Rail Express December 2023

I S S U E 11 | D E C E M B E R 2023

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

Transdev: transforming transport The mobility leader is investing in people to ensure it delivers the best for customers and clients. PAGE 30.

2023: the rail year in review

The right stuff needed to cut down emissions

Industry joins forces on future of freight

PAGE 15

PAGE 28

PAGE 46

SUPPORTED BY:

CELEBRATING

15 YEARS

IN AUSTRALIA

At MTR, our vision is to “Keep Cities Moving”. We believe that world class metros enable thriving sustainable cities. We are proud and remain committed to our mission of connecting communities across Australia through close partnerships with Governments, the rail industry and the customers we have been serving over the last 15 years.

Contents Issue 11 - December 2023

22

4

From the editor

6

Industry news

15

The year in review

22

Supply chains

25

PWI NSW annual conference

OPINION

28

Ian Quarrie, UGL

M O B I L I TY S O L U T I O N S

33

30

Transdev: Keeping cities on the move

I N N O VAT I O N I N R A I L

33

Siemens Mobility: The X-factor

36

Step Global: On the right tracks

38

KeTech: Harnessing intelligent information

40

Plasser: Putting the puzzle together

40

M A J O R P ROJ E CT S A N D I N F RA S T R U CT U R E

42

MTR: People are the power

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

I S S U E 11 | D E C E M B E R 2023

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

Transdev: transforming transport The mobility leader is investing in people to ensure it delivers the best for customers and clients. PAGE 30.

COVER STORY Mobility leader Transdev is investing in people to ensure it delivers the best for customers and clients.

2023: the rail year in review

The right stuff needed to cut down emissions

Industry joins forces on future of freight

PAGE 15

PAGE 28

PAGE 46

46

ARA: Moving forward on freight

48

RISSB: Action needed on interoperability

49

PWI NSW: A beacon in transport industry

CO N T RACT S, T E N D E R S, E O I S

50

The latest contracts and tenders

See page 30.

SUPPORTED BY:

WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 3

From the Editor ISSUE 11 - DE C E M B E R 2023

Published by:

Ray Chan Editor - Rail Express

Welcome to the December issue of Rail Express

379 Docklands Drive Dockalnds, VIC 3008 T: 03 9690 8766 www.primecreativemedia.com.au

Publisher John Murphy E: john.murphy@primecreative.com.au Chief Operating Officer Christine Clancy E: christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au Managing Editor Myles Hume E: myles.hume@primecreative.com.au Editor Ray Chan E: ray.chan@primecreative.com.au Business Development Manager Alex Cowdery M: 0422 657 148 E: alex.cowdery@primecreative.com.au Client Success Manager Salma Kennedy E: salma.kennedy@primecreative.com.au Design Production Manager Michelle Weston E: michelle.weston@primecreative.com.au Art Director Blake Storey E: blake.storey@primecreative.com.au Design Caterina Zappia Subscriptions subscriptions@primecreative.com.au

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

4 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2023 | RAIL EXPRESS

W

ith its vast landmass and isolated geography, Australia faces unique challenges when it comes to its transportation and logistics infrastructure.

Because the country is so reliant on the efficient movement of goods, a strong freight supply strategy is needed for the timely and costeffective transportation of raw materials, finished products, and exports.

A well-functioning logistics network is the backbone of any thriving economy, helping to reduce transit times, lower shipping costs, and minimise the risk of supply disruptions.

In 2019, the Government created the National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy, a framework designed to position Australia to meet its growing freight needs, agreed to by governments with extensive input from industry.

But a lot can happen in less than four years.

When the strategy was established, it provided foundations for improving the efficiency, effectiveness and reliability of Australian supply chains.

Almost as if on cue, a string of unplanned events struck the supply network soon after, including a certain pandemic, as well as unprecedented extreme weather events resulting in infrastructure damage from flooding, washouts, and bushfires.

Exacerbating the issue was the prevailing lack of track harmonisation, which made interstate freight a cumbersome affair.

The initial goals of the strategy identified six areas for improvement but did not focus on infrastructure robustness, decarbonisation, interoperability, and skills harmonisation.

Industry bodies are now rightly calling for renewed vigour on investing in resilience and sustainable projects to improve efficiency, keep the trains operating smoothly and keep supply chain costs low so consumers are not unnecessarily impacted by rising prices.

Track closures and extensive speed restrictions due to poor track condition significantly impact service delivery and reliability, creating additional risks within the supply chain and significant reputational damage.

Poor rail interoperability is detrimental to a strong supply chain. Developing a consistent approach across rail networks nationally would improve efficiency, reduce complexity and lead to a stronger national network and supply chain.

The Government can’t afford to be a toothless tiger on the strategy. It called for submissions on ways to improve and it received several wellconsidered opinions from rail stakeholders.

A well-executed blueprint will not only benefit the economy but also improve the overall quality of life for Australians. Major industry bodies, including the ARA, believe the time to invest in a comprehensive, forward-thinking freight supply strategy is now, not when the next natural disaster strikes.

Indeed, interruptions to the freight network were just some of the many incidents that have marked off another eventful 12 months for the rail industry.

This issue looks back on a year in which three states appointed new Premiers, and some of the major stories that made the news.

Delays to passenger rail systems took prominence, as the NSW Government announced its Rail Repair Plan, designed to fix flaws and provide upgrades to an ageing metropolitan network, a procedure that will cancel all weekend services for at least a year.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the continent, commuters in and around Perth are preparing themselves for bus trips to replace trains on the major Armadale line, which will be closed for 1.5 years at least to accommodate 5.5 kilometres of new elevated rail, the building of seven new stations, and the extension of the line beyond its current boundary.

It’s proving to be a challenging juggling act for the rail sector, as it tries to increase rail patronage in the wake of COVID recovery.

Elsewhere, there’s a report on the PWI annual conference, where delegates recognised the regional contribution to rail; a feature on innovation in rail; a focus on leading mobility operator TransDev; and an incisive thought leadership piece on decarbonisation.

We find out more about why people are committed to their careers in rail, in a great read on the thoughts and aspirations of employees with public transport operators MTR. We round off the magazine with our wrap-up of news events, a quick review of contracts and acquisitions, and contributions from our industry partners.

ray.chan@primecreative.com.au

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INNOVATION CONTINUES… RYAN BLACK

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News

New South Wales

Redfern rocks with accessibility makeover The new and improved Redfern Station officially opened in October, providing major accessibility upgrades for one of Sydney’s oldest and busiest railway sites.

As part of the NSW Government’s Transport Access Program, the inner-city station has been transformed to improve safety and convenience for people with a disability or limited mobility, and passengers travelling with prams, luggage or bikes.

The upgraded station features a new southern concourse with six new lifts and stair access to Platforms 1 to 10, as well as two additional entrances, drop-off areas, accessible toilets, and improved streetscaping.

The location of the pedestrian bridge provides easier access to arts and employment precincts like Carriageworks and South Eveleigh.

In response to a community campaign, the new concourse also provides barrier-free access so people can move freely between Little Eveleigh and Marian Streets.

Transport for NSW engaged heritage architects and Aboriginal community members to ensure the upgrade reflected the station and surrounding area’s unique and rich cultural heritage.

This project was delivered under the

Redfern’s heritage has been retained in the design.

Transport Access Program, which saw a funding boost of $300m in the most recent budget, ensuring more communities across NSW will soon have access to safe and accessible public transport options.

Transport minister Jo Haylen said the station was the fifth busiest in the state, but for the 140 years it had been serving passengers, it wasn’t fully accessible.

“That changes now as this much-needed upgrade opens, breathing new life into this beautiful old station and ensuring it has better capacity and accessibility,” she said.

“Now with an additional $300m in the budget for further station accessibility upgrades, I look forward to seeing even more communities across NSW making the most of these vital station upgrades.”

Grain trains back on the plains after 30 months The upgraded Inland Rail track between Camurra and North Star has been opened, allowing trains to service grain silos at Milguy, Croppa Creek, and North Star after two and a half years of construction.

The Narrabri to North Star Phase 1 project included upgrading 176 kilometres of track along the existing rail corridor. Inland Rail completed upgrades to seven bridges, and has enhanced safety at 57 level crossings, with 10 passive level crossings upgraded to active with bells, lights, and boom gates.

The project utilised Australian-made materials including more than 290,000 concrete sleepers, and 4700 precast culverts.

Bulk earthworks to rebuild the track foundation and raise it to a higher level, along with associated new bridges and larger culverts under the alignment were also completed to boost the flood resilience of the rail line, which proved effective during severe weather in the region late last year.

Regional communities in northwest NSW received an economic boost from the project,

Local elected officials and Inland Rail staff celebrate the milestone.

with $244 million spent with 137 local businesses, including nearly $9 million spent with First Nations businesses.

Narrabri to North Star Phase 1 is the second section of Inland Rail to complete major construction, following the commissioning of the Parkes to Narromine line in September 2020.

Phase 2 of the project, which involves further upgrades and building 2km of new track north of Moree, is currently in approvals.

Inland Rail is now preparing a Preferred Infrastructure Report and a Response to Submissions for the NSW Department of Planning and Environment.

6 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2023 | RAIL EXPRESS

Draft 2.in

Global experts, local success Transdev is a global leader in light rail.

Our experience spans 15 tramways across Europe, the USA and in Australia backed by the hard work and know-how of brilliant local teams.

In Sydney, as the proud operator of Sydney Light Rail, we keep people moving with a record 3.7 million trips on trams in September.

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Draft 2.indd 1

2/11/2023 9:11:10 AM

News

Western Australia

Full-battery locomotive set for WA debut The world’s first 100 per cent batterypowered, heavy-haul freight locomotive for mainline service will be used in Western Australia next year.

Rail industry leader Wabtec and its launch customer, WA-based iron ore miner Roy Hill, recently celebrated the debut of the unique, striking pink-colored train at Wabtec’s design and development centre located in Pennsylvania, USA. Wabtec president and chief executive Rafael Santana said the innovation represented a major step in the journey to a low-to-zeroemission future in the rail industry.

“The FLXdrive is driven from within by our battery technology and the innovative spirit of our employees. Roy Hill is an ideal customer to partner with given their leadership and excellent operational record,” he said.

Roy Hill’s FLXdrive battery-electric locomotive will feature an energy capacity of 7 megawatt hours (MWh). Based on the route and company’s rail operations, the FLXdrive is anticipated to provide a doubledigit percentage reduction in fuel costs and emissions per train.

Once Wabtec completes the final battery installations and track testing, the locomotive will begin its 17,000 kilometre journey in 2024 for delivery to its new home in the Pilbara region of WA. Roy Hill’s major stakeholder is Hancock Prospecting. Its Group Operations CEO Gerhard

The new locomotive pretty in pink.

Veldsman said the FLXdrive represented not only a first for the Pilbara, but a first for the mining industry.

“The technological smarts that have gone into the development of the loco makes it well suited for our rail network. By using regenerative braking, it will charge its battery on the 344 kilometres downhill run from our mine to port facility and use that stored energy to return to the mine, starting the cycle all over again. This will not only enable us to realise energy efficiencies but also lower operating costs,” he said.

Today, Roy Hill uses four Wabtec ES44ACi “Evolution Series” diesel-electric locomotives in a consist to pull trains that are typically 2.7km

in length, carrying more than 33,000 tonnes of iron ore.

The addition of the FLXdrive will form a hybrid consist with Wabtec diesel-electric locomotives, and recharge during the trip through regenerative braking.

The FLXdrive manages the overall train energy flow and distribution through its stateof-the-art energy management software. It is also designed with a unique battery thermal management system using liquid cooling to withstand the Pilbara heat, where ambient temperatures can exceed 55°C (131°F).

Roy Hill’s iconic pink livery symbolises the company’s commitment to assisting research and those suffering from breast cancer.

Freight rail relocated for Thornlie-Cockburn line The delivery of the METRONET ThornlieCockburn Link in Perth has reached an important milestone, with the relocation of 22 kilometres of freight rail now complete.

The rail needed to be shifted to the northern side of the corridor to allow for construction of the project.

The freight rail and the new ThornlieCockburn Link will operate side-by-side.

The relocation process involved construction of an entirely new freight line, which included 70,000 tonnes of ballast, 33,000 concrete sleepers, and 4000t of track.

With the freight rail now moved, and trains now switched and running on the new alignment, works are ramping up on the project, with construction on the entry building for the Nicholson Road Station now underway.

8 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2023 | RAIL EXPRESS

The completion of the task also means that track laying for the new Thornlie-Cockburn Link can commence.

Nicholson Road Station will have 1000 parking bays, and will be a 26-minute journey to Perth, while Ranford Road Station will have 400 parking bays and will be a 29-minute journey.

Premier Roger Cook said it was full steam ahead on METRONET right across the suburbs of Perth.

“The METRONET Thornlie-Cockburn Link will be our first east-west rail line, slashing commuting times for people in our southeastern suburbs,” he said. “We are creating infrastructure that will re-shape Perth, better connect communities across the metropolitan region and create thousands of local jobs.”

Transport minister Rita Saffioti said it had been a complex and technically demanding task, which was years in the planning and involved close collaboration to overcome the many challenges.

“The relocation of the freight rail is critical to the overall METRONET Thornlie-Cockburn Link project, as it means we can now get to work on the passenger rail and new stations,” she said.

“The 17.5km extension from Thornlie to Cockburn Central will serve the current and future growth occurring between the Mandurah and Armadale lines while addressing gaps in public transport in these communities. It will also provide a direct link to Optus Stadium for Mandurah Line passengers.”

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News

Queensland

More cattle moving after Maxwelton upgrades More cattle will be transported along the Mount Isa line, with siding extension works at Maxwelton in Central North Queensland recently completed as part of a $4.26 million State Government investment.

Queensland Rail’s upgrade has extended the rail siding from 300 metres to approximately 1.4 kilometres in length, allowing more cattle to be transferred off trucks and onto full-length trains without interrupting the main rail line.

This has increased capacity of the siding by almost five times its previous level, improving the efficiency of freight services in the region.

Transport minister Mark Bailey said the new infrastructure would enable up to two cattle trains a week into the siding.

“It means it’s now much easier for the cattle industry to make the most of our rail network,” he said.

“To support other long-term freight opportunities, the upgraded loop will also enable the temporary storage of rolling stock at Maxwelton if required.

“This news comes off the back of our recent announcement that the nearby town of Julia Creek will also benefit from a $3 million investment upgrade to its cattle rail siding.”

Queensland regional rail head Scott Cornish

The line before (left) and after the works.

said construction crews had done an outstanding job to complete this challenging task, working through prolonged wet weather to install new track and signalling infrastructure at Maxwelton.

“In collaboration with Richmond Shire Council, Queensland Rail has helped relocate the cattle loading area approximately 600m east of the previous loading area,” he said.

“Our works have laid the groundwork for the

establishment of new cattle yards which council will now focus on constructing.

“The full-length siding allows trains to stow and other traffic to pass, increasing the capacity of the rail line while also providing operational flexibility for other services in the area.

“This upgrade is a big win for freight operators and has helped secure the vital longevity of this line.”

Bundamba station upgrades go for gold Works are ‘going for gold’ at Bundamba station in Queensland, with a landmark $59 million accessibility upgrade officially on track and well under way.

A special sod turning by Member for Bundamba Lance McCallum marked the official start of the major facelift for the station which has served the community since 1878.

Special guest, three-time Paralympian long jumper, gold medalist and world record holder, Vanessa Low, was given a behind-the-scenes tour and was impressed by the investment in accessible rail infrastructure in the lead-up to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Hutchinson Builders worksite is a hive of activity with a first of its kind temporary rail overpass erected over train tracks which will maintain cross-corridor access for the community during the construction of the upgraded station.

Demolition of platform awnings and shelters has commenced, and temporary barriers are also visible, giving a first glimpse of the

10 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2023 | RAIL EXPRESS

Vanessa Low (left) at Bundamba.

station’s major transformation to the public.

The major upgrade will deliver an accessibility improved train station for customers by late 2024, making catching a train easier for everybody, but especially those using wheelchairs, pushing prams or carrying heavy luggage.

When completed, all customers at Bundamba will be able to use a lift to the station overpass to move between the platforms, which will be fully raised to reduce the gap.

Hearing augmentation loops, tactile floor indicators, new way finding signage, information screens and better security through CCTV and lighting upgrades is included and customer facilities like accessible toilets, disability-compliant ticket window, improved seating and extended platform shelters are also part of the upgrade.

To deliver the upgrade as safely and quickly as possible, customers are reminded Bundamba station will temporarily close to customers in January with full details of a replacement bus timetable being finalised.

Low said the improvements wouldn’t only serve those in wheelchairs or with walking aides, but help the elderly, parents with young children, or customers travelling with luggage or a bike.

“Brisbane is soon to be on the world stage during the Olympic and Paralympic Games and I congratulate the Queensland Government for its commitment to an inclusive and accessible transport system,” she said. .

News

South Australia

Hybrid trains help state reach net zero targets Installation of the energy system on the remaining trains will be a phased roll-out, with all trains expected to feature the new system by late 2024.

Once fully installed, Adelaide Metro is expected to save an estimated 2400 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.

The State Government is transitioning the Adelaide Metro system to a zero-emissions public transport system to support the net zero emissions by 2050 target.

Transport minister Tom Koutsantonis said as well as reducing the environmental impact and using significantly less fuel, the new hybridtrain also offered a great customer experience, particularly at Adelaide Railway Station where the diesel engine can remain switched off – reducing noise and fumes for those on board and in the station.

“We are about exploring any technologies or solutions to de-carbonise and deliver a net zero-emissions public transport system,” he said.

Adelaide Metro’s new green train.

A quieter, more comfortable ride for commuters – a newly converted hybrid train – has entered service in Adelaide, the latest piece of green technology to be rolled out on the city’s metro network.

After a successful testing period, the hybriddiesel train will be running on the Outer Harbor, Grange and Belair lines – instantly recognisable by its distinctive bright-green wrap.

