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Hear from us and join the conversation at AusRail PLUS 2025
We’re looking forward to a dynamic AusRAIL PLUS 2025 conference in Melbourne this month as rail professionals from across the country come together for lively discussions about the future of Australia’s rail industry.
With Infrastructure and Transport Ministers having recently confirmed a national signalling technology pathway and a new governance model to drive harmonised and mandatory standards, there’s never been a more exciting time to be part of the conversation.
Join our interactive NRAP panel discussion on the opening day (Wednesday 26 November) when we bring together industry and government leaders to unpack the thinking behind Ministers’ decision to mandate ETCS standards for digital signalling along the National Network for Interoperability, and the endorsement of a new governance approach for rail, featuring a strengthened RISSB as the national standards setting body.
We’ll be talking through the next steps of our work program, the impacts for industry and how industry can get involved as the reform progresses.
The discussion will be facilitated by the NTC’s Chair, Carolyn Walsh, and will feature:
- Caroline Wilkie, Chief Executive Officer, Australasian Railway Association
- Alan Fedda, Chief Executive Officer, Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board
- Natalie Pelham, Chief Executive Officer, Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator
- Wayne Johnson, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Rail Track Corporation
- Raquel Rubalcaba, Acting Deputy Secretary Infrastructure Projects & Engineering, Transport for NSW
- Michael Hopkins, Chief Executive Officer and Commissioner, National Transport Commission
The reform underway is delivering the biggest change to Australian rail since electrification, so this is an exciting chance to hear from our leaders about what this will mean for you.
Time and date: 1:50pm – 3:30pm Wednesday 26 November
Location: AusRAIL PLUS, Melbourne Convention Centre, Meeting room 208
A message from our Chief Executive Officer and Commissioner, Michael Hopkins
Since it's commencement in 2019, the National Rail Action Plan has and continues to be a major priority for the National Transport Commission and all Australian governments.
The reform has been a priority of National Cabinet and is addressing long-standing challenges across the rail industry to improve safety, remove costly inefficiencies, lift national rail productivity and help grow a skilled, mobile rail workforce.
This year we achieved some major milestones. Ministers agreed on ETCS as the digital signalling standard for our national network, endorsed a new governance model to support greater harmonisation and supported a national pathway for a streamlined and consistent rolling stock approval process. This was accomplished together through many years of hard work.
The program has been successfully led from the outset by Sandra McKay, Executive Leader of Facilitated Reform, who will be leaving the NTC at the end of the year after six years.
Under Sandra's leadership, NRAP has evolved from a high-level vision into a multi-year work program that's now delivering tangible outcomes to ensure a better future for Australia's rail industry. Sandra's strong approach to collaboration has helped build positive, lasting connections with industry, governments and unions, while her commitment and dedication has kept the reform on track.
I would like to congratulate Sandra on her achievements at the NTC and for the positive contribution she has made to our rail industry and wish her every success as she pursues her next challenge.
As the program moves into its next phase of delivery and regulatory reform, it will continue to be strongly supported and led by our executive team: Dimi Rigas - Executive Leader Strategy and Government Relations, Aaron DeRozario - Executive Leader Regulatory Reform & Emerging Technologies, and Stephen Lemon, Executive Director Rail Systems & Operations Reform.
Dimi and Aaron both bring significant experience across transport policy and national reform, while Stephen brings decades of experience in rail system operations and deployments across the UK and Australia.
I look forward to continuing the work together and thank everyone for your ongoing involvement across the program.