www.ara.net.au1

QUARTERLY UPDATE

JUNE 2013 EDITION 08

Features• Advocacy • TrackSAFE update • Workforce Development • Around the nation • Suppliers • ARA Events

The Federal Government’s budget last

month delivered largely positive

outcomes for commuters, whilst

maintaining key investments in our

freight network, the backbone of

Australia’s economic productivity.

It is good to see that the government,

even in tough economic times,

recognises the importance of

infrastructure investment for the future of the nation and that

rail is a critical part of that investment, but there is much more to

be done.

It is critical that governments at all levels continue to provide

infrastructure investment in public transport to relieve

congestion and tightening bottlenecks in our capital cities. The

average passenger train can take 525 cars off the road. This is 3.2

million vehicle kilometres annually or 1000 trips Sydney to Perth.

The ARA will continue to lobby state and federal

governments for the implementation of greater passenger rail

A Message from the CEOuse to alleviate the pressure and congestion currently on our

roads.

It is also paramount for Inland Rail to be a prime focus moving

forward. This is a project that would reduce the time it takes to

move freight from Melbourne to Brisbane by up to 7 hours and

increase the capacity of freight rail paths between the two

cities. Freight that currently has to transit through the

congested Sydney network could go directly on the inland route

and provide additional capacity between the east coast capitals.

ARA will be campaigning on a range of issues, in the lead up to

and after the election, lobbying for action on carbon pricing,

passenger and light rail projects, the freight on rail projects, the

future of manufacturing and much more.

Yours sincerely,

Bryan Nye

Chief Executive Officer

www.ara.net.au

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JUNE 2013 EDITION 08

Advocacy Reducing regulatory burdens on rail

After the success of rail safety regulatory reform, the ARA is now

investigating other key regulatory burdens pertaining to rail with

an aim to reduce these burdens on the industry.

There are many areas of regulations that significantly impact on

the industry’s operation and performance but one that stands

out the most is in the area of environmental regulations. The

current environmental regulatory framework relating to rail

transport is highly complex and places significant burden on the

industry. For some time now, governments have been making

decisions on environmental standards without necessarily

giving consideration to the limitations and ability of the above or

below rail operators to comply with the standards. Some of the

limitations are legacy issues that are not easily addressed by the

operators.

The ARA is developing a regulatory reform plan in

conjunction with the Environment Working Group and the ARA

Board. It is envisaged that, as part of this reform campaign, the

ARA will be calling for a co-regulatory approach to

environmental regulations. This is not new. Evidence of the

effectiveness of co-regulation to manage environmental impacts

was found in relation to the Greenhouse Challenge Plus (GCP)

program where some regulations were developed in

consultation with industry including the National Greenhouse

and Energy Reporting system. A co-regulatory approach is also

seen in many other policy areas such as telecommunications,

agriculture, rail safety regulation and disability access.

ARA establishes Environment Working Group

In May this year the ARA, in conjunction with its industry

members, formed an Environment Working Group to address

key environmental issues concerning rail transport.

The Working Group’s mandate is to provide a working forum

that will investigate key environmental issues relevant to rail and

develop a national approach to effectively address these issues.

The Working Group will also work to promote rail’s

environmental credentials to the wider community. Priority

issues that have been identified by the Working Group include

rail noise, rail dust, and reducing regulatory burdens from

complex environmental regulations pertaining to rail. A work

plan for the Working Group is currently being developed.

For more information on the Environment Working Group and its

work program please contact Rhianne Jory, Associate Director En-

vironment and Regulation on 02 6270 4504 or rjory@ara.net.au.

ARA calling for equal treatment on carbon pricing

In the lead up to the election and beyond, the ARA will be

lobbying hard for the equal treatment of road and rail in the

future carbon emission reduction scheme and for government

support in enhancing rail environmental performance.

The campaign will outline the significant costs of the current

carbon pricing scheme on the rail industry including direct

compliance costs as well as the indirect costs such as rail’s

reduced ability to compete with road freight. The campaign will

also outline that the current exemptions on road transport do

not work and in reality lead to an increase in carbon

emissions.