Hybrid-diesel trains are quieter and release fewer fumes than traditional diesels trains, using up to 20 per cent less fuel and providing a more

comfortable journey for passengers. Each rail car of this two-car train set has been fitted with an energy storage and recovery system, the first of 44 diesel railcars to be upgraded.

The system works by recovering excess energy when the train brakes and storing it in a battery for later use.

The battery will also be used instead of the diesel engine to supply auxiliary loads – power for lighting and air-conditioning, for example – at the train platform within Adelaide Railway Station to reduce noise, emissions, and air pollution.

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News

Victoria

High-tech signalling on Melbourne rail network Passenger train services along the Cranbourne/ Pakenham Line are now operating with High Capacity Signalling (HCS) – the high-tech signalling system introduced to Melbourne’s rail network by the Metro Tunnel Project.

Akin to adaptive cruise control in a car, the system tracks the location and speed of trains in real time to ensure safe distances and speeds.

This technology will soon allow passenger trains on parts of the network to travel closer together, improving service frequency and reliability.

This is the first time in Australia the next-generation signalling system has been retrofitted to an existing network, and comes after years of testing new systems and trains without passengers.

There are now 17 passenger services a day using the new signalling system on sections of the Cranbourne/Pakenham Line, alongside Melbourne’s conventional signalling system.

The number of services running HCS will increase in coming months.

When the Metro Tunnel opens in 2025, trains on the new Cranbourne/Pakenham to Sunbury Line will use a mix of HCS and

HCS has been retrofitted to the Cranbourne/Pakenham Line.

conventional signalling, and will exclusively use the new signalling system when travelling through the Metro Tunnel and its five new underground stations.

HCS works by wirelessly communicating the location of moving trains to other trains, the railway line and back to signal control centres.

This digital system means the trains can safely move closer together compared to conventional signalling, which uses stop and go lights. This means more services can run.

The system connects to the signal control centre, where highly qualified signallers monitor trains as they move along the lines and through the tunnels, and direct them if needed.

The new Sunshine Signal Control Centre is purpose-built to work with HCS and monitor Metro Tunnel services.

It uses the data transmitted by the HCS about train locations, to ensure all trains on the network are keeping a safe distance and know when to safely go or stop.

Maintaining the momentum for intermodal hub Pacific National is maintaining its push to develop a new intermodal rail terminal and surrounding warehousing precinct in Little River in Melbourne’s west.

The freight operator has recently submitted environmental referrals for the proposed project to the relevant state and commonwealth agencies, which will determine the environmental approval pathway and ultimately set the planning process.

Pacific National chief executive Paul Scurrah said for trains to remain a competitive option compared to trucks and continue to attract container freight volumes, a future rail intermodal terminal in Melbourne had to be located west of the CBD and port to service the existing freight demand zone where the logistics companies, warehouses, manufacturers and distribution centres were concentrated.

He said that if a terminal site is not secured in Melbourne’s west on the main interstate rail line, it would mean: • An additional 250,000 unnecessary truck trips on Melbourne’s road network a year by 2031, growing to more than 400,000 by 2050

12 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2023 | RAIL EXPRESS

• An extra 2.5 million truck kilometres on the nation’s interstate road network each day in 2031, growing to more than four million km each day in 2050 • An additional 400,000 tonnes of C02 emissions in 2051 due to extra truck trips.

“Delivering new modern intermodal terminals is a fundamental step to help shift large volumes of containerised freight from trucks to trains. The result is less traffic congestion, reduced truck emissions, fewer road accidents and fatalities, and less wear and tear on local and state roads,” he said.

“The last decade has seen an explosion in bigger and heavier trucks transporting freight on our nation’s roads. Today for example, Pacific National estimates less than two percent of containerised and palletised freight is hauled by rail between Australia’s two largest capital cities, Melbourne and Sydney.

“Likewise, less than five per cent of general freight is hauled by trains between Sydney and Brisbane. This is clearly an unsustainable situation.

“Federal and state governments will find

it difficult to achieve legislated emissions reduction targets without private sector investment in new intermodal terminals in Australia’s vast supply chain. Compared to road freight, rail haulage is more fuel-efficient thereby providing a lower emissions freight transport solution.

“Strategically positioned intermodal terminals also drive greater efficiencies in daily freight and logistics operations, helping to reduce transport costs for Australian farmers, miners, manufacturers, processors, supermarket chains, and retail businesses. A cost efficient rail freight network helps to curtail inflation in our economy, hence cost of living pressures for millions of Australian families.”

The Little River Logistics Precinct is estimated to support more than 3600 ongoing jobs at capacity.

Positioned on the main interstate rail line and close to the Princes Freeway, the Little River terminal would deliver efficient freight transport connectivity to nearby logistics companies, distribution centres, warehouses, shippers, and manufacturers.

Y P I P E

Level crossing removal project uses the good oil A crane at Melbourne’s Webb Street Level Crossing Removal Project has been powered by sustainable ‘green’ fuel, as part of a trial aimed at promoting low-carbon fuel options for construction machinery.

Hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), a form of recycled cooking oil, was used to power the crane for approximately three weeks as part of the trial.

HVO is a sustainable fuel which can reduce life-cycle carbon emissions by up to 90 per cent compared to traditional mineral diesel.

The trial collected and compared data from the crane while it lifted heavy equipment on site, first powered by traditional diesel fuel and then by HVO over several weeks.

Data from the trial will go towards understanding and promoting green alternatives to traditional diesel in the construction industry.

The project in Narre Warren also recently switched on retractable solar panels to power

the project’s site offices, replacing traditional diesel generators.

Construction is powering ahead on the project to remove the Webb Street level crossing and build a new Narre Warren Station. All concrete beams for the new rail bridge are now in place, with work on the retaining walls, tracks and station buildings ongoing.

By 2025, the Pakenham and Cranbourne lines will be boomgate-free and the Metro Tunnel will be open, creating capacity for an additional 121,000 commuters every week.

This innovation is part of the Level Crossing Removal Project’s goal of delivering sustainable infrastructure to support Victorian communities into the future, with the efficient use of materials and energy in construction works, use of sustainable alternatives where possible, and energy efficient designs that reduce climate impacts.

The green fuel is a form of recycled cooking oil.

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Progress Together

r

2023 in review

That was the year that was Rail Express looks back at some of the major news events that shaped the rail industry in 2023.

In April, Keolis Downer Adelaide agreed to return operational functions for the Adelaide Metro Passenger Rail Network back to Government by January 31, 2025.

JANUARY The year kicked off with good news for Western Australia, as its first new C-series train took its maiden test run on Perth’s passenger train network.

The train is the first to have been built and manufactured locally in the state in more than 30 years.

Testing took place on the Joondalup and Mandurah Lines between midnight and 4am, ensuring there was no disruption to regular train services.

Braking systems, load testing, passenger comfort and infrastructure integration were put to the test to ensure travel can occur safely, reliably, and smoothly when the train enters service late next year.

The train was relocated from the Bellevue Railcar Manufacturing Facility and had been undergoing testing at the State Government’s Nowergup Depot in preparation for on-track testing.

In total, WA will be producing 246 new C-series railcars, expected to play a critical role in servicing the state’s rail network, which will see significant expansion in the coming years through a number of major METRONET projects Meanwhile, the Sydney Metro-Western Sydney Airport link became the first rail

infrastructure project in Australian history to commit to being certified carbon-neutral from the start of construction, all the way through to operations. All carbon emissions generated during construction and operations will be reduced and offset.

This includes carbon emissions from manufacturing materials like concrete and steel used to build tunnels and viaducts, the fuel used by excavators for earthworks, electricity in the site sheds and even the emissions generated by waste breaking down in landfill.

The carbon-neutral project will also use solar panels onsite and renewable energy as part of the operational electricity offset commitment.

To ensure full transparency and a robust third-party verification of net zero carbon, Sydney Metro-Western Sydney Airport will seek recognition under the Australian Government’s Climate Active Carbon Neutral Service certification program, once the project is complete.

The 23-kilometre driverless metro will service western Sydney and the new airport, delivering a vital boost to the Australian and NSW economies, with the new metro line expected to support about 14,000 jobs, including 250 apprentices.

All Sydney Metro projects have committed

to offsetting 100 percent of carbon emissions associated with electricity consumption during operations, thereby managing about 70 percent of carbon emissions generated over the project life cycle.

FEBRUARY The Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) showed its fangs when it successfully pursued a safety breach that led to a $30,000 fine to a train driver who put lives at risk after inexplicably “losing” four carriages, and failing to take immediate action to secure and recover them.

The offences arose from an incident in October 2020 between Broken Hill and Parkes in NSW, experienced a loss of air pressure, indicating a likely uncoupling of wagons.

Acting ONRSR chief executive and national rail safety regulator Peter Doggett said with the train being more than 1100 metres long, the driver initially only inspected a little over half its length before returning to the lead locomotive hoping to rectify the problem by resetting the train computer.

“When this failed to restore air pressure a second inspection was undertaken and located an open-air tap on the ‘last’ wagon.

No end of train marker was identified,

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2023 in review

Rail Advocate Jacqui Walters flanked by Senator Tim Ayres (left) and Rail Industry Innovation Council board member Danny Broad.

and the identification of the last wagon was not correlated with the train consist documentation,” he said.

“The train then continued for another 80 kilometres with the driver apparently unaware the last four wagons of the consist had become separated and been left behind unprotected on the main line.”

“No decision to prosecute is ever taken lightly. Rather it is always in the interests of rail safety.”

Also this month, planning approval was received for new precincts to transform communities along the new 24km Sydney Metro line connecting Westmead to the Sydney CBD. The new transport-orientated hubs will be located in Westmead, Parramatta, Sydney Olympic Park, North Strathfield, Burwood North, Five Dock, The Bays, Pyrmont and Hunter Street.

Each station will have fast and reliable metro services at its centre, and will integrate with current and future planned transport, including Sydney Trains, buses, light rail and ferries.

Plans for each station were on public display last year, with community feedback now helping to refine plans for how these station and precincts will look, feel and operate.

Additionally, planning approval has been received for rail infrastructure and a stabling and maintenance facility at Clyde, set to become the powerhouse behind the fully automated Sydney Metro West.

MARCH In the month of International Women’s Day, the graduates from V/Line’s first all-female group of trainee drivers began their new fully qualified careers behind the consoles.

V/Line chief executive officer Matt Carrick congratulated the graduates on finishing the two-year training program and said they would play a vital role in keeping the Victorian regional train network running.

The drivers were recruited from non-rail backgrounds – including a former tram driver, prison guard and supermarket employee – bringing with them a diverse range of experience.

“We’re delighted to welcome this all-female class of graduates to V/Line’s driver ranks,” Carrick said. “Drivers are the lifeblood of our network. The work these women are now doing is central to keeping the network running and delivering for our passengers.”

V/Line is continuing to expand its workforce to help meet the needs of growing communities in regional Victoria, with the proportion of female drivers more than doubling since January 2019.

There are several other trainee driver groups at various stages of the training program.

In addition to drivers from non-railway backgrounds, V/Line also recruits trainee drivers who have previous experience driving trains for other operators or have worked in other roles within V/Line.

The biggest rail news occurred in Sydney, when Sydney Trains fleets completely stopped running when a “communication issue” affected the entire network, causing traffic chaos across the city and surrounds.

Officials said the radio system failure that brought every train to a standstill would be fully investigated, after thousands of commuters were stuck on platforms or forced to cram onto buses.

Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland said the issue stemmed from an “extremely rare” failure in the Digital Train Radio System (DTRS), a vital safety feature for the network, being the primary communication tool between the Rail Operations Centre and train crew on the network to alert them of any unexpected issues and emergencies.

“And while the rail network was fully operational, we aren’t able to operate trains safely while the train crew can’t communicate with the rail operations centre.”

The early indication was that it was systemrelated and not any kind of cybersecurity issue.

On a national level, the Australian and Victorian Governments, as well as the Australasian Railway Association on behalf of senior rail industry leaders, signed a groundbreaking Memorandum of Cooperation to make rail more competitive and interoperable across Australia. This agreement will see rail play a bigger role in the national economy while delivering more freight and passenger services for Australians.

Since federation, rail has run as a series of independent rail networks, often receiving upgrades and new technologies at different times from different suppliers. This has led to a range of critical issues impacting national rail productivity and innovation, such as: • the use of different rail gauges, signalling systems, rolling stock and safe working arrangements, which are an economic handbrake requiring costly work-arounds • differences in how we run trains, manage rail crew and invest in new rolling stock • experienced rail workers being isolated to geographic areas based on these differing technologies, compounding rail shortages.

Improving national rail interoperability is also one of the National Cabinet’s five priorities for collective action. Infrastructure and transport ministers agreed to a number of productivity and safety measures in December 2022, including: • setting a small number of critical national rail standards • aligning the different train control and signalling technologies used along the eastern seaboard

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2023 in review

• reducing the burden that different rail approaches have on drivers, crew and maintenance workers The Memorandum of Cooperation commits rail operators, builders, manufacturers and transport ministers to work together to make rail more interoperable, particularly for any future major rail investments.

This builds on the Federal Government’s commitment to delivering the National Rail Manufacturing Plan, to support a nationally coordinated approach that will grow the rail manufacturing sector and create skilled manufacturing jobs.

C R E D I T: Aurizon

APRIL A new Government was sworn in for NSW, and with it came a promise to fix problems with the Sydney train network.

The state’s freshly-minted transport minister Jo Haylen announced an independent investigation into malfunctions which included delays and widespread outages, along with discontent over the controversial Korean-built train fleet which led to a transport worker strike.

“We’ve inherited a rail network riddled with serious problems. It will take time to solve them, but that work begins now,” she said.

Haylen also praised the H set trains, a class of electric multiple units currently operated by NSW TrainLink.

“The H-set trains are some of the last to roll off NSW production lines,” she said.

“Built in Newcastle, they’re reliable, wellbuilt and ready to keep serving the network for years to come.”

Over in Adelaide, the South Australian Government and Keolis Downer (KD) reached an agreement which paved the way for the

progressive return of the operation of the Adelaide Metro Passenger Rail Network (AMPRN) to public hands.

The train system had been managed and run

by Keolis Downer, a joint venture between the Downer Group and French transport company Keolis, since January 31, 2021, after it was awarded the $2.14 billion contract by the previous Liberal Government.

However, the current government had always been intent on reversing the privatisation of Adelaide’s train and tram networks, a promise it made while in opposition and maintained as part of its election platform.

After returning to power last year, the new Labor regime had quickly declared its intention to run a $1 million commission of inquiry to advise on returning public transport on light and heavy rail back into public ownership. But this was suspended after Keolis Downer agreed to work collaboratively with the Government.

The operator said the agreement was not reflective of the performance of Keolis Downer Adelaide (KDA) under its existing rail contract.

It is recognised that KDA has been performing well since taking over the network.

The agreement outlines the principles for: • KDA to return operational functions for drivers, operations control, network and timetable planning to Government by January 31, 2025 • The delivery of customer service and security management functions of Adelaide Metro to remain with Keolis Downer, returning to Government control in June 2027 • Maintenance of fleet and infrastructure to continue to be managed by KDA to 2035 KDA to continue to provide expertise to

A Memorandum of Cooperation was signed to make rail more competitive and interoperable across Australia.

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• Government around future innovation opportunities for customer services and the broader rail network.

In other major news, the independent review of Inland Rail led by Dr Kerry Schott found major deficiencies in the governance and delivery of Inland Rail.

While it confirmed that Inland Rail was an important project to meet Australia’s growing freight task, improve road safety and to help decarbonise the economy, it also found that it was running significantly over budget and significantly behind schedule, with just over 16 per cent of the 1700 kilometres of track completed so far.

Schott reported the estimated cost of Inland Rail blew out to approximately $31 billion under the previous government.

“Somewhat surprisingly, the project has commenced delivery without knowing where it will start or finish”, she said, adding that the final date and cost remain uncertain, because of a lack of confidence in the current estimates.

In her report, Schott outlined 19 recommendations to improve the delivery of Inland Rail, including through enhanced governance arrangements, the identification of intermodal terminal locations, and ensuring appropriate environmental approval processes.

“It is critical that there is certainty around the route beyond Parkes and we look forward to seeing approvals and more detailed costings being determined as soon as possible.”

The ARA strongly supported the recommendation for Inland Rail to be established as a subsidiary company, which would enable ARTC to focus on the management and resilience of the wider national rail freight network.

MAY The Hobart Northern Suburbs Rail Action Group maintained push for a passenger rail solution in Hobart, where the only public transport option is the bus.

The call came after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese officially announced the Federal Government would contribute $240 million towards a stadium on the Hobart waterfront.

The proposal also connects with the State Government’s plan to convince the AFL to grant the state a team, with the business case predicting that the $750m multi-use entertainment precinct would annually host about 44 events and let 587,000 people walk through its doors.

Group president Toby Rowallan warned that choosing a busway over rail would be a ‘significant mistake’, given the high number of people the stadium is designed to accommodate.

In a previous submission to a parliamentary inquiry into the stadium, the Group said a light rail service could move between 4000 and 20,000 people each hour in one direction, more than twice what buses can over the same time period.

“It is no coincidence that every other AFL city has passenger rail services,” he said.

Over in Perth, commuters were bracing themselves for a long 18-month closure of Perth’s Armadale train line, as works on three new bus interchanges kicked off.

The line will be closed to facilitate one of the biggest public transport infrastructure projects ever undertaken in the city.

The upgrades being made to the Armadale Line include the removal of 13 level crossings, construction of seven new stations and the addition of 5.5 km of Perth’s first elevated rail.

The line will also be extended to Byford, providing thousands of people living in Perth’s south with access to a train line for the first time.

The Victoria Park-Canning Level Crossing Removal Project will create six hectares of new public space for the community to enjoy, with a range of amenities being proposed including playgrounds, fitness zones, basketball courts, skate parks, new walking and cycling paths, public art, and activation spaces for community activities and events.

