difference in opinion about the best way to get there. Where are those differences in opinion? This comes down to things like – how will we recognise the Tier Two standards? What sort of weight will they have? We need to make sure our legal framework gives them enough weight. They’re not mandatory, but if you’re not doing them, you need to demonstrate that you're doing something better or equivalent. Part of the current discussion is around what the role of the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator should be. Should they have a role in productivity? Many people in the rail industry like that idea, but they get nervous thinking about how that would work in practice. There is also still some discussion around the edges around who will set standards, and the respective roles of the NTC and ARISO. There are also some technical or philosophical questions around how we can create a duty for interoperability in the same way that we've created a duty for safety. When I say it like that, it feels like I'm engaged in a debate about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. But there is an important aspect to that, because you do
want the industry to have a clear message that interoperability is a default setting. But equally, you don't want to put the regulator in a position where they're trying to judge and regulate productivity. What happens if you're not productive? Well, isn't that its own punishment? Within the rail industry, who gets the benefits of interoperability, and who gets the costs? There's quite a disconnect there, because we know that in some worlds, without addressing these challenges, rolling stock operators bear a lot of the cost – but the benefits often go to the rail infrastructure manager. There will be a role for government in working out how we manage that difference between who gets what and when. The fact that Infrastructure Australia has named digital signalling as one of the priorities for government investment is a great sign. It means governments know this is not going to happen without their involvement. If the industry was going
The NTC wants the rail industry to have a more mobile workforce.
Image: Transport for NSW
make sense. What we’re trying to do with the mandatory standards is drive harmonisation in spots where market forces don't necessarily do that. But you need to do it in such a way that you don't mandate specific technologies or specific ways of doing things that don’t allow for flexibility or innovation. One of the things that has been done quite well in the history of the European Train Control System (ETCS) is that they’ve essentially created an open standard. As long as you meet particular requirements that are all about the interchange of information, you can do what you like. That’s one of the reasons why ETCS has been chosen as the future signalling pathway for the National Network for Interoperability (NNI).
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to do this on its own, it would have done it already. What about the difference that still exists between rail gauges? This is my own position, as opposed to the NTC’s position. I think it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that if we had the same gauge everywhere, it would fix a lot of problems. I think most of the problems that having standardised gauge would fix, we've fixed, and I mean that nationally. That goes back to decisions that were made in the 1950s all the way through to the ’80s, and through to the establishment of the ARTC. In terms of gauge, all the workarounds are in place, and for those last bits, the costs of standardisation go up and the benefits go down. Are there any lessons we can learn from the past that we should avoid making when it comes to high-speed rail? The philosophy that Tim Parker (CEO of the High Speed Rail Authority) and the team are bringing is that high-speed rail is going to be run as a completely independent system.
and how do we hang on to those people? Because signalling engineers are very expensive, and when you can earn that much money, the world is your oyster. We've got to make a strong case for why Australia is a lovely oyster. Other challenges around creating that mobile workforce include aligning training, job roles, and qualifications across state borders. You’ve got your work cut out for you! Yeah, sometimes I can’t believe we’ve been so intransigent about some of these things for so long. If we can't have a single standard for the colour of a high vis vest, we've done something terribly wrong. The rail industry puts up with things you'd never put up with as a driver. Imagine if you needed a driver’s licence from every state, and for your car to be registered in every state. Oh, and traffic lights mean something different in Victoria to what they meant in New South Wales. There would be outrage!
Have you already completed consultation with the rail industry, or can they still get involved? We’ve only done consultation for some of these bits of work, like the RSNL, but things like rolling stock approvals, the standardisation of operating rule books – there's still a lot of work to do, and we can't do it without industry. How are you feeling about the future of rail and the path forward to interoperability? It’s great that we’ve got ministers behind an approach to standards that are built on the past, while recognising what we did wrong. Industry and government have never pushed opportunities for standardisation as much as we should have. Interoperability is almost becoming a movement, and some of those involved are people like state railway engineers. They are working together and trying to come to a collective decision about the best way to do things. I have a lot of optimism for the future.