Lastly, the campaign will focus on key carbon abatement

activities that the government should support in any future

carbon emission reduction scheme.

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JUNE 2013 EDITION 08

Freight Priorities - Inland Rail

In a federal election year, the ARA has been promoting the need

for the Inland Rail project at every opportunity. Foremost of the

benefits are an expected reduction in Melbourne to Brisbane

end-to-end travel time from over 27 hours down to 20 hours.

However, a range of direct benefits will also emerge from the

project including:

• freeing up rail capacity on freight routes into and out of Sydney.

• reduced costs associated with the coastal rail route.

• potentially less impact on residents along freight rail routes in

metropolitan Sydney.

• quicker and more cost effective access to export markets for

local producers, manufacturers and the resources sector,

thereby stimulating local economies all along the route.

The ARA believes once the inland rail line is in place, it will open

up additional export opportunities and markets. A completed

Inland Rail would improve the nation’s productivity as freight

travelling between Melbourne and Brisbane will no longer need

to travel through the passenger network in Sydney. The current

need to travel through Sydney creates severe bottlenecks on the

predominantly passenger network meaning that for over 5 hours

every day, during peak periods, there are essentially no freight

train movements on the north- south network. In addition to the

logistical challenges this situation presents, it also leads to more

freight trains moving through Sydney suburbs at times that are

disruptive to local residents.

Whilst around 60 per cent of the potential 1,700 kilometre

alignment already exists today, it is vital that all governments act

now to protect the remaining sections of the preferred corridor

and fast track construction of the project to ensure our nation’s

future economic growth. Inland Rail is too important to be

delayed any further.

$300 million is currently provided for in Federal Government

budgets to commence pre-construction activities and the

estimated total cost of the project is a minimum of $4.5 billion.

Councils along the route are supportive and are lobbying for the

completion of the project as soon as is feasible.

Freight Priorities - Submissions

Since March 2013, the ARA has provided a submission to

Transport for New South Wales about their Draft NSW Freight

and Ports Strategy, a submission to the Commonwealth Treasury

on Tax Loss Incentives for Designated Infrastructure Projects, a

submission to the Productivity Commission on the Review of the

National Access Regime and a joint submission to the South

Australian Government on their Regional Mining and

Infrastructure Planning project.

In summary, the submission to Transport for NSW broadly

supports the principles and strategic action areas outlined in the

Draft NSW Freight and Ports Strategy. The ARA however

advocates that the NSW Government work with the Federal

Government in aligning the NSW Freight and Ports Strategy with

the National Land Freight Strategy also being developed. The

submission also proposes a number of over-arching national

principles that should be included in the NSW Freight and Ports

strategy.

The submission to Commonwealth Treasury indicated that the

ARA broadly supports the proposed new tax scheme that will

promote private investment and involvement in public infra-

structure. The ARA believes that measures such as this will help

unlock projects that have long been in Infrastructure Australia’s

pipeline but are yet to receive public funding.

The submission to the Productivity Commission outlines the

ARA’s support for the retention of the National Access Regime. It

captures the ARA’s views that 1) there should be a single national

economic regulator and adjudicator with respect to regimes for

access in Australia, 2) the ACCC’s power should be increased, to

monitor, audit and enforce access provisions, and 3) the

differentiation of access regimes should be on the access

providers’ market and industry position. The submission also

states that road infrastructure should be subjected to economic

regulation.

The submission to the South Australian Department of

Planning, Transport and Infrastructure was a joint submission

with the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) and Genesee

and Wyoming Australia (GWA). The submission captured the

views of the three organisations relating to the ranking process

that the government are carrying out for future infrastructure

needed to support the growth of the mining industry.

