Message from Michael Hopkins, NTC CEO
It’s been a big year for rail in Australia. Working together with industry and governments, the NTC continues its collective effort to deliver the biggest change to rail since electrification.
Through the National Rail Action Plan we are working together to improve the safety and productivity of Australia’s rail networks.
We’ve made major progress across the program to support the consistent adoption of technologies, standards, rules and skills training. This has only been possible through strong partnerships and collaboration with the rail industry. Industry’s expert advice and input is crucial to the program’s success.
We thank everyone involved for their ongoing contributions. As 2025 shapes up to be another exciting year, we look forward to continuing our work together.
National Rail Action Plan - 2024 recap
Aligning train control technology
During 2024, we’ve been advancing a national approach to the rollout of train control and signalling systems across Australia. The development of a Strategic Business Case (SBC) assessing the economic benefits of an interoperable signalling system across the National Network for Interoperability (NNI) is nearing completion. This is a critical step to confirm an interoperable signalling policy for Australia. Having a single national approach will give certainty to industry, lift efficiencies, lower costs and improve safety across the network.
In November, we launched an interactive digital NNI map on our website. It’s an important industry resource that highlights the key freight and passenger lines connecting Australia’s major cities, regions and ports. Achieving interoperability across these corridors and interfaces is critical to improving national rail productivity and safety.
We’ve also been working with rail infrastructure managers (RIMs), operators, suppliers, unions and governments to develop key principles for consistent systems rollout and a costs and benefits sharing framework. This work initially focusses on the eastern seaboard and will be finalised along with the SBC in 2025.
An Interim Configuration Control Board was established this year to support this work. It involves chief engineers and policy experts from the Commonwealth, ARTC and eastern seaboard jurisdictions. It’s currently focusing on the technical development of the interoperable signalling pathway.
A national approach to rail standards
This year we consulted with industry on the first three areas approved by ministers for mandatory rail standards. These are:
- Digital train control technology
- On-board driver interface
- Rolling stock approvals
Industry’s feedback helped us understand how these standards should be shaped to deliver the strongest interoperability and safety improvements. It’s part of the National Rail Standards Framework that’s embedding a national approach to rail in Australia.
Recommendations from this year’s Rail Safety National Law (RSNL) review will provide the legislative environment to implement the framework. It recommended that stronger interoperability provisions be included in the law and the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) take a more proactive role in achieving rail interoperability.
This will build on the proposed amendment to the RSNL National Regulations to require all rail transport operators along the NNI to have an Interoperability Management Plan. It’s an important first step that will require RIMs and operators to consider national interoperability impacts before making changes to their networks.
We also released important research with the October launch of the Harmonisation of Rail Standards Research Report. The report was delivered alongside the Australasian Railway Association (ARA), the Office of National Rail Industry Coordination (ONRIC) and the Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board (RISSB). It identified current barriers to harmonisation of standards across the rail sector and opportunities to drive national adoption.
Reducing the training and regulatory burden on the rail workforce
Throughout 2024, we have been working with the ARA, RISSB and industry towards developing a set of common operating rules and practices that will help reduce the need for bespoke training and regulatory duplication.
During the year, we explored the lived experience of rail organisations who work across multiple safeworking systems on key national corridors. This work identified factors driving the different rules, and options to reduce the burden. A line-by-line comparison of nine current rule books was conducted and the rules with the most commonalities were prioritised for standardisation.
Ministers are now considering a National Network Rules project to harmonise a priority set of safeworking rules and actions. Having common rules will make it easier and safer for rail workers to operate across networks, and reduce the cost and time lost to duplicative practices.
Streamlining the rolling stock approval process
Rail operators told us that complex rolling stock approval processes are some of the biggest operational challenges they face today. In 2024, we worked closely with RIMs, rail operators and governments to identify focus areas to streamline these processes and make it easier to get newer and safer trains running.
In June, ministers approved three actions to:
- Develop guidance to help operators and RIMs meet their obligations under the Rail Safety National Law
- Pilot a single national application approach to reduce the administrative burden
- Investigate ways to harmonise rolling stock testing requirements and locations.
Over the next 18 months, we’ll be working closely with industry, governments and ONRSR to further develop and implement these actions. This work will deliver real improvements to freight operators and we’re excited to see it progress.
Supporting future rail skills
In 2024, we delivered a Future Rail Skills Framework. This identified new technologies driving demand over the next five years and 16 critical roles and skills needed to build, run and maintain rail networks. This work, along with findings from a pilot program to accelerate foundational digital skills in rail, will be used to develop nationally recognised learning pathways.
We formed a working group with jurisdictions to facilitate national ETCS skills development to support systems roll out across the eastern seaboard. It will help develop a nationally skilled workforce to build, operate and maintain these systems into the future.
We’ve also been looking at ways to grow a more diverse rail workforce. In June, we partnered with the ARA and its Young Leaders Advisory Board (Y-Lab) to hold a webinar “Attracting a new generation of rail talent”. More than 70 rail workers representing diverse organisations and roles from across Australia attended the event and provided a better understanding of how rail organisations can attract more young people into the industry. These included:
- Creating more work experience and trainee programs
- Increasing the focus on regional Australia
- Providing clearer pathways and access to information
- Highlighting the transferable skillsets that a rail career provides
Learn more about the National Rail Action Plan.