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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
QUARTERLY UPDATE
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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 [email protected].
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.
www.ara.net.au
QUARTERLY UPDATE
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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.
www.ara.net.au
QUARTERLY UPDATE
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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 [email protected].
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
QUARTERLY UPDATE
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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 [email protected] 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
QUARTERLY UPDATE
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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
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 [email protected] or 02 6270 4522.
www.ara.net.au
QUARTERLY UPDATE
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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
QUARTERLY UPDATE
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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
www.ara.net.au
QUARTERLY UPDATE
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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
QUARTERLY UPDATE
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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
QUARTERLY UPDATE
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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,
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
QUARTERLY UPDATE
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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 [email protected].
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 [email protected].
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 [email protected], or on
www.ara.net.au.
Subscribe
To register for ARA communications, please click here.