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JUNE 2013 EDITION 08

Rail Precinct to create jobs, grow business and harness innovation

In February 2013, the Australian Government announced A Plan

for Australian Jobs: The Australian Government’s Industry and

Innovation Statement which outlines current and future industry

and innovation initiatives. The Industry Innovation Precincts

Program is one of the major commitments of the Government’s

plan. The Program aims to support Australian industry to win

business abroad and position Australian business to take

advantage of economic opportunities from growing demand in

the international market, particularly the Asian market.

In essence, there are two types of precinct to be established

under this program, namely:

1. An Established Industry Innovation Precincts; and

2. An Emerging Industry Innovation Precincts.

Out of these two categories, ten Precincts will be established.

Two precincts have already been established to date, the

Manufacturing Precinct and the Food Precinct. Applications for

the remaining 8 Precincts are currently being called.

The ARA is applying for a Rail Precinct under the Established

Industry Innovation Precinct category. If successful, the Rail

Precinct will establish a collaborative network and create critical

mass in areas of competitive advantage across the rail and

transport industry. The Precinct will create more jobs, upgrade

skills of rail’s workforce and help firms grow their businesses

domestically and internationally by identifying market

opportunities and harnessing innovation.

For more information on the Rail Precinct application process

please contact Rhianne Jory, Associate Director Environment and

Regulation on 02 6270 4504 or rjory@ara.net.au.

ARA Submission to Metropolitan Strategy for Sydney to 2031

The ARA has made a submission to the Metropolitan Strategy

for Sydney to 2031.

In its submission, the ARA welcomed the draft strategy’s

recognition of the wider benefits transport infrastructure

investment provides and the vital role public transport will play

in achieving the strategy’s five key outcomes. The ARA also

supported the proposed integration of transport planning with

land use for the first time in Sydney as well as the alignment

of the strategy with other existing strategies such as the NSW

Long Term Transport Master Plan.

Whilst acknowledging the need for housing and jobs growth

across all of Sydney, the ARA argued that rather than

“encourage” this growth in “transport accessible centres”, the

strategy should stipulate that rezoning or housing

developments in Sydney will only be approved when public

transport infrastructure or links to public transport are

provided.

To further improve Sydney’s freight capabilities, the ARA

recommended that the concept of ‘Freight Cities’ are explored

in the strategy. Freight Cities exist where intermodal terminals

and distribution centres are co-located establishing a ‘one-stop-

shop’ for freight distribution. They rely on rail to bring goods

into the intermodal terminal and/or direct to the distribution

centre where they utilise trucks to move goods from direct to

the store. Traditionally goods are moved to an intermodal

terminal, transported to a distribution centre and then

transported to a store. Freight cities essentially remove an

element from the logistics chain, streamlining processes and

reducing the number of trucks on our roads. This concept

would contribute to a number of the objectives listed in the

draft strategy.

The ARA welcomed the strategy’s commitment to achieving a

healthy and resilient natural environment within the city of

Sydney but recommended that the role rail can play in this

space is worked into the strategy.

As well as making other recommendations throughout its

submission, in concluding, the ARA recommended that

hypothecated innovative funding mechanisms that could be

used for continued operating funds and infrastructure

maintenance costs are explored in the strategy.

The ARA submission is available by clicking here .

www.ara.net.au

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JUNE 2013 EDITION 08

ARA SPAD’s Working Group Re-estabished

The ARA has established an Industry Working Group dedicated

to addressing the incidents of human factors signals passed at

danger (SPADs).

The group is comprised of representatives from passenger and

freight rail operators across Australia and New Zealand and

aims to collectively address SPAD matters arising from

passenger and freight rail operations whilst providing a

consultative forum to discuss systemic issues and

recommended industry solutions.

Chaired by Dr Todd Bentley, Metro Trains Melbourne, the

group has conducted an industry-wide SPAD survey to

establish a thorough overview of the current SPAD

environment within Australasia. As well as becoming an

extensive information-sharing activity, the task highlighted the

need to streamline the categorisation of SPADs. As a result, the

working group plans to explore the standardisation of SPAD

classifications. A mini working group will be established to

workshop potential classifications that could then be adopted

across the industry.

