Rail Safety National Law

The NTC’s 2024 targeted review of the Rail Safety National Law (RSNL) presented an opportunity to look at how effective the law has been and where improvements could be made.  

Key recommendations in the report include a more proactive role for ONRSR in achieving rail interoperability in line with our National Rail Action Plan. This will increase transparency and accountability while promoting innovation and productivity across the national rail network. 

The review of the RSNL identified links between safety and interoperability. And recommended that interoperability be a feature in the law.

The full report can be found here.

As a first step, changes are being made to RSNL regulations which will require all rail organisations on the national network to have an Interoperability Management Plan (IMP) as part of their Safety Management System. This will help them show that they have identified and considered interoperability impacts when making changes to their network.

At the moment rail organisations must meet performance requirements to operate safely. They often use standards developed for their own specific systems, processes and technologies. These are often incompatible with the systems, processes and technologies of other networks.

Recommendations in the RSNL review noted the link between safety and interoperability. It recommended that interoperability provisions be included in the law. This includes a more proactive role for the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR).

The change will give ONRSR the ability to mandate requirements to achieve interoperability outcomes. And to compel network decision makers to consider the interoperability and safety impacts beyond their individual network when making changes to network rules and infrastructure.  

Ministers have asked the NTC to begin consultation on implementation. This will be completed in mid 2025 with a regulatory important statement sent to transport and infrastructure ministers by the end of the year. The amended law will be drafted and presented to ministers at the end of 2026. 

The review also recommended that a national set of competencies and a set of safeworking rules be created. These will be recognised across Australia.

Australia’s transport ministers have asked the NTC to scope amendments to the law to include these recommendations. Right now, we are conducting a full impact assessment and external consultation.  

Other recommendations include improved consultation with workers and unions as well as greater transparency for ONRSR’s regulatory activities.

Importantly, to improve safety ONRSR will also have an enhanced role to bring parties together around safety interface agreements, particularly at level crossings.

During the review we engaged with 39 interested stakeholders including state and territory governments, regulators, industry representatives and unions, and received 17 submissions.