Queensland is in the middle of a rail transformation with the Cross River Rail nearing completion, direct Sunshine Coast Line out for tender and Logan and Gold Coast Faster Rail all set to begin construction.
Along for this journey has been full-service railway infrastructure company Martinus.
Martinus crews have been hard at work installing new turnouts and track at Queensland Rail’s Mayne Yard – the main stabling and maintenance precinct in the heart of Brisbane.
These upgrades are essential for supporting the growth of the rail network for projects including the Cross River Rail.
Cross River Rail is a new 10.2 kilometre rail line that includes 5.9 kilometres of twin tunnels running under the Brisbane River and CBD; with new underground stations at Boggo Road, Woolloongabba, Albert Street and Roma Street.
Martinus has hundreds of employees currently based in Queensland, according to General Manager of Major Projects Travis Rawling.
“We have teams delivering the Loganlea Station Relocation Project, track construction for Cross River Rail, maintenance and upgrade teams supporting Queensland Rail and Aurizon, not to mention Australia’s largest fleet of specialised rail plant is overseen from our internal plant department at Rocklea,” he said.
“Our team is growing by the day at the moment, and our national approach to making sure we get the best resources to the right location means we have a number of the Queensland-based teams working interstate on some of the rail industry’s most significant projects.”
Martinus is well-equipped to handle major projects across South East Queensland and throughout the rest of the state.
The organisation owns and maintains its own plant and equipment out of Rocklea, south of the Brisbane CBD, allowing it to mobilise to meet the demands of large-scale projects.
This capability is crucial in a city where 72 per cent of Queensland’s total population resides and rail infrastructure is becoming increasingly important.
To assist with the needs of the state moving forward, Martinus has also committed to bringing in team members with the knowledge and expertise to help the company thrive.
James Leach is the new Project Director for Queensland and has more than 30 years of experience behind him.
“I started work for British Rail in June 1988. I worked in the track renewals and then the maintenance divisions in southeast London – this gave me a solid rail background,” he said.
“From 1988 to 1995 it was an interesting time to be working for British Rail as it was the time of privatisation, as well as the introduction of a new fleet of domestic passenger trains and the new Eurostar trains onto the network in southeast London and Kent.
“After the privatisation of British Rail, I worked for numerous contractors on the rail infrastructure of the Croydon Tramlink, Dockland Light Railway, London Underground and the national network, formerly managed by British Rail. I moved to New Zealand in 2001 and spent 23 years living there – with a couple of short stints in Australia – working for various companies, where my career was split approximately 50/50 between rail and general infrastructure construction.”
Leach moved into areas including risk management, bid management and business development, which eventually led to a role as General Manager and a member of numerous Alliance Leadership Teams.
“I was approached by Martinus to assist them in becoming established in New Zealand in early 2021 – they had a few projects and were doing quite well, but they needed someone to elevate their profile at an executive and governmental level. I moved to Queensland late 2024 with a view to winning and delivering some iconic rail projects here in the remaining 10 to 15 years of my career,” he said.
“I knew the guys that were running Martinus in New Zealand, as well as a lot of the wider staff, so it didn’t take much convincing to join the team.”
Many years in leadership have allowed Leach to hone his skills in this role, but he said the key to his leadership is to lead by example.
“I would not ask anyone to undertake a task or duty that I would not do myself,” he said.
“I have safety at the forefront of my leadership style, and I have always encouraged my people to call me out on any aspect of my behaviour or actions that could be deemed ‘below the line’.
“I am not a micro-manager – I empower my people to undertake their duties, and I always try to provide an environment where they can thrive. I like to enjoy work, so I try to create a fun atmosphere. Major projects can be a hard slog, with people working long hours with stressful deadlines, so a sense of being all in it together and a sense of humour are vital for success, in my book.”
The future of Queensland
Rawling explained that bringing Leach on board to lead the Queensland team is a clear sign from Martinus that it is preparing for large-scale works in the state in the near future.
Queensland’s population is growing rapidly, with the southeast of the state forecast to grow from 3.8 million people to more than six million in the next 20 to 25 years.
These factors are driving the investment in infrastructure in the state, particularly in the southeast, providing a solid long-term pipeline of work for infrastructure companies such as Martinus.