Additional areas identified for further discussion and

potential collaboration that will be explored by the SPADs

Working Group include the use of mobile phones and social

media in train cabs.

For more information on the SPADs Working Group, please

contact Emma Woods via ewoods@ara.net.au or 02 6270 4512.

ARA represents at 60th UITP World Congress and Mobility and City Transport Exhibition

ARA CEO, Bryan Nye represented the Australasian rail industry

in Geneva at the recent UITP public transport congress in late

May. More than 2000 registered delegates from 78 countries

attended the three day event. The ARA CEO participated in a

regional session titled Asia-Pacific: Urban mobility planning

in mega cities and regional cities, addressing the conference

about Rail in Australia, highlighting the considerable Federal

Government investment, many Light Rail projects,

re-exploration of High Speed Rail and most importantly, the

continued challenge of funding.

Funding and the various funding or tax mechanisms that are

employed in many countries to generate funds for public

transport was a common theme touched on throughout the

three day conference. The ARA took note of schemes such as

the 28 taxes available in the United States to generate revenue

for public transport, the Indian Government’s 2006 Urban

Transport Policy which introduced a 250m corridor along rail

lines with improved development opportunities (ie higher

height allowances) to entice developers and fund rail

investment, road pricing schemes in Oslo as well as car parking

levies in a variety of countries.

www.ara.net.au

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JUNE 2013 EDITION 08

New rail specific modules developed and available to industry: Is it dementia?

Nationally recognised and consistent rail specific training is

high on the agenda for the Australasian Railway Association.

As such, we are pleased to support the Australian Government

Dementia Initiative, funded by the Department of Health and

Ageing and produced by Alzheimer’s Australia SA to develop

specific training and education modules for community

workers who may come into contact with people with

dementia; with a focus on public transport, fire & emergency

services, retail, correctional services and banking.

The project objective included the development of a core

training module containing general information on dementia

with specific scoping for individual sectors - including rail! As

the project was fully funded and web based designed all

training materials and resources are fully accessible for

industry to utilise FREE OF CHARGE.

To optimise relevance and usefulness of training modules,

industry consultation and engagement was paramount. The

ARA was contacted and invited to represent Rail on the

Industry Reference Group which commenced in October 2011.

The rail specific case study footage was created in line with

valuable feedback and contributions received from

Department Planning Transport and Infrastructure SA, Metro

Trains Melbourne, Public Transport Authority WA, Queensland

Rail, RailCorp and V/Line.

“Is it dementia” training resources were officially launched by

the Hon Mark Butler, Minister for Mental Health and Ageing on

10 May 2013 and are now available online.

For further information, please phone 08 8372 2100 or email

isitdementia@alzheimers.org.au.

High Speed Rail forum at Parliament House

In releasing stage two of its high speed rail study, the Federal

Government has invited Australians to transform our nation’s

future. As well as providing a submission to the Government’s

study, the ARA is holding a forum at Parliament House on

Wednesday 26 June to keep the project on political and public

agendas.

The long-term visionary project is about a future Australia, with

a larger population, different economic fundamentals, and very

different transport needs.

The forum program will inform and encourage discussion.

Attendees will hear from The Hon Anthony Albanese MP and

study authors, participate in a thought provoking Mayors panel,

and learn from international and local experts about overseas

experiences, costs and benefits, finance options, regional

development and more.

If you are interested in attending the forum, please contact

Melissa Harry via mharry@ara.net.au or 02 6270 4522.

www.ara.net.au

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JUNE 2013 EDITION 08

QLD QLD government must match funding on Cross River Rail

Funding offered by the Federal Government to Brisbane’s

Cross River Rail represents the most significant financial

contribution this project to date.

With Brisbane’s inner city rail network reaching its absolute

capacity within the next 5 years, this priority ranked project

is the only medium to long term solution available that will

ensure Brisbane’s entire transport network doesn’t grind to a

halt within the decade.