In Brisbane, a train from the Queensland New Generation Rollingstock (NGR) fleet completed its first low speed ETCS dynamic test on the Shorncliffe line: a significant milestone in preparing for travel through the Cross River Rail twin tunnels, where ETCS will also be installed as the signalling system.

The testing completed to date has involved ETCS-fitted trains successfully transitioning between ETCS Level 0 and ETCS Level 2, connecting with all on-track balises, and switching between the trackside radio base stations located along the line.

It also confirmed that the level crossings and other field equipment were effectively controlled by the interlocking system and operated in accordance with Queensland Rail standards.

Progress has also been made on integrating the traffic management system with the interlocking system (wayside standard platform) in the Rail Management Centre.

Rigorous testing of the system will now continue , paving the way for gradual software updates, testing of specific ETCS functionality, and full system testing and validation later this year.

JUNE Anger mounted over a planned rise in rail safety accreditation fees for small rail freight operators due to changes proposed by the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR).

Passenger train services along Melbourne’s Cranbourne/Pakenham Line have started operating with High Capacity Signalling (HCS).

The agency, set up 10 years ago to reduce the cost of compliance, has traditionally charged accreditation fees based on train kilometres travelled by rail operators and track kilometres under management by access providers (such as ARTC).

The planned new charging regime will be a tiered system, where those accredited organisations in each tier pay for a percentage of the operating costs of ONRSR. With the NSW and Victorian governments withdrawing funding of ONRSR, after taking into account other government funding to regulate the tourism and heritage sector, it is understood that the agency still needed to increase fees by 30 per cent on the 2020/2021 charges to make up for the shortfall.

But an ONRSR spokesman said that the new cost recovery model was the result of many years of consultation and input from industry and government.

“It was always intended, with the creation of a national rail safety regulator, that safety accreditation fees would be paid by industry to alleviate continuing cross-subsidisation from government,” he said.

Meanwhile, the NSW Government said the rail network would be disrupted over the next year at least as the biggest coordinated program of rail maintenance ever undertaken in Sydney kicked off.

Transport minister Jo Haylen said the works were part of the Sydney Rail Repair Plan, formulated in response to the recent interim recommendations made by the expert panel conducting the Sydney Trains Review.

The review found a huge maintenance backlog had led to equipment failures causing major shutdowns – equipment that should have been inspected, repaired, refurbished or replaced but wasn’t because maintenance crews could not get anywhere near sufficient access to the track.

It said this was partly because of extreme

weather events and industrial action, but mainly because a new timetable in 2017 pushed the network to its limits and severely restricted access to the tracks for maintenance.

It recommended an all-out assault on this backlog to repair the network, dramatically reduce equipment failures and restore reliability for passengers.

Sydney Trains has now mapped out a massive maintenance program to take place every weekend for the next year or more. It is designed to perform several years’ worth of normal maintenance works in that time by pouring huge resources and numbers of additional crews into the task.

This month also saw the first day of operation for Australia’s new High Speed Rail Authority (HSRA), following the announcement of the organisation’s Board.

The authority is responsible for overseeing the development of a high-speed rail network along the east coast of Australia.

A priority of the HSRA will be planning and corridor works for the Sydney to Newcastle section of the high-speed rail network, backed by a $500 million commitment from the Australian Government.

JULY The Federal Government appointed Jacqui Walters to the role of National Rail Manufacturing Advocate and eight leading experts to the Rail Industry Innovation Council.

Assistant manufacturing minister Tim Ayres – who declared the intention to seek an advocate last year – said the appointments were critical to the National Rail Manufacturing Plan, which aims to deliver a national strategy for the domestic manufacture of high-quality, lowemissions passenger trains.

“Rebuilding rail manufacturing in Australia will have spillover economic benefits, particularly for regional communities like Newcastle, Maryborough, Ballarat, Bendigo and

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2023 in review

Dandenong where we will back secure, bluecollar jobs,” he said.

As part of the plan, the Government will deliver the National Rail Procurement and Manufacturing Strategy by the end of the year.

“Australians can make the trains of the future, building long-term industrial capability as well as exporting those products to markets in regional and global supply chains,” Ayres said.

“As Advocate, Walters will work with state and territory governments and stakeholders to pursue a national approach that provides increased opportunities for local businesses and creates more local jobs, particularly in regional Australia.”

Also on the manufacturing front, the $7.1 billion Queensland Train Manufacturing Program was launched with a $4.6 billion contract officially signed for Downer Group to design and manufacture the trains.

It was part of Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s commitment to Queenslanders that rail manufacturing jobs would be returned to Maryborough, with this investment set to support 800 construction and manufacturing jobs.

Downer is now tasked with the manufacture 65 passenger trains at a state-owned purposebuilt facility at Torbanlea.

The new trains will be more accessible for people with a disability, with the addition of Train Boarding Bridges and Electronic Levelling Controls to address the gaps between platforms and trains, as well as phone charging capabilities.

The first trains will complete manufacturing and commence testing in late 2026, with all 65 trains expected to be in service by 2032.

Elsewhere, the Australasian Railway Association (ARA) declared that the Sydney Metro West line to Parramatta had to proceed as planned, as it would ultimately be more expensive to halt works already underway and severely impact Sydney’s growing western suburbs.

ARA chief executive Caroline Wilkie said stopping this once-in-a-century transport infrastructure project – which would double rail capacity between the two CBDs – would have negative impacts on the wider community.

NSW Premier Chris Minns had earlier refused to rule out cancelling or delaying the $25 billion project, which he doubted could be delivered at that cost. Both the costs and timeline for the underground line have significantly blown out since it was first announced by the previous government in 2016.

Wilkie said halting major projects like the Sydney Metro West line mid-construction, with tunnel boring already in full swing, would cost the NSW taxpayer more in the long run and have significant negative impacts on sustainable growth.

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Members of Queensland Rail’s Sequence ETCS test and commissioning team at Shorncliffe station.

“This is a significant piece of transport infrastructure that will bring great benefits to not only Western Sydney but the entire Sydney region in terms of jobs and housing creation,” she said.

Wilkie said cancelling projects midconstruction also had significant ripple effect on the industry which lasts for years.

“Certainty is critical for industry. When projects get cancelled repeatedly you can’t get contractors to bid for projects. You lose capability in the market to deliver vital projects and you lose competitiveness,” she said.

Elsewhere, the South Australian Government announced that hybrid trains and hydrogen buses were set to join a full-battery electric bus as the latest technology to be trialled across the state’s transport network.

Initial testing of a prototype hybrid-diesel railcar is progressing well, with a second railcar fitted with a new energy storage and recovery system. These railcars have been coupled together and the testing of the two-car train set is now underway.

This two-car train set is the first of 44 diesel railcars expected to be fitted with the hybrid system, with the trains to run on the Outer Harbor, Grange and Belair lines.

This new system works by storing kinetic energy generated when the train brakes to an onboard battery, converting it into electrical energy to power normal train operations – decreasing stress on the engine and fuel consumption by approximately 16 per cent.

The battery will also be used instead of the diesel engine to supply auxiliary loads (power for lighting and air-conditioning, for example) at the train platform within Adelaide Railway Station to reduce noise, emissions and air pollution.

Installation of the system on the remaining trains will be progressively rolled out, with all trains expected to be in passenger service with the new system by mid-2024.

AUGUST Trains were tested at maximum speed inside the Metro Tunnel beneath Melbourne’s CBD. Trains were first run between 5 and 25km/h, but this month moved through the tunnels at up to 80km/h – the same speed they will travel when the Metro Tunnel opens in 2025.

By starting at low speed, the team was able to prove the reliability of the Metro Tunnel’s High Capacity Signalling, which will allow for more trains to run more often.

The majority of testing for the remainder of the year will continue at up to 80km/h.

Testing will continue progressively to ensure the Metro Tunnel’s complex systems are working well together with the project’s new High Capacity Metro Trains, and alongside the wider network’s existing signalling system – an incredibly complex process.

The next step is to run multiple trains in the same tunnel at the same time.

In 2024, trial HCMT train services will run from Clayton to West Footscray through the Metro Tunnel, using all the new systems, to confirm that everything is ready for a safe, reliable and efficient passenger service to begin when the Metro Tunnel and five new stations open in 2025.

Over the border, the NSW Government reached an agreement to get the full complement of New Intercity Fleet trains on the tracks in the shortest possible time.

Transport for NSW and the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) have signed a deed on a

final operating model for the new electric Mariyung trains, which will run on the Newcastle and Central Coast, Blue Mountains and South Coast Lines.

This deed aligns the New Intercity Fleet operating model with that of the Waratah fleet, and subject to approval by the Office of National Rail Safety Regulator, will allow the new trains to enter passenger service in the most efficient way.

Following last year’s agreement between government and unions to modify the fleet, Transport for NSW has now confirmed the final scope and detailed design of the modifications and submitted an order with RailConnect to deliver the changes.

A process has begun to transition the operation of the Mariyung trains and the majority of intercity passenger services, crew and stations from NSW TrainLink to Sydney Trains.

This transition will take advantage of the scale within Sydney Trains to help improve access to resourcing, crew availability and training that supports getting the new trains into service as soon as possible.

The New Intercity Fleet will set a new standard of travel for commuters who make approximately 26 million journeys a year on the electrified intercity network.

The improvements include wider, more spacious two-by-two seating with arm rests, tray tables, and high seat backs, charging ports for mobile devices, dedicated spaces for luggage, prams and bicycles, and modern heating and air conditioning.

A timeline for the introduction of the New Intercity Fleet will be finalised with operations expected to commence in 2024.

SEPTEMBER The NSW Government maintained investment in several significant rail projects as part of its $72.3 billion commitment to transport infrastructure in its 2023-24 Budget.

Budget allocations include: • Investing an additional $1 billion in Sydney Metro City and Southwest to “get the project back on track after delays and cost blowouts left it unable to be completed” • Delivering the Sydney Metro–Western Sydney Airport, with six new stations to service the future Western Sydney International Airport with $7.9b over four years • $302.7 million reserved for a Western Sydney Rapid Bus network to connect the communities of Penrith, Liverpool, and Campbelltown to the future Western Sydney International Airport • $200m reserved to expedite the planning for the procurement, construction, and

delivery of Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2 for Western Sydney • An additional $300m to upgrade train station car parks and make stations more accessible through the installation of new lifts, ramps, and footbridges • $95.9m for the Fixing Country Rail program, to deliver improved capacity and reliability to the regional rail network and deliver a highly functional network for moving freight in and out of regional areas • $1.4b for the delivery of a new regional rail fleet to replace the ageing regional one.

On the west coast, Australia’s first trackless tram arrived to be prepared for use in the Perth shire of Stirling.

After a long journey from Shanghai, China, the 30-metre tram was delivered to the City’s administration centre, where it will undergo testing as part of a trial with partners from Curtin University, ITSG, CRRC and Shanghai Electric.

The process will involve a range of experts who will examine how this technology works to help determine whether it can be implemented along Scarborough Beach Road.

With its efficient and eco-friendly features, the trackless tram represents a mode of transportation that aligns with the City’s vision for sustainability with a local focus.

The trial of the trackless tram ran through to November, where locals and stakeholders had the chance to ride the tram and be part of some user experience testing.

The $2 million business case and trial for the trackless tram has been funded by the Australian Government.

OCTOBER Passenger train services along the Cranbourne/ Pakenham Line started operating with High Capacity Signalling (HCS) – the high-tech signalling system introduced to Melbourne’s rail network by the Metro Tunnel Project.

Akin to adaptive cruise control in a car, the system tracks the location and speed of trains in real time to ensure safe distances and speeds.

This technology will soon allow passenger trains on parts of the network to travel closer together, improving service frequency and reliability. This is the first time in Australia the next-generation signalling system has been retrofitted to an existing network, and comes after years of testing new systems and trains without passengers.

There are now 17 passenger services a day using the new signalling system on sections of the Cranbourne/Pakenham Line, alongside Melbourne’s conventional signalling system.

The number of services running HCS will increase in coming months.

When the Metro Tunnel opens in 2025, trains on the new Cranbourne/Pakenham to Sunbury Line will use a mix of HCS and conventional signalling, and will exclusively use the new signalling system when travelling through the Metro Tunnel and its five new underground stations.

In other news, Inland Rail acting chief executive Rebecca Pickering stepped down from the position after serving in the role for more than two years.

Joining Inland Rail in 2018 and appointed acting chief in 2021, Pickering led the company through the Australian Government’s independent review into Inland Rail, helping to implement the recommendations of the review, including the creation of the new Inland Rail subsidiary.

Inland Rail undertook a recruitment process for a replacement and interim arrangements were put in place until the position is filled.

Last year Pickering acknowledged that the project could be improved, in the wake of the Federal Government review of the program.

WA’s first new C-series train on its maiden test run on Perth’s passenger train network.

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Supply chains

Freight strategy report: good but can do better

The rail industry has called for urgent improvements to the rail freight network, with new data revealing the mounting cost of underinvestment is hurting consumers at the checkout.

The National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy is a national framework designed to position Australia to meet its growing freight needs. The current strategy was agreed to by governments with extensive input from industry.

When the strategy was established in 2019, it provided foundations for improving the efficiency, effectiveness and reliability of Australian supply chains.

However, over the past few years, these conduits have experienced ongoing and compounding disruptions of a scale that was never envisaged when the plan was being developed.

While the foundations of the strategy remain strong, infrastructure and transport ministers agreed to bring forward the first review from 2024 to 2023 to ensure it remains fit for purpose in the current environment, and called for submissions from interested parties.

Issues such as infrastructure resilience, decarbonisation, and interoperability were not a key focus in 2019, whereas the events of the last several years have demonstrated the significance these issues will continue to have on the national freight links.

The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) and the Freight on Rail Group (FORG) were both involved in the development of the strategy and have remained involved in the actions, initiatives

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and consultations that have occurred throughout the plan’s implementation to date.

ARA chief executive Caroline Wilkie said while there had been some positive progress made, the review provided an opportunity to further improve and refine the strategy to ensure that it could deliver more meaningful and practical improvements.

“We welcome the Australian Government’s decision to bring forward the review and we look forward to continuing to positively contribute to ensure the strategy provides an effective framework for Australia to meet its growing freight task,” she said.

ARA AND FORG A joint submission by the ARA and FORG to the Review showed that freight outages have cost the economy hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years.

“At a time when cost of living pressures are hitting millions of households, the price the nation is paying for a lack of investment in rail freight is simply too high,” she said.

Wilkie noted that with the more extreme weather events impacting the freight network, there was an urgent need to invest in resilience projects to improve efficiency and keep supply chain costs low so consumers are not unnecessarily impacted by rising prices.

“The importance of Australian land-based supply chains and their value to the national economy became evident during the height of the COVID pandemic, as well as extreme weather events resulting in infrastructure damage from flooding, wash-aways, and bushfires that occurred in recent years,” she said.

“Rail will continue to play an increasingly important role in strengthening our supply chains, however it must be optimised to enable the safe, reliable, and efficient delivery of commercial goods to support Australian families and businesses.

“To ensure the reliability of rail freight and strengthen Australia’s supply chains, urgent upgrades to large sections of our interstate and regional rail infrastructure are needed so they can withstand increasing extreme weather events.

“The impacts of flooding on the rail network have been significant in recent times and have highlighted the challenges of our ageing infrastructure.

“Track closures and extensive speed restrictions due to poor track condition significantly impact service delivery and reliability, creating additional risks within the supply chain and significant reputational damage.

“This is exacerbated by the current lack of rail interoperability, which is detrimental to a

The ARA has called for freight rail to be optimised to enable the safe, reliable, and efficient delivery of commercial goods.

strong supply chain. Developing a consistent approach across rail networks nationally would improve efficiency, reduce complexity and lead to a stronger national freight network and supply chain.”

Wilkie said a major outage on key interstate routes could cost the economy hundreds of millions of dollars, leaving consumers to pick up the cost.

“In a state like Western Australia, where 80 per cent of land-based freight arrives by rail, road alone cannot keep supermarket shelves stocked and costs low,” she said.

Upgrading the interstate rail network would not only improve climate resilience, but also reduce speed restrictions and weight limits and provide greater capacity for longer, heavier trains – driving down freight costs and improving road safety.

Wilkie said that when the strategy was released in 2019, it identified six overarching goals designed to guide the overnment and industry members in considering strategic priorities for freight policy, programs and investment.

The goals identified were: • improved efficiency and international competitiveness • safe, secure and sustainable operations • a fit for purpose regulatory environment • innovative solutions to meet freight demand • a skilled and adaptable workforce • an informed understanding and acceptance of freight operations.

“The ARA and FORG believe that these goals are still critically important to ensuring Australia’s freight and supply chains allow efficient and effective delivery on the country’s ever growing freight task, which is forecast to grow by 26 per cent by 2050,” Wilkie said.

“However, these goals do not recognise several significant emerging issues which will almost certainly impact the success of the strategy.”

The submission made a number of recommendations, including: • That an additional goal be included in the strategy focused on “enhanced resilience of critical transport infrastructure”.

• That the goal of “Innovative solutions to meet freight demand” be amended to read “Decarbonised and innovative freight operations”.

• That the goal of “Improved efficiency and international competitiveness” be amended to read “Improved interoperability, productivity and international competitiveness”.

• That the goal of “A skilled and adaptable workforce” be amended to read “A skilled, harmonised and adaptable workforce”.

• That the key action area of “Enable improved supply chain efficiency” be amended to read “Enable improved and interoperable supply chain efficiency”.

AUSTRALIAN LOGISTICS COUNCIL Meanwhile, in its submission, the Australian Logistics Council (ALC) identified seven projects as being most relevant and impactful potential

additions to the National Action Plan for the next five years.

ALC Chief of Policy, Sheena Fardell, said the first of the priorities in its submission addressed the current shortcomings found in the strategy as the key enabler of national investment and policy coordination, while the remaining six applied to different aspects of Australia’s supply chain challenges while fulfilling the objectives of the strategy.