© ALSTOM SA 2023. RailGallery
As soon as you start integrating with other networks, it becomes very technically challenging and introduces a whole lot of risk. So, if that's the decision they've made, you sort of throw your hands in the air and say, well, do we need it to be interoperable? At the hard interoperability level, e.g. with signalling, we don’t. But soft interoperability, in my head, is the stuff that you get from being standardised. That's not just about technologies plugging and playing. It's about things like having a mobile workforce. One of the challenges we've got at the moment with multiple signalling systems is that we're not a big enough market to justify them all and to justify a continuous workforce. So, if we're looking at upgrading something, we bring somebody in from the European Union or the United Kingdom. The challenge for high-speed rail is, how do you get the advantages of that soft interoperability, knowing that there will soon be a workforce of people who are skilled in ETCS because they've rolled it out in Queensland and in New South Wales,
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Contracts, Tenders, EOIs
Image: Alstom
Latest contract announcements
The first new X'Trapolis 2.0 entered passenger service in May 2026.
X’TRAPOLIS 2.0 STATUS: AWARDED The Victorian Government has awarded Alstom a $441 million contract for 25 additional X’Trapolis 2.0 trains. The government has exercised a contract option for 25 more trains, adding to the 25 trains currently being delivered under the initial contract awarded in 2021. It means a total fleet of 50 will be manufactured at Alstom’s facilities across Victoria, with a 60 per cent local content requirement. X’Trapolis 2.0 is a six-car electric train developed in partnership with the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning. It can transport up to 1225 passengers and features a continuous walkthrough design and wider doors for faster and easier boarding. Accessibility features include 20 dedicated wheelchair spaces, pram, bike and mixed-use areas, semi-automated ramps, tactile signage, assistive hearing technologies, and an improved passengerdriver interface. The first X’Trapolis 2.0 train entered service in May 2026, with more trains being rolled out periodically to replace older Comeng trains, which have been in service since the 1980s. NEWCASTLE TO SYDNEY HIGH SPEED RAIL STATUS: AWARDED Business, Operations and Maintenance Adviser The High Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) has
appointed a partnership led by transport operator Keolis as its Business, Operations and Maintenance Adviser (BOMA) for the Newcastle to Sydney High Speed Rail project. Keolis, alongside SNCF and CERTIFER, will help to embed operational, maintenance and customer considerations into the development of Australia’s first high-speed rail line. This includes aspects from service planning and customer experience through to maintenance strategy and operational readiness. The partnership will act as HSRA’s shadow operator and maintainer, embedding an operator-led approach into the design and development of the railway. “This will help ensure the system is not only engineered effectively, but is also designed to be practical, efficient and customer-focused in operation,” Keolis said in a statement. As a global public transport operator with 17 years of experience in Australia, Keolis will provide overall leadership and transport integration guidance to the High Speed Rail Authority. French transport operator SNCF will offer direct experience from more than four decades of high-speed rail operations, while CERTIFER will contribute specialist railway safety, assurance and certification capability. Together, the partnership brings more than four decades of experience from
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operating and optimising established highspeed rail services, including France’s TGV network, Eurostar, Morocco’s Al Boraq and OUIGO services in France and Spain. The team also brings current advisory and development experience from emerging high-speed rail programs, including Alto in Canada and California High Speed Rail. Technical and Architectural Adviser A consortium comprising WSP, Grimshaw and a specialist group of Australian and international partners (including Maynard Design Consultancy and Urbis) has been appointed as Technical and Architectural Adviser (TAA) to the HSRA on the Newcastle to Sydney High Speed Rail Project. Engineering and professional services consulting firm WSP has already been involved in high-speed rail in Australia for several years. Its work so far has included shaping the project’s business case and helping to establish the technical, environmental, planning and precinct foundations needed to progress the project. The Newcastle to Sydney High Speed Rail Project is currently in a two-year Development Phase to get it ready for construction and an investment decision by the Australian Government. Led by WSP, the consortium will support planning approvals and associated processes, site investigations, procurement and technical assurance. The work will help establish the baseline required for future construction and delivery.
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