However, with the $715 million on the table for Cross River

Rail being conditional on both a matching contribution from

a reluctant Queensland Government and significant private

sector investment, the project is still no closer to being com-

pleted.

With federal funding now in the picture, this could be the

best opportunity the Queensland Government will ever have

to step up and ensure this project gets underway.

Around the nation

SA Gawler line heading for full electrification

In a welcome budget announcement, the South Australian

Government is partnering with the Commonwealth to

complete the construction of an electrical sub-station and

the electrification of the Gawler rail line to Dry Creek at a

cost of $152.4 million, as the first step in full electrification of

the line to Gawler.

ACT ARA welcomes ACT Labor’s announcement of a planned light rail

ACT Labor indicated a strong commitment to the funding of

a light rail for Canberra in its 2013-14 Budget announcement

in early June, a project the ARA has long been arguing for.

The Budget provides an initial investment of $5 million to

complete early design work for Capital Metro, a light rail

network in Canberra, with a further $12 million provided in

recurrent funding over a four year period.

The ARA particularly supports the establishment of the

Capital Metro agency which will ensure the delivery of the

project and its key priorities.

The ARA commended ACT Labor for taking the first

important step to ensuring a more efficient and productive

form of public transport for the nation’s capital. Light rail will

take the pressure of Canberra’s increasingly congested roads

providing a more environmentally viable, faster and safer

way to travel.

This Budget announcement supports, in principle, the

agreement reached between ACT Greens and ACT Labor,

which outlined plans for the establishment of an

independent authority to manage the implementation of

light rail as well as called for the development of a master

plan for the longer –term development of the project.

www.ara.net.au

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JUNE 2013 EDITION 08

NSW Driverless trains steering productivity and progress

The ARA condemned the fear tactics used by the NSW Rail,

Train and Bus Union earlier this month after the NSW

Government’s announcement of a fully-automated rapid

transit system for the North West Rail Link.

ARA supported the NSW Government on its forward thinking

for the Australian-first, which incorporates driverless trains

and high-tech customer safety and security measures.

Fully automated systems have been delivering safe, efficient

and reliable train services in at least 14 countries on more

than 40 rail lines used by millions of people for the past 30

years.

The use of modern technology increases the productivity of

the service and brings us one step closer to achieving the

much needed shift of passenger transport from off the roads

and on to the tracks.

NSW delivers comprehensive budget for rail

The ARA commended the O’Farrell Government for

delivering one of the most comprehensive state budgets for

the rail industry this nation has seen.

ARA stated the rail industry has long been calling for greater

investment in passenger and freight rail infrastructure

throughout NSW, with Sydney at risk of grinding to a halt in

the near future if congestion busting projects were not given

the green light.

The 2013-14 Budget includes $4.1 billion for the North West

Rail Link over four years with tunnel boring machines due to

be in the ground next year, and $353 million for the

continuation of works for the South West Rail Link.

During the one hour peak of morning travel around 100,000

people are transported by train in Sydney. This extra

funding partnered with the introduction of innovative

technology, such as driverless trains, will increase

productivity and efficiency on Sydney’s rail network allowing

for the city’s 100,000+ morning commuters to travel to work

quickly, easily and safely.

ARA also commends the government’s continued

commitment to light rail with a further $67 million to

complete the Inner West Light Rail Extension and $423

million investment over the next four years for the new CBD

and South East light rail linking the CBD with Randwick and

Kingsford.

Also welcomed are commitments to the country regional

network, in the order of $177 million of which $48 million

was allocated for work on grain lines.

A driverless train in London

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JUNE 2013 EDITION 08

FEDERAL Budget breakdown

The 2013 Federal Budget has delivered largely positive

outcomes for commuters, whilst maintaining key investments

in our freight network, the backbone of Australia’s economic

productivity. The ARA attended the budget lock-up on 13 May

and found the government’s announcements on rail both good

and bad but with also a significant ‘unknown’ quantity.