• Making the strategy effective: Fardell said industry believed that the strategy has lacked authority, responsibility and accountability and has not delivered according to its objectives.

She said working to the Infrastructure and Transport Ministers Meeting (ITMM), the Heads of Departments represented in the Infrastructure and Transport Senior Officers Council (ITSOC) should assume responsibility and accountability for the ongoing successful delivery of the Strategy.

“The minister for infrastructure, transport, regional development and local government must become the champion of the strategy, which in turn must become a standing agenda item of ITMM,” she said.

ITSOC should establish the appropriate mechanisms to drive success of the strategy across all areas of government, incorporating all relevant government agencies and major programs, and assume responsibility and accountability to advise ITMM on the progress of delivering the strategy according to its objectives.

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Supply chains

The ALC says that by 2030, freight and transport will be the single largest emitter in Australia.

“Industry should be provided timely and transparent reporting (at a frequency no less than quarterly) on the strategy action pipeline and delivery performance, while being proactively engaged in establishing the list of projects and programs to meet strategy objectives,” Fardell said.

• Decarbonisation of freight transport By 2030, freight and transport will be the single largest emitter in Australia and the hardest-toabate sector.

“There is a lack of urgency from government, failing to deliver mode shift targets, the prioritisation of private motor vehicles over freight vehicles, and regulatory barriers that prohibit the use of internationally manufactured zero-emission vehicles,” Fardell said.

“This is delaying an expedited, orderly industry transition to meet net zero goals.”

The ALC calls for a coordinated national approach to enable freight logistics, freight transportation, and supply chain decarbonisation; innovative solutions to meet freight demand; improved productivity and international competitiveness; iSafe, secure and sustainable operations; and a fit-for-purpose regulatory environment.

“The strategy must deliver a national program to decarbonise freight, logistics and transport through efficiency gains, modal shift, and fuel, energy and technology changes,” Fardell said.

• Workforce The current and future people and training demands of the industry are not being met.

“The strategy has to deliver a program that offers an independent, industry-validated assessment and report, specifically relating to

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identification of the current and future people and training needs of industry,” Fardell said.

As well, she said there needed to be an exploration of the factors underlying why Australia’s education system was not effectively serving the supply chain industry; why the migration system was not effectively serving the supply chain industry; and an examination of broad ranging potential solutions, for example the inclusion of skills development, participation and migration, and importing specialised training programs.

• Public sector planning and decision-making Fardell said some public sector planners and decision makers lacked sophisticated awareness of the supply and freight logistics system, resulting in poor decision-making that negatively impacted Australia’s productivity, sustainability, and resilience.

“The strategy can develop a program to identify the capability gaps (across all levels and divisions of government) and urgently design and deliver micro credentials to improve decision making in relation to strategy objectives,” she said.

Regulatory consistency for freight accessibility Fardell said the disconnect between the various levels and divisions of government, compounded by a lack of sophisticated understanding of regulatory constraints on supply chain and freight logistics, systematically resulted in inefficiency, decreased productivity and unintended consequences including increased emissions, congestion, raised safety concerns and cost of living pressures.

“The ALC calls for the development of a national approval process that encourages local,

state, and territory governments to align their decision-making in the field of freight logistics.,” she said.

“This process would utilise intergovernmental agreements to establish transparent performance metrics, with associated payments contingent upon meeting them.”

• Interconnected infrastructure The ALC noted that a paucity of interconnected freight logistics infrastructure stemmed from a lack of sophisticated systems knowledge in infrastructure, design, investment and delivery and ineffective coordination of major projects.

“The strategy must establish direct responsibility and accountability for interconnected infrastructure within the national supply chain, for road, rail, sea, and air freight logistics, through national, uniform processes and procedures developed by the respective Departmental heads,” Fardell said.

“These need to be reviewed by peak national industry bodies and ITSOC , including the coordination of major infrastructure projects such as Inland Rail, east-west rail, Western Sydney Airport, and the various intermodal terminal developments.”

• Freight transport and logistics resilience “Critical freight transport and logistics infrastructure regularly fails due to the increasing occurrence of severe climate events, so it is essential to fortify Australia’s supply chain resilience,” Fardell said.

“The strategy must deliver a framework for industry validation of network mapping and the identification of critical network infrastructure, the assessments of supply chain resilience risks, and prioritisation of funding to address actual and potential points of failure.”

PWI NSW Annual Convention

Back to basics and looking forward The importance of regional rail on the communities it serves – along with its legacies and pathways – formed the theme of this year’s Permanent Way Institution NSW Annual Convention.

Named Back to Basics 2.0, the event – held at Orange – attracted delegates seeking to revisit the fundamentals of rail infrastructure construction, maintenance and design.

The event spotlighted the need to return to the roots of railway engineering while celebrating the ingenuity of rail professionals.

Making the keynote presentation was regional transport and roads minister Jenny Aitchison, who was appointed to the role barely six months ago as part of the incoming Labor Government.

Growing up in Canberra and living in regional NSW for more than 25 years, she is a strong advocate for the transport sector, having served on State and Federal committees and presented on issues of resilience, environment, critical incident and safety management, disability access, increasing patronage, tourism and economic development, and the transition to the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator.

In her speech, Aitchison spoke about the government’s key focus areas and priorities, which included restoring reliability in the network, integrating different modes of transport, respecting and reengaging the local workforce, and ensuring train link services provide access and equity to everyone.

Speaking next, PWI NSW president Mark Harris informed delegates that regional NSW had traditionally been a breeding ground for rail infrastructure skills and trades, especially in permanent way, civil and structural engineering.

“The convention’s theme underscores the importance of revisiting and reinforcing these fundamental skills, fostering resilience and leadership at all levels, planning for succession, transferring knowledge, and better project planning and management, as well as exploring how rail in regional NSW continues to perform well in the face of limited funds and challenging conditions,” he said.

The parent institution was formed in 1884 in England by a group of dedicated railway personnel, who were responsible for development of railway track across the British Isles, and who felt the need for an avenue for exchange of track design, construction and maintenance. They realised the educational and social value of communications between all levels of personnel engaged on the railway tracks and associated structures.

NSW regional transport and roads minister Jenny Aitchison.

Harris said the safety of rail travel has been brought to the present standards because of a better understanding of the behaviour of the tracks under load, and the PWI had played a vital part in gaining this understanding.

Realising this, the NSW section was formed in 1974, not only to benefit from those who had gone before, but also to add to the development of still more efficient rail transportation in the years ahead.

Taking a journey back in time, Harris explained how, as settlement in the western regions of NSW expanded, there had been a growing need for efficient transportation links to Sydney.

“In the mid-19th century, various proposals were put forward for railway lines to cross the Blue Mountains and connect with inland towns like Bathurst and Orange,” he said.

“Construction of the railway line over the Blue Mountains began in the 1860s as part of the Main Western Line, which aimed to connect Sydney to Bathurst and beyond. The line reached Bathurst in 1876, significantly improving transportation of people and goods to and from the western regions.

“The railway line was extended from Bathurst to Orange in the 1880s, which further facilitated economic development and transport in the area. This extension helped

Orange become a significant regional centre for agriculture, trade, and industry.”

Throughout the 20th century, the railway line underwent various upgrades and modernisation efforts to improve its efficiency and capacity.

The development of rail infrastructure in the region played a crucial role in the transportation of agricultural products, minerals, and other goods to and from the central west of the state.

“In the latter half of the 20th century, the railway industry in Australia experienced a decline in passenger services and freight transport via rail, with a shift towards road transport,” Harris said.

“This led to changes in the railway network, with some lines being closed or reduced in capacity.

“Over the years, Orange and the surrounding areas has witnessed significant developments in its railway infrastructure. Major projects, expansions, and innovations have transformed this area into a hub of rail-related industries.

“These developments have not only improved transportation but have also provided countless employment opportunities for the local community.”

Harris said there were many other towns across regional NSW that are either founded on or thrived after they became ‘railway towns’

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PWI NSW Annual Convention

PWI NSW president Mark Harris (left), PWI Young Achiever of the Year Benson Wong and CPB project director Julian Sharp at the event.

– Werris Creek, Nyngun, Bowral, and Tenterfield, for example.

“Werris Creek came into existence when 500 railway workers settled in the area in 1877 to build the railway line from Murrurundi to Tamworth, and later continued with the branch line to Gunnedah,” he said.

“As a result, Werris Creek is now a very proud and historic railway town with street signs shaped like railway signals, a huge and elegant railway station, an important railway museum, a monument to the workers who lost their lives on the railways, and a collection of statues celebrating the railway workers. And this is just one example of how the railways transformed many parts of regional NSW.” Harris noted the importance that Country Rail Network (CRN), a critical component of NSW’s rail system, played in the regions.

“The decision to headquarter CRN – now transitioned into UGL – right here in Orange reflects the city’s strategic importance as a central hub for railway operations in regional NSW,” he said.

“Regional NSW is currently experiencing a resurgence in rail projects, driven by the recognition of the pivotal role railways play in our economy.”

Looking beyond Orange, Harris said it was crucial to recognise the significance of the entire regional rail network.

“Regional NSW is currently experiencing a resurgence in rail projects, driven by the recognition of the pivotal role railways play in our economy,” he said.

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“The construction of the new and upgraded Inland Rail route; the new intermodal hub at Parkes located in the central west, known as the Inland Rail Hub, and with other possible intermodals proposed at Narrabri, Dubbo, Narromine, and Moree; and the new trains stabling facility at Dubbo for the New Intercity Fleet (NIF) – these are all noteworthy investments and growth opportunities for the regional NSW rail industry.

“These projects encompass track expansions, modernisation efforts, and the implementation of cutting-edge technologies to enhance efficiency, safety, and sustainability as well as improving regional transportation services.

“They are essential for connecting the regions, facilitating trade, and ensuring the continued growth of our communities.”

Harris said the railway industry was not only about tracks, overhead wiring, signalling systems and trains, but about connecting people, fostering economic and skills development, and driving progress.

“By working together to ensure that our railways remain at the forefront of innovation and development, we can look forward to a future where our railways contribute even more significantly to the growth and prosperity for not only regional NSW, but for the nation.”

The importance of having a regional legacy was echoed by UGL Regional Linx assets and engineering head Luke Cunningham.

A prior winner of the PWI Young Achiever award who has worked across various government and commercial entities in

NSW, Cunningham is passionate about infrastructure, railways and people and strives to improve work practices and further develop maintenance strategies and asset intelligence.

“Country rail is a great way for any person to get a solid grounding in the fundamentals of railway practice,” he said.

“Despite this incredible size of the region, the working teams are relatively small, which meant that everyone had to wear a lot of different hats.

“It’s not enough to be an expert in just one thing; there’s simply not enough work to justify the kind of specialisation that happens elsewhere in the industry.

“Instead, country rail creates rail professionals who are expert generalists, with a well-rounded skillset that makes them expert problem solvers.

“You also get to be excellent at risk assessment because our works programs are relatively small as well. You simply can’t afford to buy-out risk or be conservative when your total annual works program combined would struggle to qualify for the dollar value thresholds of some industry award categories.”

In keeping with the theme, Sydney Trains engineering and maintenance executive director Nev Nichols said the operator had also gone ‘back to basics’ to maintain resilience in its operations, particularly in clearing its maintenance backlog, its rail repair plan and in engaging stakeholders in times of disaster.

“Engineering and Maintenance (E&M) services a $1.5 billion annual maintenance program of works, spanning the 1600km Sydney Trains integrated heavy rail network, servicing the needs of passengers and freight,” he said.

“We maintain $41 billion worth of network assets within infrastructure, fleet, facilities and operational technology along with internal capabilities in engineering, asset management, construction (including major projects), maintenance, network incident and disaster recovery response and supply chain.

“The last few years have seen unprecedented challenges and resounding impacts on the way we operate. They have been particularly challenging for the front line across a range of industries, and the rail industry was no exception.

“In 2022, severe wet weather events caused flooding, significant landslips, and damage to track, electrical and signalling infrastructure across our network – and 10km of track infrastructure damage as a result of a major derailment right before Christmas. These events occurred within a 10-month window, and we really had to dig deep and work together to rebuild our infrastructure and services.”

Nichols said meeting the challenges couldn’t have been done without the backing of the broader rail industry and Sydney Trains’ external workforce.

“Our contractors and industry suppliers not only provide essential expertise in niche technical areas day to day, they are always there to help us rebuild in times of disaster – we can’t thank the industry enough.”

CPB Contractors project director Melanie Bowden spoke on how the Dubbo maintenance facility, mentioned by Harris in his opening address, would leave a lasting legacy in the area.

The NSW Government is constructing a purpose-built maintenance facility in the city to service the state’s new Regional Rail fleet, which will replace the ageing NSW suite of XPT, XPLORER and Endeavour trains.

“Through a period of unprecedented demand in metropolitan areas (and mobility challenges resulting from COVID), CPB, on behalf of CAF, Momentum Trains and TfNSW, has been building the Mindyarra Maintenance Centre,” Bowden said.

“Project success must include a lasting legacy to the regions in which the project operates, both for sustainable communities and a sustainable ongoing rail industry.”

Bowden raised some issues to consider: “Increase in regional rail work means we need to think differently on how we resource our projects – how do we harness local and

UGL Regional Linx assets and engineering head Luke Cunningham at the convention.

available workforce but also ensure we are upskilling to enable delivery of highly technical works?” she said.

“We need to leave a skilled workforce for more regional projects and to operate and maintain these new essential facilities and assets.

“We should ensure the transitional workforce is integrated into delivery models, considering how rostering and locations impact our subcontracting workforce.

“As we win work, we need to identify opportunities that promote the Aboriginal custodians of the land we work on and integrate their priorities into our offering to provide a lasting legacy that contributes to Aboriginal peoples’ economic advancement and improves respect and appreciation for Aboriginal cultures.”

Bowden said upskilling the workforce required investment from existing personnel in the workforce, and posed challenges in finding ways to communicate, educate, reinforce and engage work teams in this collective goal.

ARTC program delivery director (Albury to Parkes), Melvyn Maylin, and Martinus Rail chief operating officer, Ryan Baden, spoke on the Inland Rail freight line, which is traversing regional locations across three states.

With the sections from Parkes to Narromine complete and Narrabri to North Star nearing completion, focus turns to the sections between Beveridge in Victoria and Parkes in New South

Wales, which have been prioritised by the Australian Government for completion by 2027.

Maylin and Baden said Inland Rail was committed to using local suppliers, skills and labour, where possible, and ensuring environmental, community and economic considerations are embedded in our procurement process.

In NSW, more than 4080 jobs had been created for local and First Nations people and more than $380 million has been spent in regional economies.

Martinus Rail has been awarded a contract to design and deliver enhancement works on the Albury to Illabo and Stockinbingal to Parkes sections of Inland Rail.

The two speakers provided a project update and discussed current and upcoming procurement opportunities, timeframes, the procurement process and how to stay informed about the latest developments on Inland Rail tenders.

Also addressing the conference was Transport for NSW environment and sustainability director Rod Barber, who was passionate about Sydney Trains’ net zero emissions initiative.

“Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink together use approximately 874GWh of electricity per annum (about 1.3 per cent of NSW’s total electricity consumption),” he said.

“This equates to the electricity usage of about 158,000 Sydney households. Through the net zero initiative, all electricity used across the Sydney Trains network is 100 per cent renewable, removing about 708,203 tonnes of CO2-e emissions each year.

“This has reduced Sydney Trains’ total emissions footprint by 98 per cent, with the remaining 2 pr cent of emissions to be offset before 2025.”

The initiative makes Sydney Trains the first heavy rail passenger service in Australia to transition to net zero emissions from electricity.

“We are proud to have been able to make rail transport an even more sustainable mode of transport. The travelling public in Sydney will now have a net zero emissions public transport option across greater Sydney,” Barber said.

He said the net zero project was a direct example of sustainable leadership.

“Sydney Trains aimed to achieve an ambitious implementation of net zero ahead of the 2025 target in a fiscally responsible manner, while providing leadership and incentive for further renewable energy market development. This has been achieved four years ahead of target,” he said.

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Towards decarbonisation: opinion

Finding the right fuel to cut down emissions We are now at an interesting and important moment within the rail industry.

Rail accounts for around 4 per cent of total Australian emissions, with a passenger rail journey up to four times ‘cleaner’ than a singleoccupant car journey.

But transport emissions have increased 64 per cent since 1990. That’s the largest percentage increase of any sector.

The vast majority of the rail industry’s emissions come from the movement of freight, and the predominantly dieselpowered locomotives moving it. The efficient movement of freight is incredibly important for our economy, and we’re moving more of it throughout the country each year.

Whether it’s the transportation of resources and minerals bound for export, agricultural products, fuel or our domestic haulage – freight by rail is often the most efficient way to move large quantities across Australia.

With the rapid increase in home deliveries, alongside population growth, we expect to see road freight grow too.

The impact of the increase in cargo volume could be mitigated by moving more long-haul movements to rail.

Some recent studies estimate that a typical freight train can haul around 200 20ft containers – the equivalent of taking approximately 65 B-double trucks off the road,

Freight locomotives make up the majority of the rail industry’s emissions, so the focus is on how to make them more efficient.

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and on a per tonne/km travelled producing 16 times less carbon pollution than road freight.

So, if diesel-powered freight is the biggest challenge, what’s the solution?

That’s the question occupying the minds of freight operators and freight locomotive manufacturers like UGL. Much of what makes our country such a great place to live and work, also makes freight quite challenging.

We could be tempted to look overseas for solutions to the emissions challenge.

However, Australia’s size, the dispersal and size of its population, the inconsistency in rail line sizes and standards across the network and the fact that very little of the network is electrified – and I’m sure it’s unfeasible to electrify all of it – make Australia unique.

This also means we can’t afford to wait for someone else to give us the answer.

Everyone in the industry is looking at solutions, and there are many possibilities.

