Supporting a new national approach for rail

Australia’s infrastructure and transport ministers have agreed to governance changes that will support the development of standards to lock in interoperability benefits.

Under the changes the NTC will continue to develop a small number of mandatory standards while harmonised standards that support interoperability- will be developed by a renewed Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board (Australia).  

Over the coming months the NTC will work closely with governments and industry to improve how national rail standards are initiated, developed, assured and adopted.  

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Through the National Rail Action Plan, the NTC is harmonising standards across Australia’s rail networks under a new three-tier National Rail Standards Framework.

The framework defines:

• Tier 1 - Mandatory standards: what must be done to ensure interoperabilty and safety across Australia’s rail networks (mandatory standards)  
• Tier 2 - Harmonised standards: what should be done to improve consistency (national standards for harmonisation)
• Tier 3 - Local standards: what might be done to lift efficiencies on individual networks (local standards). 

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Mandatory standards are being developed for:

• digital train control technology and driver interface
• rolling stock approval processes

Harmonisation standards will set out best-practice approaches to align:

• operating rules and processes
• infrastructure and train componentry
• skills and training requirements

Local standards provide flexibility for individual networks where national interoperability is not impacted.

The NTC has worked alongside governments and industry to develop this framework. Together with the Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board (RISSB), Australasian Railway Association (ARA), Office of the National Rail Industry Coordination (ONRIC), the Harmonisation of Rail Standards research report was commissioned. 

The report highlighted the need for a national body to oversee the development, implementation and adoption of nationally consistent rail standards.

We’re working with governments, industry and unions to establish new institutional and governance arrangements for rail.

Industry consultation has shown that a stronger governance model is essential to delivering a nationally consistent approach to standards and driving interoperability across Australia’s networks.

The NTC is developing oversight arrangements in five key areas:

• Interoperability assessment – ensuring future network decisions don’t create new barriers to national interoperability
• National standards development and adoption – coordinating how standards are developed, approved and implemented
• Rolling stock approvals – improving the consistency and efficiency of approvals across networks
• Safeworking governance – supporting nationally consistent operating rules and procedures
• Skills and competency oversight – aligning workforce training and accreditation
  
   

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

As a first step, an amendment has been made to RSNL regulations, requiring rail transport operators to have an Interoperability Management Plan when planning changes to their operations on the National Network for Interoperability (NNI).

This marks a shift from the current approach where networks focus on what works best for their own operations.

The change will come into effect from 1 November 2025 with a transition period until 28 February 2026.

The NTC has worked with the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR)  and the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RISSB) to develop draft guidance material that will help industry with the new requirement.  

ONRSR will be consulting on this guidance soon.  

Further changes to the RSNL are underway to build even stronger interoperability requirements into the law.