Below is a breakdown of new projects announced and

commitments to ongoing in both the passenger and freight

sectors.

FREIGHT – NEW

• Advanced Train Management System (NATIONAL) - $50m

(capped with estimated project cost of $65m)

“A significant technological advancement that will extract

greater efficiencies and increase productivity on our interstate

rail network” Bryan Nye, CEO ARA.

• Freight Rail Revitalisation (Tasmania) - $119.6m (capped with

estimated project cost of $239.2m)

• Port Botany Rail Line Upgrade (NSW) - $75m (capped with

estimated project cost of $75m)

• Port Botany Upgrade program (NSW) - $40m (capped with

estimated project cost of $80m) - involves removal of a rail level

crossing and duplication of Port Botany Rail Line

• Scone Level Crossing (NSW) - $45m (capped with estimated

project cost of $90m)

FREIGHT – ON-GOING

• Northern Sydney Freight Corridor (NSW)

• Inland Rail – ($300m for pre-construction – NSW/Qld)

“I am pleased that Inland Rail also remains on the agenda, a

project that would take up to 7 hours off a Brisbane to

Melbourne journey as well as moving freight from trucks to rail

in line with community sentiment,” Bryan Nye, CEO ARA

• Dandenong Intermodal Terminal (VIC)

• Somerton Intermodal Terminal (VIC)

• Moorebank Intermodal (NSW)

“Moorebank Intermodal Terminal will create broader economic

advantages that benefit everyone,” Bryan Nye, CEO ARA

• Oakajee Port (WA)

• Goodwood and Torrens Junctions (SA)

• Drainage upgrades on Melbourne-Sydney rail line

PASSENGER – NEW

• Cross River Rail (Brisbane) - $715m (estimated project cost

$5.2b) – requires matching funds from Queensland

Government and private sector investment through availability

payments

“With Brisbane’s inner city rail network reaching its absolute

capacity within the next 5 years, this priority ranked project is

the only medium to long term solution available that will

ensure Brisbane’s entire transport network doesn’t grind to a

halt within the decade,” Bryan Nye, CEO ARA

• Perth Public Transport Package (WA) - $500m (no estimated

project cost as yet) – for light rail and/or airport link

• Melbourne Metro - $3b (estimated project cost $9.2b) –

requires matching funds from Victorian Government and

private sector investment through availability payments

• Tonsley Park Public Transport Project - $31.5m (capped with

estimated total project cost of $63m) – includes a new bus

interchange and significant rail upgrades

PASSENGER – ON-GOING

• Parramatta Epping Rail Link (NSW)

• Moreton Bay Rail Link (QLD)

• Regional Rail Link (VIC)

There was also a significant ‘unknown’ quantity in this budget-

the $3 billion investment into the Melbourne Metro Rail project.

As the federal funds are conditional on a matching

commitment by the Victorian Government, the project doesn’t

look likely to begin construction in the short to medium term.

www.ara.net.au

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JUNE 2013 EDITION 08

TrackSAFE Update

Rail Safety Week 2013

TrackSAFE is currently gearing up for annual Rail Safety Week

(RSW) 2013. Running 12-18 August this year, the Week will focus

on safe behaviour at and around railway tracks and level

crossings.

RSW encourages road users and commuters to take

responsibility for their own behaviour and be safe around railway

lines. This year an awareness campaign will be carried out

emphasising that the importance of always exercising caution

and obeying the rules— crossing only at designated areas and

staying off the tracks.

Distraction amongst road users and commuters is an alarming

concern for the rail industry. Talking on the phone and texting

whilst driving or listening to music on earphones when walking

near railway tracks is a trend that is alarmingly on the increase.

For this reason the RSW campaign for 2013 will target distraction

and the importance of staying alert. The awareness campaign will

be a roadside billboard and train station poster campaign built

around the message ‘Train Yourself’, such as ‘Train yourself to

stop at level crossings’ or ‘Train yourself to listen around railway

lines’.