Will we be able to build battery electric or hydrogen-powered trains with enough range for those long distances? What infrastructure would be required to maintain the fleet? Can we electrify more of the network?

The solution won’t come easily and will take time.Adding extra pressure to the largest

Ian Quarrie, Executive General Manager Transport Division, UGL

freight companies in Australia is the Federal Government’s Safeguard Mechanism, which encourages large emitters to reduce emissions exponentially over the coming years.

Of course, the expectations of the community, shareholders, governments and customers ensures that reducing emissions across all elements of industry is a priority.

In fact, we recently had the pleasure of a large group of leaders from the NSW Government, Sydney Trains and other related entities join us at our Broadmeadow facility where we discussed the benefits of local rail manufacturing, and the positive outcomes that would bring.

The obvious benefits include local jobs and an uplift in capability across the manufacturing sector, but we also discussed the impact it would have on emissions.

Australian manufacturing businesses and facilities operate under the same framework as the rest of the country, striving to reduce emissions. One thing the industry can focus on today, is how we can make diesel-powered locomotives more efficient.

At UGL we’re proud to be the only manufacturer of Australian-made locomotives.

Our C44 Evolution, designed and built in collaboration with Wabtec, will be the most fuel-efficient diesel electric locomotive on the market when it starts rolling out of our Broadmeadow, NSW facility next year.

To further improve the efficiency of diesel locomotives, there is a lot of work happening globally looking into the production and testing of various fuel types and diesel alternatives.

It’s a race of sorts, with fuel suppliers searching for the most efficient and easily

adopted fuel type. In my view it’s a race to find consensus.

At the risk of showing my age, this feels like our industry’s VHS vs Betamax moment, albeit with many more contenders in the alternative fuel field.

Using alternative fuels to traditional diesel such as bio-fuels or HVO (Hydrogen Vegetable Oil), or innovative fuel solutions such as gas and alcohol blends or e-diesel, we can introduce low emission diesel locomotives which help rail transport operators reduce their emission profile and help meet their shareholder and customer expectations.

If we, as an industry, were to find consensus on which fuel to adopt for existing diesel locomotives, we would reduce emissions almost overnight.

While this wouldn’t get us to zero emissions, it would greatly help as a transition method while the work on cleaner solutions progressed.

There are other areas where the rail industry can play a part in reducing emissions.

By making passenger rail journeys more attractive we can encourage the shift from cars (and their emissions) to rail.

There are many ways to do this, including more new electric trains and carriages, refurbished carriages of existing trains and the introduction of new train services, more frequency, and more passenger capacity to rail networks.

Improving the passenger experience is key in attracting more people out of their cars and on to trains.

Scope 3 emissions is another area where I think we can pick up some quick wins across the industry.

We operate within an extensive supply chain, both onshore and overseas.

NSW Government representatives visiting UGL’s Broadmeadow facility.

The Kaban Green Power Hub is an example of a renewable energy project, using wind turbines in Far North Queensland.

We should be using our collective scale to influence these supply chains to provide low carbon materials for the construction and manufacturing process.

This could include green steel, concrete alternatives for rail sleepers and looking into how we can best use the circular economy.

Of course, reducing emissions is a priority

across every sector in every part of our economy. At UGL, we play a critical role in Australia’s energy transition, and not just in the rail industry.

We are a leading contractor in the construction and installation of renewables assets – we’ve installed 14 solar farms and have five large-scale batteries either completed or under construction - and we’re building the thousands of kilometres of infrastructure required to connect those assets to the grid.

We also work with governments and some of the biggest companies in the world as they strive for their emissions reduction targets.

I’m proud to work for a company which is committed to reducing its emissions, and I’m just as proud of the incredible work we do to help the country reach its net zero ambitions through our dedication and expertise.

UGL will celebrate 125 years of history in Australia next year, and we acknowledge that our success over those years wouldn’t have been possible without innovating and finding solutions to our clients’ problems.

We plan to continue to do that, and we plan to be around for at least 125 more.

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Mobility solutions

The Transdev Australia and New Zealand operation spans buses, trains, trams and ferries.

Keeping cities on the move With its global transport network making about 10 million trips a day, Transdev’s local focus on “brilliant basics” is delivering for customers and clients.

Sydney’s love affair with trams is a shining example of how light rail can keep cities moving.

The network currently consists of three passenger routes – the L1 Dulwich Hill, L2 Randwick and L3 Kingsford lines – with a fourth, the 12 km Parramatta Light Rail in Sydney’s west, currently under construction and planned to open in 2024.

The day-to-day operations of the entire Sydney light rail network is managed safely and efficiently by Transdev, on behalf of Transport for NSW. Part of the ALTRAC Light Rail consortium, the operator has literally been in the driver’s seat for Sydney trams since inception, and until at least 2036.

Transdev is a French-based global mobility company which runs public transport all around the world, making almost 10 million trips a day across 19 countries.

Rail Express spoke to the head of Transdev’s Australian and New Zealand business, Brian Brennan, about what makes the company tick and its growing reach in the region.

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In his current role as Chief Executive Officer since April, Brennan is a Transdev veteran, having been with the company for 23 years in three different countries.

“At Transdev, we’re Journey Makers – people moving people,” he said.

“Transdev has roughly about 100,000 people globally, on 16 different transport modes, from bus, train, tram to cable car.

“We run all public transport modes - the only thing we don’t do, is fly airplanes.

“We are an absolute leader in light rail running 15 tram networks in eight countries now. And we’ve got two more tram networks coming up with Parramatta and also an extensive line being built in Ontario, Canada, with construction due to end in 2024.

“Locally, we’ve got a big footprint in Australia and New Zealand. We employ more than 4400 people and have a big multimodal presence with our operations here spanning buses, trains, trams and ferries.”

Brennan said Sydney Light Rail had gone from strength to strength since its evolution

from the decommissioned Sydney Monorail almost three decades ago.

The network’s original passenger route, the L1 Dulwich Hill line, first commenced in August 1997, but it wasn’t until 2019 that lines 2 and 3 were opened, just as COVID was rearing its head, forcing travel restrictions.

“Transdev’s success as a light rail operator here has been due to the great collaboration we have between us and our partners: Transport for NSW, tram maker Alstom and ALTRAC Light Rail,” he said.

“We’re focused on the brilliant basics including day-to-day operational safety, our focus on customer service, caring and developing our people, seeking labour harmony and supporting our diverse communities.

“Passengers on the light rail lines have skyrocketed with an increase of almost 50 per cent during the last 12 months, a major turnaround from a nose dive in patronage during the worst of the pandemic.

“February was the first time we we’ve carried more than three million passengers in the

Transdev is passionate about developing a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities in which it works.

month. And in September, the Sydney network recorded its highest levels of patronage to date with about 3.7 million passengers choosing to travel on the light rail.

“It’s really exciting that our trams are the first choice for so many. It’s easy, reliable, frequent, cost-effective and we run them well.

“Having integrated ticketing here in Sydney also helps in terms of crowd management for events and it’s been a real success story.”

Brennan had no doubts about the growing effectiveness of the network in transporting people around quickly and conveniently.

“There’s been a massive improvement in terms of journey time since it opened. It’s come from end-to-end travel times of above 50 minutes down to about 32 to 33 minutes consistently,” he said.

“We’ve also been able to upgrade our infrastructure in record times to run mixed CAF and Alstom vehicles on the L1 which has built trust in our asset management.

“Even when a cracking issue emerged, it was expected to shut Line 1 to passengers for up to 18 months, but thanks to our partnership approach, we had services back in 100 days.

“Most importantly now, people can rely on Sydney trams. People can plan their lives around it. It’s a turn-up-and-go service. People love using light rail.

“The popularity of light rail has been reflected in the increased frequencies put in place by Transport for NSW. “And Transdev and ALTRAC love helping move

people around. We are truly Journey Makers at the heart of everything that we do.”

Brennan said four new trams would come into operation in January, further enhancing peak service frequency.

“We have 60 Alstom Citadis trams, which now travel around Sydney, and we have the capacity to run about 64 to 70,” he said.

“We’re really able to shift people very, very positively and quickly.”

SYDNEY LIGHT RAIL FACTS • Record patronage 3.7 million trips in September • 94 per cent customer satisfaction levels • 99.67 per cent service availability for September • 97.12 per cent on-time running for September • 91.08 per cent headway compliance for September WELLINGTON Transdev has made its mark across the Tasman as well, with the company utilising its global experience in heavy rail for New Zealand’s capital Wellington.

Transdev Wellington began operating the passenger rail network on behalf of the Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) in 2016, running five regional lines around the city on a network of 154 kilometres of tracks with 49 stations.

In conjunction with Hyundai Rotem, Transdev

will continue to run Wellington trains through until 2031 after recently retaining the contract for the metro passenger rail service.

“Wellington is a city on the move and our local team has been very engaged and worked hard to improve the train network on all fronts since Transdev came on board in 2016,” Brennan said.

“From the outset, Transdev set up a control centre with a dedicated area for service monitoring and track control, in direct contact with the safety team.

“The contract extension reflects our commitment to support the Wellington public transport authority, Metlink, in delivering rail reliability and improved customer service.

“The Greater Wellington Regional Council is a very good client to work with. And quite forward thinking in what we’re trying to do.”

SOME WELLINGTON ACHIEVEMENTS • Lifting average punctuality from 91.8 per cent (2012-2015) to 96.8 per cent (2019- 2023) • Increasing service reliability from an average of 94.9 per cent (2012-2015) to 99.2 per cent (2019-2023).

• Improving the average distance between train failures for the fleet, increasing from an average of 46,000km (2012-2015) to 85,800km (2019-2023) and train availability of 100 per cent (for 2022-2023).

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Mobility solutions

Sydney Light Rail began with the L1 Dulwich Hill line.

LOOKING FORWARD Brennan said Transdev was also firmly committed to sustainability.

“Transdev aims for a 30 per cent reduction of emissions by 2030, and we plan to drive and be part of the climate solution rather than the problem,” he said.

Electric-powered light rail obviously lessens the carbon footprint and produces less noise than other transit modes, especially for the equivalent car traffic.

With this in mind, Transdev is constantly on the lookout for new public transport opportunities, including light rail.

In New Zealand, Transdev says its excited to support government in any future light rail or rapid transit opportunities.

PEOPLE POWER Brennan said Transdev’s philosophy for success revolved around maintaining a laser focus on improving business for customers, clients and its people.

“We call it ‘brilliant basics’. Our mantra for operations is to really deliver on the things that matter to people,” he said.

“Being safe, reliable, on-time, offering great customer service, looking after our people, collaborating with multiple unions and in addition to that, always doing the right thing by the customer, even if it makes it harder for us.

“We’re also investing in our own people. This year alone we’ve had 140 people who’ve gone

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through frontline leadership training right across Australia and New Zealand.

“That’s a big number. We’re trying to change the culture and the framework so our frontline managers are better equipped and confident to continue to do their jobs well and keep things running smoothly.

“As well, we’ve just been awarded a NSW Training Award, for our work with training and investing in our people and apprentices, and that award is across the all sectors, not just transport.

“Transdev is also passionate about developing a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities in which we work.

“We back our people right through the completion of their apprenticeships and traineeships and have developed strategic partnerships with organisations that can help and mentor people who may need extra support in the work environment.

“We also want to develop a learning and development culture.

“So since I’ve taken over, we’ve had 16 of our senior members go through a growth mindset course, looking at motivation, intelligence, resilience, accountability and some of the evidence of how we’re achieving our goals.

“Transdev, like any transport company, is on a journey, but at the end of the day, we’re really investing in our people to ensure we deliver the best for our customers and clients.”

Transdev Australian and New Zealand business head Brian Brennan.

Innovation in rail Railigent X helps optimise the rail journey for passengers.

X factor for sustainable mobility Siemens’ Railigent X advances sustainable transportation by digitally increasing the capacity of rail systems with less resources.

Siemens made a bold move to hasten digital transformation in 2022, when it unveiled its Xcelerator open business platform: a comprehensive portfolio of software and services offered by the company to enable customers to accelerate their digital transformation easier and faster.

Xcelerator is designed to empower businesses, particularly in the industrial, smart infrastructures and transportation manufacturing and engineering sectors, by providing digital tools, solutions, and services to streamline product development, accelerate innovation, and enhance operational efficiency.

Xcelerator connects different mobility players on one open digital business platform using Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to help unify systems and improve operations regardless of who built them.

In the mobility sector, there are typically many systems running in parallel, due to different suppliers in each national or even each local transport system.

Xcelerator helps customers unify fragmented rail systems with the overall intention of providing higher availability, punctuality, and utilisation of trains and the rail infrastructure.

It is the vendor-agnostic technological roof on

top of Siemens’ digital transformation strategy, allowing them to functionally unify proprietary and third-party solutions.

Rail Express speaks to Siemens Mobility’s Head of Customer Service for Australia and New Zealand, Gonzalo Martinez Delgado, about how the digital ecosystem enables rail operators and asset owners to better understand data, analyse assets, and derive actions, resulting in enhanced operation and maintenance to achieve 100 per cent system availability.

Martinez Delgado said Siemens Xcelerator is a dynamic and evolving platform, with new capabilities and integrations continuously added to keep up with the changing demands of the industry.

“Because it’s hosted on the cloud, it always has the latest version. The cloud is the fundamental technology element of all this acceleration,” he said.

“Without it, operators and businesses would need to upgrade and renew systems constantly, but by using the cloud, you have access to the latest systems all the time, together with the benefits it brings in terms of cybersecurity protection with the latest available protections centrally managed.”

Xcelerator is currently used by a wide range

of industries, including automotive, aerospace, industrial machinery, transportation and more.

Its goal is to help companies innovate faster, reduce time-to-market, improve product quality, and remain competitive in a rapidly evolving global marketplace.

Railigent X, a suite of applications that advances sustainable transportation by digitally increasing the capacity of rail systems with less resources, is part of Xcelerator.

“Siemens believes in the need for and benefits of digitalisation and transformation.

Each industry domain within Xcelerator has the right solution, and Railigent X is the one for rail,” he said.

“Using the same mindset and design principles as Xcelerator, Railigent X helps train and rail network operators deliver addedvalue across their core processes.

“We’re providing the technical tools and blueprints together with the process behind the modules that enable the digital transformation.”

As an open ecosystem that includes customers and partners, Railigent X fosters innovation and the creation of additional data services. At the same time, the Railigent X application suite can integrate data from different assets and multiple OEMs based on

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Innovation in rail

How Railigent X works.

open market standards. All of this combined with AI helps all industry stakeholders get more from their rail system and increase capacity – with less resources.

“To facilitate the digitalisation process, one of the things that Siemens understood as crucial for this journey was that we need to be open, to be willing to bring our data into this ecosystem, so that we enable full functionality between all sources and users,” Martinez Delgado said.

“If we want to really accelerate altogether as an industry, we all need to work together.

“We aim to connect infrastructure and rolling stock and make the information available and useful to both rail operators and passengers.

“Currently there is a complex patchwork of rolling stock, hardware, software, signaling, electrification and passenger information on every trip.

“By connecting the information across the different stakeholders of the mobility ecosystem – asset owners, operators, maintainers and passengers – we enable digital and sustainable mobility solutions.”

Martinez Delgado said there are a variety of train operators, infrastructure managers, computerware programs and apps that need to be brought together rather than engaged individually.

“We need to digitally connect the various stakeholders across the mobility chain within Railigent X to enable a punctual, comfortable, reliable and easy-to-use transportation system,” he said.

“This unified approach allows operators, maintainers, and asset owners to have access to all the relevant information in order to optimise the rail journey for passengers.

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“Railigent X makes intelligent use of rail asset data to create added value. It empowers rail operators, maintainers, and asset owners to understand their railway data, generate valuable information, and obtain deeper insights into the performance of their assets.

“They benefit because by connecting everything within one ecosystem, they will be able to manage all their assets centrally, no matter who manufactured them.”

THE CYBERSECURITY CHALLENGE Martinez Delgado is aware that while rail transport is becoming more digital, the shift exposes rail systems to increasing cybersecurity risks.

“Transportation systems are critical infrastructure and growing targets of cybercrime,” he said. “Operators face frequent and evolving threats, new laws, standards, and technology trends that define new requirements for cybersecurity.”

Martinez Delgado said Siemens’ holistic approach to cyber threats included using secured processes, assets, products, and services to protect rail systems during the whole lifecycle.

“We are a leader in digital rail and a founding member of the Charter of Trust, a nonprofit alliance of leading global companies and organisations working together to make the digital world of tomorrow a safer place.

“Cybersecurity is an integral part of rail, combining informational and operational technology for optimal rail protection.

“We use a security approach that covers all angles over the entire life cycle, tailored to customer needs in compliance with national laws, industry standards, and regulations.”

EXAMPLE IN ACTION Siemens Mobility is the system integrator for on-time delivery of the city-shaping project Sydney Metro–Western Sydney Airport, the new metro railway line that will service between St Marys, the new Western Sydney International Airport, and the Western Sydney Aerotropolis.

The company has been awarded a contract to deliver 12 automated, driverless threecar metro trains, a purpose-built depot, the digital rail infrastructure including signaling, telecoms, and platform screen doors as well as system integration, testing, and commissioning.

The company will also complete a 15-year maintenance contract.

Siemens Mobility is delivering the turnkey project as a member of the Parklife Metro consortium with its partners Webuild, RATP Dev, and Plenary Group, all with strong international experience in delivering infrastructure projects.

This will be the first carbon-neutral project and the first Railigent X project to be implemented in Australia.

“The Railigent X digital asset management applications will ensure 100 per cent system operational availability of the assets,” Martinez Delgado said.

“The operator, RATP Dev, wanted to implement its own computer maintenance management system (CCMS), and the diagnostic data and automatic corrective work orders for it are coming from Railigent X. “Railigent X is used to help gain valuable data insights in operation to enable greater reliability and availability for the assets, providing root cause analysis, condition monitoring, remedy recommendations, health prediction models and ultimately whole life cost optimisation.