“Rail, in particular, has the ability to unlock Queensland’s potential – providing fast, frequent and climate-friendly travel both in the regions and between regional centres, as well as being the most efficient and cost-effective mode for bulk freight transportation,” Leach said.
“Hosting an Olympic and Paralympic Games provides an opportunity for a once-in-a-generational investment in infrastructure for a city and the surrounding regions, providing for both the games themselves and a long-lasting legacy for the community. From the upgrades and construction of stadiums,facilities and athlete villages to the required supporting travel and other infrastructure construction and development, we as a state have a lot to do to be ready for 2032.
“Martinus is ready to support these developments, as we are supporting Queensland’s growth through our existing projects, and we await the outcome of the new state government’s 100-day review which, amongst other things, is tasked with identifying critical transport projects that could be constructed prior to the Olympic Games to align with long-term mobility and transport strategies.”
Leach explained that his aim for Martinus is to grow the team in Queensland, and he believes the organisation has the pipeline of future work to do so.
“With our uniquely flexible offering to clients, combined with our ‘can do’ attitude and largely self-performing project ethos, Martinus has the opportunity to establish ourselves in Queensland as the premier rail construction contractor,” he said.
“We will keep delivering for our clients and always remember that you are only as good as your last job.”
Rawling echoed a similar sentiment when speaking about what the future has in store in Queensland.
“I see the future in Queensland as being an exciting time, filled with huge growth opportunity, with both clients and contractors working collaboratively to deliver critical infrastructure required to meet the needs of the growing region,” he said.
“I believe, here in Queensland, we have a pipeline of opportunities that will underpin the industry and enable the achievement of even higher levels of project performance, be it safety, quality or timely and reliable delivery.
“While different network owners, operators and regions have their own unique attributes and qualities, they actually have a number of similarities. I suppose that’s the benefit of being exclusively rail-focused with a team of experienced rail industry experts – we understand where the opportunities and risks lie, and that enables us to continually support our clients in delivering a safe, reliable and sustainable rail network.”
Leaning on the business’s experience
While Martinus is well established in Queensland, the company is prepared to lean on the experience across the business to support the team in the state.
“Working in rail construction requires a mobile staff and the ability to move people and plant around the country, to wherever a project might be. Often the projects are not in areas with the most basic facilities,” Leach said.
“While the emphasis is currently around Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast, I have started to look further afield at opportunities further north and inland where there is also a pipeline of opportunities for a rail specialist construction contractor such as Martinus.
“Delivering projects in remote locations is obviously very different to working in an urban environment but Martinus has specialist teams currently delivering such projects in other states so we would bring that model here.”
Rawling shares the idea that the business needs to be prepared to expand its work in Queensland.
“I expect, like other previous industry boom periods I’ve seen both here and internationally, that limitations associated with the size of the available resource pool will be a challenge we need to overcome,” he said. “We need to be doing everything in our power to attract and retain talent and skill to South East Queensland, supporting both established teams and new entrants.
“At Martinus, our hands-on leadership and corporate agility ensures decisions can happen quickly, ensuring opportunities are realised whilst the window is still open. We have the ability to mobilise teams quickly to where they are needed most, drawing on local, interstate and international capability and knowledge.”
While leaning on the whole business for its experience, the company’s understanding of working with relevant stakeholders will also be vital, according to Leach.
“The involvement of stakeholders is of vital importance to the overall success of our projects and, as such, we always seek to proactively engage with the local communities and other affected parties,” he said.
“We are partnering, and will continue to partner, with established Queensland-based businesses and help them to grow as we do, to ensure that the entire supply chain is ready to meet the needs of this rapidly growing state.”
Rawling explained that this stakeholder engagement strategy is something the business has honed over the journey.
“Developing and nurturing respectful and productive relationships with local stakeholders is key to any successful project,” he said.
“In the earlier days a number of our projects were based in more regional and remote locations, where we refined our authentic and open approach to stakeholder engagement. There’s not much time for any sugar-coating when dealing with a local land owner or an earthworks subcontractor in regional areas of northern Queensland.
“As our project portfolio has evolved to include more urban-based projects, our approach is still based on these foundational ideas.”
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