The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) will host a group of 30 rail industry leaders on a study tour of London and Paris this week ahead of the international InnoTrans trade show in Berlin.
The study tour will provide Australian rail organisations with the opportunity to gain valuable insights from global industry leaders on key topics, including interoperability, high-speed rail, sustainability, infrastructure development and operations. The ARA's CEO Caroline Wilkie said the study tour also provides the opportunity for Australian rail suppliers and their counterparts in the UK to explore export opportunities in Europe.
"With Australia undergoing an unprecedented $155 billion of rail infrastructure investment, this is a very valuable opportunity for local rail organisations to share experiences and hear first-hand from European counterparts about the successes and challenges in building and modernising major rail networks," Ms Wilkie said.
"The study tour will include visits to significant rail sites such as HS1 and HS2 and the Elizabeth line in London as well as RATP Dev's driverless metro line Paris, and a briefing on lessons learned during the recent Olympics and Paralympics," Ms Wilkie said.
"Australia is enjoying a renaissance of rail, with expanding light rail projects in our major cities, high-speed rail back on the agenda and game-changing projects such as the Sydney Metro and Suburban Rail Loop in Melbourne set to vastly increase patronage.
"This study tour is part of the ARA's mission to drive collaboration with industry and government to build capability, support innovation and foster a sustainable and resilient rail industry."
In London, the group will be briefed by Siemens on ETCS and CBTC and complete station tours of Kings Cross and St Pancras Stations. The tour will also include briefings from key government and agency representatives, including from the Railway Industry Association (RIA), Department for Business & Trade, Department for Transport, Rail Partners (Operators Association) and RSSB.
The program will also include talks on UK rail research and innovation from representatives at Network Rail, the Institute of Railway Research at the University of Huddersfield, University of Southhampton and UniPart Rail.
While in Paris, the study tour will receive a joint presentation from RATP Dev and SNCF on lessons learned from the Paris Olympics and Paralympics as well as visit the Rail Express Regional (RER) and receive a briefing on the 2012-2025 major modernisation (new rollingstock, scheduling, Automatic Trains Operations) and tour the operating control room. The group will also visit the Paris Metro Line 14 (driverless metro) for a briefing on its extension and modernisation, followed by either a Captrain rail freight and logistics briefing or a trip to Grand Metro Paris Express hosted by Transdev.
Following the study tour, the ARA will lead an Australian trade delegation of more than 160 representatives to the world's largest rail industry fair, InnoTrans, which opens in Berlin on Tuesday September 24.
The delegation from 86 Australian and New Zealand organisations, including passenger and rail freight operators, contractors, manufacturers and suppliers, will showcase the latest innovations and developments in rail.
The ARA has more than 230 members in Australia and New Zealand, covering every aspect of the rail supply chain, including passenger and freight operators, track owners, managers, consultants, contractors and suppliers.
The ARA is the voice for the rail industry and is committed to advancing issues critical to the Australasian rail industry's collective success and ensuring rail is at the forefront of government transport policy and investment.