“So, while the asset information system and service payment monitoring system are from our direct customer and partner RATP Dev, Railigent X was introduced as a condition monitoring system to help them provide an overall solution, showing once more Siemens’ flexibility to integrate into an open ecosystem with customers and partners.”

SUSTAINABILITY Lastly, and definitely not least, is the effect of Railigent X on sustainability.

One of Siemens Mobility’s pillars is to act decisively and introduce sustainability standards that enable decarbonisation and dematerialisation of the entire mobility value chain.

“By integrating solutions for our customers and implementing measures in our own company, we are creating added value related to decarbonisation, resource efficiency and transforming how we use the railways,” Martinez Delgado said.

“As a company, we support our customers in moving towards carbon-neutral passenger and freight transport, from door to door, in cities, and in-between, with rolling stock, rail infrastructure, intermodal solutions, rail services, and turnkey solutions.

“We play our part by utilising energyefficient products and accelerating alternative propulsion systems that use battery or hydrogen technology.

“Our customers also enjoy the benefits of increased asset value through our lifecycle management strategy, in turn reducing the ecological footprint of their operations.

Siemens Mobility’s Head of Customer Service for Australia and NZ, Gonzalo Martinez Delgado.

“We need to optimise operations and save manufacturing reserve trains when there is no need. For example, we can help predict failures.

Every time there is a failure that is not fixed, it consumes more time, more resources, more effort, more carbon.

“Fault-finding means we don’t need spare trains kept in a garage waiting for the running trains to fail. This is really sustainable because we have saved resources to build a train that will probably not be used, and would be scrapped later.

“One of the main benefits of Railigent X is the impact on lifecycle cost.

“Operators who can optimise the lifecycle are also more sustainable because they are looking for the optimum in terms of cost investment.

“So that’s another area in which we are reducing the carbon footprint and expenses.

“Furthermore, if you make the right decisions at the right time, you can also save energy.

“For example, why make a train travel faster from A to B if you know that there are some delays and train stops along the way?

“In such cases, there is no need for speed, instead we send the right message to the train to start coasting, to keep on running.

This uses less energy consumption and less carbon.

“Sustainability is the overarching challenge, not just for rail operators, not just for customers, but also for the general public.

“And Railigent X has all the tools needed to satisfy customers at the end of the door-todoor trip, in a sustainable way.”

Siemens’ holistic approach to cyber threats includes using secured processes, assets, products, and services to protect rail systems during the whole life cycle.

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Innovation in rail

Step Global systems on right track Since 2009, Australian-based Step Global has made a name for itself as a leader in the supply of technology products for the tracking and monitoring of mobile assets. Now it’s aiming to spread its reach further into the rail industry.

Step Global managing director David Lloyd.

A subterranean global navigation satellite system (GNSS) that regenerates satellite signals in real time, and is used to locate and track vehicles in road tunnels in Australia, could well soon be commonplace communication equipment for rail as well.

The key advantage of such a system is that any standard consumer GPS receiver, a smartphone using Google maps, or a dedicated tracking device, will be able to function as normal even though the receiver is underground. This proves invaluable in emergency situations, helping to locate people as well as providing directions for egress.

For a GPS receiver to locate itself, it has to have at least four good satellites in view, and be able to receive their navigation messages and ranging codes.

These provide the exact location of each satellite at that point in time and therefore the receiver can calculate its own position relative to the centre of the earth.

This process is difficult in tunnels and other underground locations, where the process of GNSS tracking is disrupted, as without satellite view, a receiver is unable to calculate its position.

But this can be avoided with the use of NoSky SatNav, a system that regenerates the satellite signals and enables GPS/GNSS receivers to calculate their latitude, longitude, and altitude within a subterranean area where there are no direct satellite signals.

Developed by Step Global, NoSky SatNav provides a regenerated signal that a receiver in a vehicle recognises as an actual satellite signal as if it had an open sky view.

The re-generated signals take into account the locations within the tunnel, achieved by using a series of radiating antennas in the tunnel ceiling. The signal from each of these antennas is relative to the precise position of each antenna.

How NoSky SatNav works in tunnels.

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The vehicle GNSS receiver will then calculate its position within the tunnel to the position of the radiating antenna.

Rail Express speaks to Step Global managing director David Lloyd about the solution and why GNSS is a benefit to the rail sector.

Lloyd said Step Global had full design authority, product supply and ongoing maintenance and service for the deployment of the NoSky SatNav GNSS system.

“It’s just one of the many GNSS solutions we have in our portfolio. We specialise in GNSS solutions for rail applications, enabling precise positioning, navigation, and optimised performance in railway systems,” he said.

“With a standard GPS receiver, whether it be on your smartphone, tablet or a dedicated vehicle receiver, even in rolling stock, we can regenerate the satellite signals from overhead into the tunnel and give a precise positioning in the tunnel.

“We’re working on a navigation project here in Australia at the moment. In terms of a realworld application, the technology is probably going to be one of the first in the world.

“It is actually for use in road tunnels, but it’s applicable also in rail tunnels. In fact, the Europeans are currently using a lot of GNSS positioning for rolling stock rather than just

using the old style signalling technique, so it’s a growing area and one we are developing.

“We should have our first installation here probably about mid-next year going in.”

Lloyd said Step Global had been providing precision timing and asset management systems for almost two decades.

“Step Global sources, manufactures and sells GNSS signal distribution and validation products, solutions, and services. Our products add value on a daily basis to the successful operations of our customers around the world,” he said.

Lloyd said the use of GNSS in railway systems presented many advantages, in particular the monitoring of the train’s exact location, logistic information management, the possibility to map the transport infrastructure, and enhanced train signalling.

Benefits also include line speed enforcement, brake control for man lines, on-board speed monitoring and wayside hazard detection for regional lines, more accurate stop information for tramways, train separation alerts for freight, and preventative maintenance/railroad worker protection on infrastructure projects.

“The GNSS is the source for anything that requires accurate position, velocity, heading, and timing data. It is the prime source of time data for communications networks, signalling and control, mobile phone, digital broadcasting, electricity networks, and many other applications,” Lloyd said.

Step Global also offers advanced rail computers, cellular routers, and network appliances, designed specifically for rail applications.

“Our high-performance solutions enhance rail operations, enabling seamless control and efficient communication,” Lloyd said.

AT A GLANCE “Step Global has three distinct operational areas, all with a focus on the management of mobile assets,” Lloyd said.

The first, Step Global Products, focuses on the value-added resale of a range of quality products from globally recognised manufacturers.

Product families include not just GNSS receivers, antennas, signal equipment and simulators, but also mobile and infrastructure antennas, timing and synchronisation from embedded modules to PTP network time servers, telematics hardware and services and RFID solutions.

The company also has a dedicated team providing a wide range of services around the products, including applications and systems design support, training, repairs and maintenance and extended warranties.

The 5G digi-tx64-r cellular router can be customised for both on-board heavy and light rail railways and metros.

The second, Step Global Solutions, provides engineered solutions focused on the real time management of mobile assets.

“This includes full system architecture design through module integration and software development,” Lloyd said.

“We specialise in developing both hardware peripherals and software applications.

“Our development technologies include wireless communications and networks, video capture and analytics, RFID, UHF and NFC, GNSS applications, AWS cloud services, and mobile apps.

“Our approach is to build on opportunities which aren’t standard.

“We don’t compete against simple, existing off-the-shelf products. We like to have an engineering challenge and we’ll apply ourselves and develop the architecture of the system and develop it.

“We use products from our main suppliers, put the system together with all the glue and then we wrap it all up in the software application.”

The third operational segment, Full System Offerings, consists of three products: Smart eDriver (an electronic work diary), AMS management system (location management software), and Asgard video system (videobased operational compliance and safety management and reporting).

The five-cable LTM passenger rail antennas include two cellular antennas, two WiFi antennas and one GPS antenna.

LOOKING FORWARD Lloyd said the company entered the rail sector after spotting the opportunities.

“We were distributing a range of cellular routers for a US company and then noticed it had a big range specifically designed for rail,” he said.

“And one of our other suppliers also had many products specific for rail.

“Because we handle a huge range of antennas, we had access to dedicated rail antennas. And we were already handling a lot of GNSS equipment.

“We thought rail has got to be a good target for us to go to, and now we’re making our name known.

“We aim to provide the right type of solution into the rail industry, even though we do understand that there’s a lot of standards to meet. There are many embedded suppliers already.

“There’s a lot of hurdles you need to jump.

We understand that. But we think we’ve got a very strong and extensive product range and a competitive engineering capability to help us succeed.”

The company is certainly and literally on the right track. Users of the company’s rail products have included Metro Trains Melbourne, Siemens, MRD Rail Technologies and Pacific National, for tasks such as faultfinding, GNSS simulation, RFID applications and equipment testing.

“We’ve had several big clients, but it’s always been quite ad hoc, with companies coming to us looking for something and we’ll help,” Lloyd said.

“For some of the areas where we work in, there are not that many companies in Australia that have the same knowledge base as us.”

Step Global may have found the cracks in the in the doors, but is currently on the verge of pushing them open.

As its reputation grows, it’s certainly a Step in the right direction.

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Innovation in rail

KeTech’s on-platform Customer Information Systems and on-board Passenger Information Systems provide consistent real-time information.

Harnessing intelligent information on Australia’s rail network Could unification be the catalyst for seamless passenger experiences in Australia?

Rail operators, builders, manufacturers, and transport ministers in Australia are pledging to work together to make rail more uniform across the country, particularly for any future major rail investments.

Seamless experience carries a different definition for different types of rail travel.

KeTech sales director, Paul Warren, discusses passenger rail and the biggest challenges that come with it, and how harnessing intelligent information could be the solution.

“Around 300,000 commuters travel by train to get to work in Australia1, with ‘urban weekday peak services’ making up 48.3 per cent of the industry’s revenue2,” he said.

“With decarbonisation goals in mind and rail being the greenest way to travel, how can we, as an industry influence people to travel by train to help reach those goals?

“There are many factors involved in people’s decision to use trains instead of other modes of transport. Cost, station location, ease of

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journey/number of stops, speed of journey, ease of access to facilities.

“As a technology company there is a limit to our ability to impact some of these factors, so what can we do? Where can we help?”

Warren said regular rail users already know how invaluable the right information can be.

Real-time information has transformed expectations, it can make or break passenger satisfaction on a journey.

“KeTech deliver truly real-time information to create seamless journeys,” Warren said.

“The impact KeTech’s intelligent information has is felt by both passengers and operators.

Seeing this change encourages KeTech to search for yet more ways to help improve the passenger experience, not just in the UK, but globally.

“Demand for services is booming across Australia with peak AM and PM being the busiest travel times.

“As the demand for these services grow, so does overcrowding on board.

“In Australia, there has been an increase from 2 per cent to 4 per cent in the proportion of travellers standing for some or all their journey due to overcrowding3.

“During a survey, it was found that the provision of information about crowding levels and seating availability on alternative trains would encourage some passengers to wait for a less crowded train5.

Warren said overcrowding isn’t just uncomfortable for passengers, it also has safety implications on platforms and impacts services running punctually as they must allow more dwell time to load and unload people onto the trains, contributing to further passenger dissatisfaction.

A 2016 survey from the Australasian Transport Research Forum revealed that if passengers knew which carriages had a lower occupancy rate before it arrived at their origin station, they would position themselves more evenly across the platform, potentially reducing overcrowding risk on the platform4.

KeTech’s real-time passenger occupancy and coach lettering systems work simultaneously to inform passengers how to use the platform and train carriages efficiently.

The coach lettering system is also beneficial to those who have reserved seats and can board the train in the correct coach.

KeTech’s passenger occupancy works in realtime in conjunction with journey information, providing passengers with information on how busy each coach is before their train reaches the station.

This gives passengers time to evenly distribute themselves along the platform and provides a quicker loading time and more comfortable on-board journey.

Additionally, the system can also provide how busy the next train is, leaving passengers feeling better informed about their options and can choose to wait for the next service if they feel the approaching train is too busy.

Although a passenger occupancy system will positively affect service punctuality, other factors on the railways can still cause delays.

“Unplanned Rail Disruption (URD) can be frustrating for all passengers, not just commuters, and it can often be more frustrating for passengers who don’t travel as frequently and aren’t as familiar with where to find alternative journey routes or information on their service,” Warren said.

“However, a Melbourne research paper shows that it’s not the disruption that passengers find most frustrating – it’s the authority’s response to it, and more specifically, the lack of communication with passengers6. “ The research paper investigated Australian passenger concerns during a URD. Figure 1 shows ‘being informed when a delay has occurred, when services are likely to resume, alternate route options and being kept up to date throughout the disruption’ all score highly on the importance scale for passengers; they also score on the lower end of the performance rank.

Real time information can transform passenger experience, through harnessing data from multiple sources and analysing it in real-time to provide contextual, intelligent, live information.

KeTech has been providing real-time information systems in the UK that solve these very problems for over 20 years.

“Our on-platform Customer Information Systems and on-board Passenger Information Systems provide consistent real-time information specific to each train and route,” Warren said.

“At KeTech, we know that keeping passengers informed is important, but even more so when things don’t go to plan on the railways.

Figure 1: The various types of URD incidents as ranked by passengers.

“During disruption, our systems provide passengers with the reason as to why a delay has occurred, an estimated time of resolution, next fastest services to a destination, alternate travel options and further updates when they become available.

“All of this is done automatically, with no human intervention needed. The system also integrates into the PA for added consistency of information, additionally the system has an ad-hoc messaging feature, where operations staff can send messages to the information screens to inform passengers further – for on-train, these messages can be sent to a particular train, carriage, or whole fleet quickly and efficiently.

“KeTech specialises in software, meaning we can transform older hardware to utilise new software, providing passengers with the best possible technology.

“We create software that is completely hardware agnostic, our teams have been integrating our modular, futureproof software with existing hardware and legacy systems for over 20 years.

“We create modular systems to overcome one of the biggest barriers – budget.

“It’s rare to find any operator that can finance true digital transformation overnight, just like the UK, fragmentation in Australia is also challenge.

“It will take time to fill the gaps but the implementation of real-time data and systems

that can integrate with each other is a clear route to get there.

“Knowing where to look for data, finding the best way to harness and understand it is the key to all improvements.

“When you focus on the little things, the big things fall into place. It doesn’t have to be big system overhaul; you don’t always need a massive shake-up.

“Little steps in the right direction are often more achievable, and the impact more measurable.”

References 1. Chan, R. (2023) Tasrail signs on for rail interoperability, Rail Express. Available at: https://www.railexpress.com.au/tasrailsigns-on-for-rail-interoperability/ (Accessed: 22 October 2023).

3. IBISWorld (2023) Rail passenger transport in Australia - market size, industry analysis, trends and forecasts (20232028): IBISWorld, IBISWorld Industry Reports. Available at: https://www.ibisworld.com/au/industry/rail-passengertransport/1889/#TableOfContents (Accessed: 18 October 2023).

4. Kolovos, B. (2023) ‘find a spot on the floor’: Overcrowding complaints grow as Victorians take advantage of rail fare cap, The Guardian. Available at: https://theguardian.com/australianews/2023/sep/12/find-a-spot-on-the-floor-overcrowdingcomplaints-grow-as-victorians-take-advantage-of-rail-fare-cap (Accessed: 25 October 2023).

5. Preston, J., Pritchard, J. and Waterson, B. (2017) ‘Train overcrowding’, Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2649(1), pp. 1–8. doi:10.3141/2649-01.

6. Currie, G. and Muir, C. (2017) ‘Understanding passenger perceptions and behaviours during unplanned rail disruptions’, Transportation Research Procedia, 25, pp. 4392–4402. doi:10.1016/j.trpro.2017.05.322.

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Innovation in rail

The Plasser & Theuer Unimat 09-4x4/4S E³ offers fully automated machine-to-machine communication.

Putting the puzzle together for machine communication The Plasser & Theuer Unimat 09-4x4/4S E³ is proof of how digitalisation and networking combine to optimise track maintenance efficiency.

The end-to-end process of digitalised track maintenance is like a jigsaw puzzle with many pieces that have to fit together perfectly.

In principle, railway infrastructure operators want assets that function reliably. They don’t want expensive maintenance, and they do want fully operational assets at low cost.

Rail Express speaks to Plasser & Theurer global marketing and communications director, Johann Dumser, about how the company’s tamping machines are helping users assemble the perfect picture.

“There’s a great deal of interest in technologies that reduce maintenance expenses and track possessions,” he said.

“Many new developments enable direct communication between machines, among other things. They have eliminated many of the obstacles standing in the way of fully digitalised, automated track maintenance.”

Dumser said what typically happens is that

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a track inspection vehicle, such as a Plasser & Theurer EM120VT, provides an exact measurement of the track geometry and sends the measuring data to a track maintenance machine via the cloud.

“Thanks to its integrated measuring systems, Plasser & Theurer has developed a Unimat 09-4x4/4S E³ that can also take care of the measurements itself,” he said.

“This means the operator no longer has to feed surveying data into the tamping machine.

“The tamping machine’s automatic guiding computer takes the measuring data from the cloud and guides the tamping of the track section or the turnout.

“The subsequent tamping report is then generated fully automatically and in conformity with the applicable standards.”

In addition, the results of pre- and postmeasuring can be entered directly into the infrastructure manager’s database.

But anything that simplifies operations requires the smooth interplay of many different parts working together in the background. piece of the puzzle: • A High-performance sensor system with modular integration Dumser said accurate measuring data was the basis for a perfect result.

“Dual track geometry measuring systems measure track geometry both under load and unloaded conditions,” he said.

“This makes it possible to detect cavities in the ballast under the sleepers, among other things.

“Combined with the external track geometry, supplied by the Referenced Track Geometry measuring system (RTG), you have a solid database for corrective measures.

“These measuring systems are modular, much like GPR or rail profile measuring devices.