There are thousands of near collisions at level crossings and

on railway lines every year, with around 180 of these leading to

fatalities on the network. This is a behavioural issue as trains

always have right of way and simply cannot stop quickly. Almost

every incident is caused by road users and commuters

resulting from careless behaviour, recklessness or taking

shortcuts. The rules, signs and signals are in place for a reason

and if the warning devices are always observed we will together

be creating safer communities.

Every near collision, incident and fatality has a profound and

lasting impact on the train driver, crew and other rail employees

involved, who are all too often forgotten in these incidents. That

is why for RSW this year TrackSAFE is encouraging commuters

and road users to train themselves in order to stay safe and stay

alive.

With over 20 rail operators from across Australia and New

Zealand participating in RSW once again, the Week is sure to be a

success. For more information on the Week, visit

www.railsafetyweek.com.

www.ara.net.au

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JUNE 2013 EDITION 08

ARISEG Member Survey

Earlier this year ARISEG distributed a member survey to 794

potential respondents and a response rate of almost 22 per cent.

With only 45 per cent of respondents being aware of the

existence of ARISEG, the results of the survey highlight that the

ARA, and ARISEG in particular, need to provide a louder, clearer

and stronger voice for Small to Medium Enterprises (SME’s)

suppliers operating in the Australasian rail industry.

ARISEG has therefore set out to raise its profile and communicate

with members on a more regular basis.

Outcomes from the survey also indicated that ARISEG assist in:

• The planning of events to better address the needs of the SME

market as well as prevent events being ‘hijacked’ by the big rail

operators.

• Providing assistance to SME’s to export their products and

services by informing them of upcoming opportunities, and

keeping them abreast of State and Federal export incentive

schemes.

• Disseminating relevant market information to the SME’s,

specifically local business opportunities, new product and market

developments by other ARA members, and global trends within

the rail community.

To address the above areas, ARISEG created a strategy and

number of new initiatives to be rolled out to improve ARA service

offering to small rail suppliers. The immediate 2014 deliverables

included a completed Board transition, new strategic and

communications plan and complete re-branding exercise.

For more information, contact Garry Whiting,

gwhiting@ara.net.au.

Suppliers Workforce Development

New qualification framework developed for industry workers and operators

In conjunction with the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC)

for Rail Innovation and members, the Transport and Logistics

Industry Skills Council (TLISC) has developed a new framework

of qualifications for occupational groups such as Infrastructure

Workers and Rail Operators. The successful implementation

of the new framework requires the development of a national

curriculum and training package.

These qualifications are aligned with the Australian

Qualifications Framework at Level 2 and 3 and this project

provides a ready-made suite of resources for use by training

practitioners within the rail industry. These resources have

enhanced the quality of training and development offered. As

a result of training curriculum standardisation, harmonisation

and portability, the rail industry will have a higher qualified

workforce with an increased performance capacity. Cert III in

Rail Infrastructure resources are now available online.

The ARA would like to commend the CRC for funding this

valuable work through project P4.114 and the participating

organisations Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC),

Brookfield Rail, Metro Trains Melbourne, Public Transport

Authority WA, RailCorp, Transport Victoria, V/Line and

University of South Australia.

www.ara.net.au

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JUNE 2013 EDITION 08

Diploma in Rail Operations Management

In late 2011, industry saw a need to develop a nationally

recognised qualification in the area of Rail Operations

Management. In conjunction with the Transport and Logistics

Industry Skills Council, the ARA facilitated an industry

committee to identify industry needs and agreed a diploma

level qualification would provide most benefit.

Representatives from 12 organisations, including Aurizon,

Downer EDI, Department Planning Transport & Infrastructure

(DPTI) SA, Genesee & Wyoming, John Holland Group Pty Ltd –

Rail Division, Kiwi Rail, Metro Trains, Queensland Rail, RailCorp,

Tasrail, Public Transport Authority (PTA) WA and V/Line,

collaborated to identify the units of competency required to

form the framework of the qualification that would be

applicable to all participants across borders.