“As a result, they can be installed on many

different types of machines. Furthermore, the high-performance sensor system makes it possible to measure at high speeds without track possessions.”

• A piece of the puzzle: Accurate positioning Dumser said the QR markers on the contact line masts are a seemingly small yet extremely important detail.

“These reference points are for precise localisation. The machine detects the QR code while travelling along the track, assigning the measuring data to the correct location with the highest precision,” he said.

“This prevents deviations which, even if they are a few centimetres, could lead to highly undesirable results.”

• A piece of the puzzle: Uniform software platform and data formats The basic operating software, Track Machines Operating System (tmOS), ensures that all devices communicate in the same “language”.

“That includes everything from the measuring system to the tamping machine and the server in the data centre,” Dumser said.

“Standardised data formats guarantee ease of communication. This means a tamping machine can directly access the track geometry data stored in a database and then upload the documented post-measuring results.

“It is also possible to depict and edit the data in 3D in virtual space.

• A piece of the puzzle: Data transmission “over the air” The MachineDataConnector (MDC) serves as the link in the chain of communication.

The MDC collects the data generated by the machine, uploading it to the operating

QR codes being measured to ensure precise localisation.

company’s central database via a mobile data connection. All other machines and users can access it from there.

• A piece of the puzzle: Smart tamping units Plasser & Theurer’s Unimat 09-4x4/4S E³ can also have an additional feature: while tamping, it can detect whether and when the ballast cavity under the sleeper was completely filled.

“If necessary, it can repeat the squeezing movement of the tamping tines,” Dumser said.

“This guarantees an optimal sleeper bed and thus a long-lasting track geometry. It also reduces wear on the tamping unit.”

FULLY AUTOMATED MACHINE-TO-MACHINE COMMUNICATION Dumser said these individual pieces are coming together for the first time to form a complete picture: the automated end-toend process.

“Time-consuming manual work is no longer necessary, making the process less error-prone and less stressful for operators,” he said.

“The Plasser & Theuer Unimat 09-4x4/4S E³ is an impressive display of how digitalisation and networking are key to optimising efficiency and effectiveness in track maintenance.”

The inertial track geometry in detail.

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Major projects and infrastructure

Heading Intro

Xxx Xxx SUBHEAD

A senior MTR leadership team on a site safety visit to Central Station in Sydney.

People priorities power excellence Public transport operator MTR focuses on nurturing the communities it serves, as well as the individuals who work for it across the globe.

After beginning in Hong Kong 20 years ago, MTR Corporation started taking its expertise in railway operations abroad, exporting tested delivery models and deploying expert resources to manage railway networks in the UK, Sweden, Mainland China, Macao and here in Australia, on the Sydney Metro project.

As a recognised world-class operator of sustainable rail transport services carrying more than 3.2 billion annual passenger journeys worldwide, MTR’s purpose is to “Keep Cities Moving”.

And for a company which connects people and communities, it is the way MTR grows and develops its own staff that has formed the cornerstone of its success.

The organisation’s commitment to excellence is underpinned by robust emphasis on employee career development and well-being, empowering the future by nurturing the leaders of tomorrow.

This in turn provides the confidence and willingness of staff to help drive innovation and make the most of the unparalleled opportunities for MTR across the rail networks it manages across the globe.

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STAFF PROFILES ELINDA MOVERLEY • B Position: Senior Commercial Manager Number of years spent working in the industry: 29 years Number of years working with MTR: 4.5 years What inspired a career in this industry?

Moverley said she grew up surrounded by a large extended family who were all entrenched in the construction industry.

“From commercial builders to industry-leading and patented steel pipe manufacturers, our dinner table conversation was never dull, sparking an interest in me to work in this industry from a very young age,” she said.

What are some of the career challenges faced to date?

A challenge Moverley has experienced is gender stereotype and the misconception that to perform well, one had to be physically present in an office.

“This simply isn’t true. For the 16 years

I have been flexibly working and it has not prohibited my growth. Success at home and at work is absolutely achievable,” she said.

She said finding success in a maledominated industry was also a scenario that many women faced.

What impact do you want to have in this industry?

“I want to influence through my actions by demonstrating to others (both men and women, but in particular women) that you can succeed if you believe in yourself and don’t allow yourself to fall through the cracks: the importance of speaking and being heard should not be underestimated,” Moverley said.

“I also want to empower and give confidence to other women by encouraging them to build trusted support networks with their immediate peers and within the wider industry, to open doors, exchange ideas, upskill and help others.”

What attracted you to MTR? “To be handed an opportunity to work in a senior role in an organisation which was

What are some of the career challenges faced to date?

“I have faced design gaps and the coordination between teams to close those gaps,” Ibrahim said.

“I have dealt with instances where cables were too large for the termination points that needed a customised solution and modifications to busbars. I have had to ensure compliance to 20,000+ requirements across multiple contractors in the areas of design, management plans, testing and commissioning through to final operations and maintenance planning.”

MTR Senior Commercial Manager Belinda Moverley.

recognised and celebrated as an industry leader around the world was an opportunity to be seized,” Moverley said.

“MTR focuses on initiatives that are important to me, such as creating an open culture, development and nurturing of staff, health and wellbeing, and actively promoting mobility opportunities for all staff across the different business streams and geographical locations.”

What opportunities have you been given or been exposed to whilst with MTR? Moverley said MTR had provided her with exposure to the most senior level in the Australian business, allowing her to be an active and engaged influence in the development and execution of processes, procedures, vision, values and objectives.

“To be able to contribute to and drive change at this level has been extremely rewarding.,” she said.

including within MTR and even more importantly within our valued clients and supply chain,” Moverley said.

• HURCUS IBRAHIM P osition: Senior Testing and Commissioning Engineer Number of years spent working in the industry: 9 years Number of years working with MTR: 1.5 years What inspired a career in this industry?

“The opportunities that are present in the construction/infrastructure industry are quite unique and sometimes challenging, allowing me to work through issues in order to resolve them to establish a working, quality product,” Ibrahim said.

What attracted you to MTR? Ibrahim believes that MTR are known across the world as key providers and operators of rail networks and nearby communities.

“With its ongoing success, I wanted to be a part of that success, using my experience to contribute where possible,” he said.

Why do you choose to stay with MTR? “There are various teams on this project,” Ibrahim said. “I find that the teams are all very supportive when information is required or when support is needed.”

What opportunities have you been given or been exposed to whilst with MTR? “I was originally involved in overseeing compliance with technical requirements specified in the contracts. I was overseeing and verifying compliance across design documents, management plans, test procedures and design related documentation. I am now in the testing and commissioning team where I am overseeing various progress boards and overseeing testing,” Ibrahim said.

What would you like to achieve during your time with MTR? Moverley said she wanted to help navigate MTR through the changing environment currently being experienced to ensure the legacy that MTR has created in the industry (in Australia, Hong Kong and abroad) is carried forward.

“And, of course, I want to ensure that the Sydney Metro City & Southwest project which I am currently working on successfully achieves first passenger service for both the city and Southwest sections.”

What are you most proud of achieving during your time with MTR? “Building and maintaining positive, trusted and long-term relationships with stakeholders,

What impact do you want to have in this industry?

“I am committed to making a positive impact on the industry by promoting sustainable practices while advocating for energy-efficient designs, renewable energy integration and the reduction of carbon emissions,” Ibrahim said.

“I have a strong desire to introduce innovative electrical engineering solutions that improve the efficiency, safety and performance of various systems. I also have a desire to mentor and educate the next generation of electrical engineers within the industry, by sharing my knowledge and experience.”

MTR Senior Testing and Commissioning Engineer Hurcus Ibrahim.

What are you most proud of achieving during your time with MTR? “As a gatekeeper to forecasted power disruptions, I ensure that all parties are up to date and are all aligned,” Ibrahim said. “ Having involvement in the design, testing

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Major projects and infrastructure

and commissioning of power distribution systems for both high voltage and low voltage systems, I am proud to hold this position.”

What would you like to achieve during your time with MTR? “I would like to see a successful completion of the Sydney Metro City and Southwest testing phase and to ensure that all tests are successfully completed,” Ibrahim said.

“I would also like to see that all adequate safety control measures are implemented to ensure that safety is maintained across the project with zero injuries.”

• HASAN ZAIDI Position: Senior Project Controls Manager Number of years spent working in the industry: 10 years in rail, overall 25 years.

Number of years working with MTR: 4 years What inspired a career in this industry?

Zaidi said that the profound effect that good planning and project controls can have on shaping the future of transportation infrastructure was what made him join the metro rail construction industry.

“Planning out complicated rail projects, making the best use of resources, and coordinating schedules to ensure the work goes smoothly is both an exciting and rewarding challenge,” he said.

“The rail construction industry is always changing, requiring new ideas and careful planning to keep up with modern transportation needs.

“Strategic thinking, problem solving, and building up important public infrastructure is what keeps me motivated to do well as a planning manager in this field.”

What are some of the career challenges faced to date?

“Coming from a civil engineering background, interpreting technical information which I was not familiar with on building projects for the first 15 years of my career was a challenge,” Zaidi said.

“Brownfield projects also have their own challenges, working around existing equipment and add new components while causing minimal disruption.

“Additionally, aligning with other stakeholders wasn’t always easy due to different goals or interests that could hinder progress. Getting past these problems has been an important part of my career.

“They have taught me how to be flexible, communicate clearly, understand the importance of planning ahead and working

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MTR Senior Project Controls Manager Hasan Zaidi.

with others in this fast-paced and multifaceted field.”

What impact do you want to have in this industry?

Zaidi said he wanted to make a difference through new ideas and better use of resources.

“I want to bring the field up to date by encouraging cutting-edge methods in project management and planning,” he said.

“I also want to support a shared platform for scheduling different scopes of work into an integrated schedule, to make it easier to coordinate large projects and make everything clearer.

“There is a need for better project performance similar to other industries through the use of automated and online reporting systems to make efficient decisions and allowing real-time data analysis.

“You will need a strong change management system to adapt to changing project needs. Good issue management will make sure that problems are dealt with before they become a problem.

“My ultimate goal is to leave a legacy of new ideas and improved efficiency that helps the rail construction business finish difficult projects on time and on budget.”

What attracted you to MTR? “I was drawn to MTR Australia by its stellar reputation and commitment to rail industry excellence,” Zaidi said. ”MTR Corporation has a globally recognised track record for delivering world-class, innovative, and sustainable transportation solutions, and its presence in Australia embodies this same dedication.

“The opportunity to be a part of a dynamic team shaping the future of Australian transportation infrastructure is incredibly appealing.”

Why do you choose to stay with MTR? Zaidi said MTR Australia offered him a unique opportunity to demonstrate his capabilities when he was relatively new to the Australian rail industry and had mostly overseas experience.

“MTR Australia’s trust and assistance during that period were critical to my professional growth and development,” he said.

“Furthermore, the company’s global reputation is accentuated through its high standards and constant dedication to quality.

MTR Australia’s working environment is not only beneficial to professional development, but it is also enhanced by its varied and inclusive culture.

“This dynamic and collaborative ecosystem offers a workplace in which I may continue to learn, grow, and contribute meaningfully.”

What opportunities have you been given or been exposed to whilst with MTR? “MTR entrusted me with planning teams’ leadership within the company and among subcontractors, enabling me to strengthen my management abilities while ensuring smooth project coordination,” Zaidi said.

“Furthermore, I’ve had the opportunity to work directly with Sydney Metro to address problems, extending my perspective and enhancing relationships with clients.

“Coordination with MTR’s commercial, construction, and design departments has promoted a comprehensive understanding of

the rail sector and provided an opportunity to contribute to cross-functional solutions.

“Participation in MTR leadership meetings has exposed me to high-level decision-making and strategic planning, which has provided me with an essential perspective on the organisation’s overall vision and direction.”

What are you most proud of achieving during your time with MTR? Zaidi said he was most proud of establishing a cohesive and tight knit team full of remarkable members and maximising their capabilities.

“I have had the luxury of promoting a lot of personnel and seeing others move on to more senior roles and furthering their careers,” he said. “Moreover, my department has also been fortunate enough to receive two major awards within the company.

“My pride stems from being a part of and directly impacting individuals’ growth and skill acquisition which can only benefit society as a whole.”

What would you like to achieve during your time with MTR? “My overriding objective is to grow both personally and professionally by utilising the extraordinary resources and opportunities available within this organisation,” Zaidi said.

“I hope to advance with MTR and expand my understanding of the rail sector while constantly pushing the boundaries of my abilities.”

• CHARMAINE CAJUCOM Position: Site Engineer Number of years spent working in the industry: 6 years Number of years working with MTR: 1 year, 7 months What inspired a career in this industry?

“While I studied at Macquarie University, I worked as a casual driver for Sydney Light Rail,“ Cajucom said.

“The relationships I built over time with the engineers helped me gain exposure and from there the idea of changing careers became final, and I eventually found myself starting an engineering degree with the University of Technology, Sydney.”

What are some of the career challenges faced to date?

Cajucom said the first challenge to overcome was ‘imposter syndrome’.

“However, through growth and stepping

MTR Site Engineer Charmaine Cajucom.

out of my comfort zone, the mental block soon faded, and jumping in the deep end has been satisfying,” she said.

“The second challenge was in communication, where, in having to meet individuals with different personality types, I had to improve my people management skills. Using strategic communication styles, understanding other perspectives whilst being respectful and open-minded has been vital to building relationships.”

What impact do you want to have in this industry?

Cajucom said with the knowledge she has accumulated over the years, she would like to lead the younger generations and encourage them to contribute to society.

“The ability to progress and achieve goals for society is a fulfilling endeavour,” she said.

What attracted you to MTR? “Other than rail, MTR offers many possibilities by exposing its employees to different business units, letting them participate in programs to develop functional skills and gain experience in their professions,” Cajucom said.

“Recently, I had the opportunity to conduct a site visit with two MTR colleagues from Hong Kong who are in their last year of the Property Associate Program,” she said.

“Discussing and comparing the different issues and processes between our business units was a learning experience.”

Why do you choose to stay with MTR? “The people I work with is the main reason I choose to stay with MTR.,” Cajucom said.

“I have always found with the right team and right work; it is very easy to get out of bed.”

What opportunities have you been given or been exposed to whilst with MTR? Cajucom said MTR had given her the opportunity to work as a site engineer on the Sydney Metro & South-West project, which has in turn “given me a wide range of access to client exposure, coordinating with project contractors, and managing MTR contractors (Alstom/Thales/UGL) while collaborating with all MTR functional units and interface design management”.

What are you most proud of achieving during your time with MTR? “The MTR team has encouraged my growth, allowing me to step up by taking accountability of engineering and management responsibilities, problem-solving unfavourable situations, and delegating tasks with clear directions to the onsite delivery team,” Csajucoim said.

“I am proud of the progress I have made in my personal and professional development, in parallel with MTR values.”

What would you like to achieve during your time with MTR? I would like to achieve a project engineer role, continue to improve my skills, and use thought leadership to mentor graduates and create a culture of learning and collaborative environment,” Cajucom said.

“If the opportunity arises, I would love to experience working in other MTR international offices.”

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IIndustry associations associations

Joining forces on future of freight The rail industry has marked a significant milestone with the launch of the Future of Freight campaign.

Caroline Wilkie, Chief Executive Officer, Australasian Railway Association

This is the first time that industry has come together, with the support of Government, to tackle the significant issue of the underutilisation of rail to meet our national freight task.

The campaign is the result of comprehensive research led by the Australasian Centre for Rail Innovation (ACRI), with input from the ARA and Freight on Rail Group (FORG), and supported by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.

The landmark research project, which was launched by Federal transport minister Catherine King at Pacific National’s Melbourne freight terminal in November, makes several key recommendations.

It identifies barriers and provides solutions to increasing rail’s mode share of freight so as to harness the significant benefits rail freight has to offer.

The research will serve as an important platform for industry and government to implement changes that better enable rail to play a far greater role in Australia’s significant and growing freight task.

The research focuses on three main themes impacting rail freight in Australia – understanding conditions influencing modal share, infrastructure and planning requirements and safety and operations.

There is no doubt that urgent action is needed to increase rail’s share of freight to meet future transport needs, reduce emissions and foster economic growth.

The underutilisation of rail freight is a missed opportunity that is costing the Australian economy and stands in the way of reaching net zero targets.

Our freight task is significant and growing and we need a resilient, reliable and efficient

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national rail freight network to support the economy and community.

Road and shipping cannot alone meet this demand, and new policies and more strategic investment is needed to support greater use of rail.

Previous ARA research shows that a 10 per cent mode shift away from road to rail between major capital cities in Australia will reduce the social costs created through emissions, crashes and accidents and health costs from emissions, with total estimated benefits of more than $700 million per year.

The research project identifies several constraints hindering rail’s share of freight.

They include a lack of a ‘level playing field’ between modes, a lack of interoperability between jurisdictions, poor harmonisation of safety standards, operating rules and regulations, rail infrastructure gaps impacting transit time and availability and a lack of transparent freight data.

No one can argue against the fact that increased use of freight rail will bring great economic and environmental benefits but a lack of reliable infrastructure, inadequate focus on productivity and inconsistent standards and regulations across the continent are preventing this.

This is despite the fact that a strong, effective rail network will strengthen our supply chains and make us more competitive in the global economy.

The research suggests several practical steps to increasing mode share of rail, including establishing a national rail regulator to enable mandatory, consistent standards, investments in infrastructure with a focus on resilience and reliability initiatives, enhanced collection of road and rail use and train service reliability data and a review of cost-benefit analyses to ensure economic, social and environmental benefits are fully considered in rail/road investment decisions.

ACHIEVING MODE SHIFT There is a strong argument in favour of increasing rail’s mode share – it offers many benefits to the economy and the community.

Rail moves almost three quarters of Australia’s bulk commodities, but accounts for just 17 per cent of non-bulk freight and is most efficient over long distances, especially over 1500km.

However, it has traditionally struggled to capture market share on key Australian freight routes between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, with a range of issues impacting the speed and efficiency with which freight can be moved through our major cities.

Rail’s share of inter-capital freight is only 11 per cent across the eastern seaboard, and as little as two per cent on Australia’s busiest freight corridor between Melbourne and Sydney. Less than a third of freight (28 per cent) is on rail between Melbourne and Brisbane, the future service area for the Inland Rail project.

Boosting the role of rail freight on key interstate freight routes, particularly between Melbourne-Sydney-Brisbane, should be a key focus for governments and the rail industry.

More road freight means more trucks on the road – leading to more traffic, safety concerns and pollution. urther, while some international companies offer cheap coastal shipping, it can be a risky proposition to rely too much on this mode.

During the COVID pandemic, many international shipping companies stopped serving Australia, weakening our supply chains.

The pandemic laid bare the essential role of a strong national supply chain and the importance of rail as part of our national network, but showed that more investment in infrastructure is urgently needed, particularly in terms of resilience measures.

This research project shows there are many influences on modal choice. Freight modes are chosen by customers based on a range of factors, many of which may be influenced by government policy settings affecting the freight sector. These include reliability, frequency/availability, transit time, complexity and risk/diversification.

To achieve increased mode share, new policy levers are required to ensure we get the right balance when customers choose where mode contestable freight is directed. This starts with how infrastructure investment is assessed.

Traditional Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) methods used to assess infrastructure investments don’t always consider the significant social, environmental and safety benefits rail has to offer.

Guidelines endorsed by the Infrastructure and Transport Ministers Meeting (ITMM) say rail projects should consider their impact on

mode shift, but the same isn’t required for road projects.

That means the social, environmental and safety costs of enabling increased use of road freight are not considered when road projects are assessed.

INFRASTRUCTURE AND PLANNING The rail freight sector is operating on legacy infrastructure that has been built to different standards.

These different approaches impact the trains that can be used and the policies and procedures that impact how freight services operate across the country.

The ARA recently called for urgent improvements to the rail freight network in a joint submission with FORG to the Federal Government’s review of the National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy (see page 22).

The submission details freight outages that have cost the economy hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years.

When cost of living pressures are hitting millions of households, the price we are paying for a lack of investment in rail freight is simply too high.

With more extreme weather events impacting the freight network, there is an urgent need to invest in resilience projects to improve efficiency and keep supply chain costs low so consumers are not unnecessarily impacted by rising prices.

The submission called for a greater focus on resilience and decarbonisation as part of the national strategy, with rail freight generating 16 times less carbon pollution than road.

Earlier research conducted by the ARA and FORG confirmed the significant costs of a lack of investment in rail freight: • Washouts on the east-west rail line in regional South Australia last year cost the economy $320 million, resulting in severe product shortages and empty supermarket shelves • Flooding in NSW in March 2022 led to a

total of 200 days of track outages, with 26 return services impacted each week, costing the economy $35m • Flooding in the Parkes region from October to December 2022 resulted in multiple track washouts, 90 days of closure and 18 areas of required repairs, costing the economy $37m • Flooding near Inverleigh in Victoria resulted in a train derailment in November 2022, closing the line for 7.5 days, cancelling 84 services and costing more than $16m to the economy.

Upgrading the interstate rail network would not only improve climate resilience, but also reduce speed restrictions and weight limits and provide greater capacity for longer, heavier trains – driving down freight costs and improving road safety.

Inland Rail will create significant time savings and efficiencies for rail services from Melbourne to Brisbane. But this alone cannot guarantee a shift to rail.

Well-located intermodal terminals supported by improved technology and systems can make a significant difference to rail freight productivity.

Investment in new infrastructure will also help achieve more reliable service outcomes to encourage more customers to choose rail.

Another major impediment to increasing rail freight share is the issue of poor interoperability.

The number of independently managed rail networks in Australia has significantly increased, with differences between networks and jurisdictions making it harder to operate rail freight services efficiently.

The Commonwealth Government has an opportunity to leverage its investment in state-based rail projects to support a national approach that would improve interoperability, reduce capacity bottlenecks and boost rail’s modal share.

It is encouraging that interoperability is a national Cabinet priority and the ARA looks forward to seeing some progress in this space.

SAFETY AND OPERATIONS The number of independently managed rail networks in Australia has significantly increased, with differences between networks and jurisdictions making it harder to operate rail freight services efficiently.

This complex regulatory and operational environment effectively means that the rules that apply to a freight service change as it crosses the country.

That puts a drain on efficiency and leads to increased costs, reduced service standards and stifled innovation.

It is not unusual for rail operators which are using multiple networks to have to manage seven different regulatory frameworks, six different regulators and different requirements for individual networks.

A nationally consistent regulatory and governance framework is required to harmonise operational standards and processes, and improve safety, productivity, environmental and access regulation. The creation of a dedicated body with the power to mandate harmonised principles, standards and processes would support this goal.

Other operational constraints exist, such as the priority given to passenger services operating on the same rail network in our cities, while rigid curfews are often applied to freight services.

This severely restricts rail freight operations, causing increased delays, rising costs and reduced asset utilisation.

Addressing the issues raised in this significant research project could significantly improve rail freight efficiency.

However, for some of these factors, change can be challenging to implement.

Governments and industry will need to work together to improve efficiency and support a stronger, more resilient freight network.

As we look to a net-zero future, we must make significant, meaningful changes to the way we operate to meet emissions reduction targets and create a sustainable freight network.

The ARA says that boosting the role of rail freight on key interstate freight routes should be a key focus for governments and the rail industry.

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Industry associations

Leading the push for rail industry interoperability and harmonisation A survey has shown that RISSB must take the lead in helping to achieve interoperability and harmonisation across rail.

The Rail Industry Standards Board (RISSB) supports and works hand in hand with the Australian and New Zealand rail industry to provide the essential tools rail organisations need – good practice Standards, Codes of Practices, Guidelines and Rules.

RISSB is driven to deliver successful technical innovation and industry improvements for a safer, more productive and more sustainable future for the Australian rail industry.

The leading priority for RISSB is to focus on identifying the challenges and opportunities the rail industry faces, and working in partnership with industry to deliver performance improvements for industry.

A recent part of this focus for RISSB was a Member Research Report conducted by the Phillips Group in 2022.

A combination of qualitative and quantitative research was undertaken between June and August 2022, with the goal of understanding what industry think of RISSB and the value RISSB delivers to both members and the broader rail industry.

Of the survey respondents, 55 per cent were chief executive officers and 28 per cent senior executives from rail companies across all sectors. The survey showed they understood what RISSB offers and made use of its products and services.

Four out of five people surveyed believe RISSB’s products and services added value to the rail industry. RISSB’s membership grew again in 2022/23 to 157 organisations.

The survey also provided insight into areas in which RISSB should focus its efforts going forward.

Of note, 97 per cent of members surveyed want RISSB to influence the future direction of the rail industry.

This also came out in conversations that RISSB CEO Damien White had with key members over the past few months.

The survey highlighted areas in which RISSB should play a role: • Leading the push for interoperability and harmonisation across the rail industry • Taking a more forward-looking approach to Standards to ensure they match the uptake

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Survey results for rail harmonisation priorities.

Members have prioritised the harmonisation requirements.

of new technology (this includes Standards relating to sustainability).

• Potentially supporting the skills and labour shortage issue facing the rail industry (an ageing workforce combined with a lack of people across many areas of expertise and competition from other sectors).

RISSB has undergone significant change since its original establishment in 2003.

“As an organisation within the Australian Rail co-regulatory system, the report clearly demonstrates that RISSB’s position has been clarified to industry, and there is now broad understanding of their role,” White said.

“This and other feedback from key stakeholders have been a significant input

into the development of RISSB’s new Strategic Plan 2024-2030, which will be launched as part of the 20th anniversary celebrations later this year.

“So what’s next? The participants in this research report have clarified that harmonisation is the priority they want RISSB to focus on. Industry generally acknowledged RISSB’s good work in the harmonisation space but was eager to see more rapid and tangible progress.

“Our aim is to come together with industry and Government to resolving longstanding interoperability and harmonisation challenges, to unlock productivity and decarbonisation opportunities.”

Industry associations

Nearly five decades of excellence in transport Standing on the threshold of a half-century milestone, the Permanent Way Institution of NSW remains a beacon in the transport industry.

For 49 years, this community has been more than just an organisation; it has been a dynamic ecosystem that thrives on industry resilience, community engagement, knowledge sharing, and fostering future talent.

Today, I invite you to journey with me through the pillars of this venerable institution and discover what makes us unique.

THE FOUR CORNERSTONES Before we delve into our major events, let’s briefly touch upon the four foundational pillars that define us: 1. I ndustry resilience: PWI NSW focuses on building a robust and resilient transport industry in an era of rapid technological advancement and environmental challenges.

2. C ommunity connections: We believe in building bridges, not just physically but also in fostering meaningful relationships within our community. athways for the younger generation: PWI 3. P NSW is committed to guiding our youth, the industry’s future torchbearers, by providing educational and career paths.

4. K nowledge sharing: Through workshops, publications, and meetups, we disseminate invaluable insights, ensuring we are always ahead of the curve.

TECHNICAL MEETINGS: THE HEART OF KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE Some of the critical avenues for knowledge sharing are our technical meetings.

These gatherings are hosted by PWI NSW and presented by industry experts, focusing on live projects.

Participants get first hand experience and understanding, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application.

It’s like a monthly mini-convention tailored to keep our members at the forefront of industry developments.

ANNUAL AWARDS: RECOGNISING EXCELLENCE Our Annual Awards ceremony serves not merely as a pat on the back but as an industry standard of excellence.

These awards acknowledge innovation, quality, and dedication. By honouring the exceptional work being carried out, we elevate the awardees and set benchmarks for the entire industry.

ANNUAL CONVENTION: WHERE THE BEST CONVERGE Our Annual Convention is more than a symposium; it is a congregation of industry luminaries. We bring the best minds together, not just for networking but for ongoing knowledge sharing.

It is a grand spotlight event highlighting up-to-date projects and sharing market trends, encapsulating the year’s industry advancements in a single day.

GOLF DAY: BUILDING BONDS BEYOND BUSINESS While technical prowess is crucial, personal connections are equally important.

Our Golf Day serves this exact purpose. It’s a day of fun, laughter, and friendly competition, allowing members to unwind and enjoy each other’s company.

WINTER DINNER: CELEBRATING COMMUNITY AND SAFETY Our Winter Dinner is more than a social gathering; it’s an occasion to co-promote Track Safe, an initiative close to our hearts.

In an ambience of togetherness, we not only relish culinary delights but also focus on safety campaigns that impact us directly.

LEGACY AND FORWARD MOMENTUM: TOWARDS OUR 50TH YEAR As PWI NSW readies its 50th anniversary, it is a moment to reflect on our storied legacy.

Established in 1974, we have come a long way from being a minor assembly of professionals to a comprehensive community that makes waves in the transport industry.

Our journey reflects a legacy of collective vision, commitment, and adaptability.

Our evolution has always been marked by a dedication to keep pace with the changing times without compromising the core values that have defined us for decades.

Mark Harris, President, PWI NSW

Our guiding lights are our yearning to innovate, the desire to set benchmarks, and the passion to bring about positive change.

So, what does the future hold as we approach the monumental 50-year mark?

Our mission is unambiguous: to sustain and elevate our contributions to the transport industry.

We aim to broaden our reach in terms of geographical footprint and academic partnerships, solidifying our status as an international beacon of knowledge and expertise.

MORE THAN JUST A MILESTONE Our 50th year is not just a milestone to celebrate; it is a renewed commitment to the principles that have fuelled our journey thus far.

It will be a year of special events, extraordinary dialogues, and pioneering initiatives.

More importantly, it will be a year to strengthen our resolve to shape the transport industry in a manner that is innovative, responsible, and, above all, beneficial to the community at large.

As we close in on this significant anniversary, let’s not merely look back in nostalgia but surge forward with a sense of purpose and optimism.

With nearly half a century behind us, we have an unshakeable foundation. As we look ahead, our blueprint for the next 50 years is set: to drive growth, inspire change, and enrich lives.

At PWI NSW, we understand the power of collective action. To make it easier for everyone to participate in this incredible journey, we offer both corporate and personal memberships. Whether you’re an industry giant or an individual passionate about transport, there’s a place for you in our community.

As the year ends, we extend our warmest wishes for a safe and joyful Christmas to all. May the holiday season bring you peace and happiness. We eagerly look forward to reconnecting and forging new paths in 2024.

We welcome you to be part of an institution that has shaped the past, is pioneering the present, and is committed to building a better future. To learn more and join us, please visit our website at www.pwinsw.org.au.

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Contracts, EOIs, Tenders

QUEENSLAND Logan and Gold Coast Faster Rail project Three major packages of work have moved to the next phase of procurement.

Through the Registration of Interest process, the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) received strong interest from industry and has multiple parties registered for each package.

TMR will soon release Requests for Proposals to accepted registrants for the Logan and Gold Coast Faster Rail Project Level Crossing Removal package and Rail package.

The Level Crossing Removal package will remove existing level crossings at Beenleigh Road at Kuraby station and Station Road at Bethania station and improve safety for these local communities. These works will be delivered through a collaborative design and construct contract.

The Rail package will deliver the major rail works between Kuraby and Beenleigh including duplicating the tracks from two to four, station upgrades, the remaining level crossing removals, local road works and active transport connections.

The design and construction of this complex brownfield project will be delivered through an alliance contract.

TMR is also inviting Expressions of Interest from registrants for the Loganlea Station Relocation Project.

This project will relocate and upgrade Loganlea train station and park ‘n’ ride to better connect customers with nearby health, education and community services – particularly Logan Hospital.

The Logan and Gold Coast Faster Rail and Loganlea Station Relocation projects are jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland and governments.

The procurement and delivery time frames for the project remain subject to further approvals by the Australian and Queensland governments.

Queensland Rail regional fleet As part of a multi-million-dollar investment, Queensland Rail has awarded three major contracts to overhaul more than 100 bogies across its regional fleet, including the iconic Kuranda Scenic Rail, L-Series and 1720 class diesel electric locomotives.

Queensland Rail regional head Scott Cornish said he was pleased to see the project progress, with contractors Wulguru and UGL enlisted to deliver the comprehensive upgrades on the bogies.

“The bogies of our rolling stock are the essential wheelsets that have kept our

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carriages moving across the state for almost 60 years,” he said.

“Over the next four years, the bogie overhaul works will entail extensive engineering upgrades, bolstering the safety and reliability of our Kuranda Scenic Railway and Western line services including the Spirit of the Outback, Westlander and Inlander.

“We know how important these services are to our regional communities and visitors from across the world which is why we are committed to keeping them running for many more years to come.

“Not only are these works improving the safety and reliability of the fleet, they’re also supporting regional jobs with all works to be undertaken in Townsville.”

Wulguru Group general manager Wayne Landrigan said it was an important contract not only for Wulguru Group but the North Queensland region.

“It provides employment opportunities and skills development for the next generation of tradespeople,” he said.

“It also solidifies our decision to invest in building a purpose-built rail wagon manufacturing facility in Townsville.”

UGL executive general manager for transport, Ian Quarrie, said UGL had a history in regional rail dating back to 1899.

“We’re pleased to continue our contribution to regional communities through our ongoing work to keep this iconic rolling stock moving across Queensland,” he said.

NSW Inland Rail The first major construction works on Inland Rail’s Stockinbingal to Parkes section in New South Wales have been successfully completed, with principal contractor Martinus Rail making progress across multiple sites.

The works were carried out during a 60hour track possession, with the Melbourne to Sydney line closed. Workers across three sites from Stockinbingal to Parkes worked around

the clock to kickstart major construction and return the line to operation.

New precast culverts were installed under the main line at Daroobalgie in preparation for the future crossing loop to be constructed next year.

Track and shoulder formation works and track slews were completed at both the Bribbaree and Caragabal yards, allowing sufficient clearance for double stacked trains.

These sites are now complete and meet the requirements for Inland Rail.

The works are a key milestone towards Inland Rail being completed between Beveridge and Parkes by 2027, and connecting to existing rail networks between Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, and the Illawarra.

Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2 A vital new bridge connection over Parramatta River between Wentworth Point and Melrose Park is a step closer for communities in the Greater Parramatta and Olympic Peninsula, with three leading industry organisations shortlisted to tender for the delivery of the Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2 Enabling Works package.

It involves the delivery of a 320-metrelong public and active transport bridge over Parramatta River, together with approaches on either side of the river, totalling 1.3 kilometres.

It will be the first major bridge crossing over the Parramatta River since the completion of the Ryde Bridge in 1987.

Design and early works (including site establishment and utilities relocations) are expected to commence in 2024, with major construction to start in 2025, subject to planning approval.

Once constructed, the bridge will integrate with the planned 8.5km stretch of new shared walking and bike-riding paths and separated cycleways along the Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2 corridor, also connecting to existing local shared path networks.

The organisations shortlisted for the Request for Tender process are: • CPB Contractors/McConnell Dowell • Fulton Hogan Construction/SRG Global • John Holland Group The project attracted significant interest from more than 19 leading organisations across Australia and around the world during the Registration of Interest process (between December 2022 and January 2023). Of those, eight submissions were received from Expressions of Interest, which culminated in the shortlisted organisations.

The contract is expected to be awarded in 2024.

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I S S U E 11 | D E C E M B E R 2023

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

Transdev: transforming transport

RAIL EXPRESS is compulsory reading and a vital tool for all people working in and around the rail sector.

The mobility leader is investing in people to ensure it delivers the best for customers and clients. PAGE 30.

Rail Express is Australia’s authoritative business to business rail publication.

2023: the rail year in review

The right stuff needed to cut down emissions

Industry joins forces on future of freight

PAGE 15

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PAGE 45

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A U S T RA L IA’ S L E A D IN G B U SINESS TO B U SINESS RAIL PU B LICATI ON