The Diploma of Rail Operations Management may be relevant

to various job roles and titles including, but not limited to, Rail

Operations Manager, Passenger Services Manager, Rail Freight

Manager, Network Control Manager, Rail Safety Manager, Rail

Maintenance Manager.

The qualification framework and training package rules have

been finalised and will soon be available for review and

comment here. When the endorsement process is completed,

the qualification will be included in the next training package

and available to use in early 2014.

The time is right for enhancing your career with further learning

The slowdown in the mining industry provides a good

opportunity for rail professionals to use this time for

undertaking part-time learning and enhancing their careers

with advanced skills, knowledge and qualifications.

Recognising the need for more flexible and affordable learning

solutions, the universities now offer individual subjects from

rail post-graduate programs as continuing professional

development courses. This study is undertaken online, so there

is no need to spend money on travel and accommodation.

Program tutors, experienced rail consultants from the

Australian railway industry, would guide you through the study

and are always available to help and answer your enquiries.

By choosing an assignment topic closely linked to needs of the

employing organisation, upon completion you will be able to

suggest business improvements to your supervisor. After

completion of a course over the 12-13 weeks period, you will

get credit for continuing professional development. Enrolments

are now open until 19 July for Courses in Rolling Stock

Engineering and 22 July for Courses in Rail Infrastructure.

For UoW Courses in Rolling Stock Engineering please click here

or call 02 4221 4566

For information about QUT Courses in Rail Infrastructure

please follow the link CPE Railway Infrastructure Short Courses.

QUT also offers special corporate packages for companies

interested in supporting professional development for their

engineers. For more information please contact Kristina

Sinclair at km.sinclair@qut.edu.au.

www.ara.net.au

QUARTERLY UPDATE

13

JUNE 2013 EDITION 08

ARA Events

ARA Rail Industry Courses

Popular industry courses run by ARA include:

• Understanding Rail

• Railway Signalling

• Track Engineering; and

• Rollingstock Engineering.

The courses are run by the rail industry for the rail industry

and are great value. Discounts are available for ARA members,

and also IRSE and RTSA members for their respective courses.

The Understanding Rail Course has been running since 2006

and is specifically designed for either those new to the rail

industry, those who have recently assumed a different or

broader role, or those who have been in rail for years and

would like a refreshing update of the entire Australasian Rail

Industry. Speakers are drawn from the ARA membership, and

include CEOs, Executive General Managers, Executive Directors.

The course is a great opportunity to learn from people who

have been working in the rail industry for many years and are

authorities in their fields of expertise. Networking is also a very

important aspect of the course, with a dinner held on the first

night allowing participants to get to know other delegates as

well as presenters. Further information is available by clicking

here.

The Insight into Railway Signalling Course, run jointly by the

ARA and the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers (IRSE)

since 2011, is designed for those required to liaise with signal

engineers, interface to railway signal systems, coordinate with

signalling projects, and provide operational requirements for

signalling systems. The course provides an insight to the

technology, processes and principles that are used by railway

signal engineers. This is a great opportunity to learn from

signalling engineers who have been working in the railway

signalling industry for many years. Further information is

available by clicking here.

Two courses were run in 2013 jointly by the ARA and the

Railway Technical Society of Australasia (RTSA) – Insight into

Track Engineering and Insight into Rollingstock Engineering

courses. Both courses are designed for those required to

liaise with track and rollingstock engineers and both provide

an insight to the technology, processes and principles used by

railway track engineers and rollingstock engineers

respectively. The presenters are experienced track and

rollingstock engineers, who are members of the RTSA. To

express interest in these courses, please contact Janet

Cameron at events@ara.net.au.

For information on all ARA events, please visit the ARA website

or contact Janet Cameron on (02) 6270 4527 or email.

Contact us

For more information on any of these stories, please contact

our office on 02 6270 4500, via ara@ara.net.au, or on

www.ara.net.au.

Subscribe

To register for ARA communications, please click here.