In 2024, the Australasian Railway Association will be delivering new projects and contributing to key partnerships to drive action as the industry responds to sustainability issues.
The ARA has increased its focus on sustainability as the industry responds to a growing need to decarbonise, build climate resilience and support the community’s efforts to improve sustainable outcomes in our communities.
It is no secret that greater use of rail will help drive transport emissions down.
Rail freight generates 16 times less carbon pollution, while passenger rail generates 30 per cent less carbon pollution, compared with road travel.
As we move closer to 2030, initiatives that support mode shift will be more important than ever in 2024.
Passenger rail networks have seen patronage return after pandemic restrictions eased and have implemented a range of customer initiatives aimed at making journeys easy and seamless.
More than half of Australia’s workers live within 10 kilometres (km) of their workplace, including 28 per cent who live and work in the same postcode.
Looking beyond the daily commute, more than two million car trips taken each day in Sydney are less than 2km.
Public transport would be particularly effective in facilitating these journeys, and highlight the potential for more of us to make rail our first mode of choice.
When we launched the Future of Freight campaign last year, we confirmed the significant value greater use of rail freight can deliver.
But there have been challenges in supporting the necessary shift to rail.
The shift to electric vehicles in the road freight sector will take time, particularly for longer services where a clear solution is not yet available and where rail is best suited.
We will be continuing to advance the Future of Freight campaign this year to support greater use of rail as part of a more efficient and sustainable freight network.
While there will always be a place for road transport, supported by the transition to EVs, we must recognise that rail offers more benefits beyond the significant and immediate emissions reductions it can support.
The ARA’s research on light rail and faster rail confirmed the urban renewal and growth that can be achieved as a result of well-planned rail infrastructure designed to meet community needs.
Rail can also reduce congestion, which will be increasingly important as our city populations grow.
These factors – and many others – mean rail enables healthier, safer and more liveable communities, while also providing an efficient form of transport for people and businesses.
The ARA will continue to advocate for mode shift to support more sustainable outcomes in 2024.
Decarbonisation
While rail generates just six per cent of transport emissions, the industry remains committed to building on its sustainability leadership as the infrastructure sector moves towards net zero.
The ARA has launched a new project to explore opportunities to support and accelerate the transition to zero emissions trains across the national network.
With a focus on regional passenger and freight services not operating on electrified networks, the project is exploring the significant work already underway in the industry to transition to new technologies.
This includes battery electric and hydrogen trials, as well as initiatives to explore the use of alternative fuels such as biodiesel.
The key to ensuring a smooth transition to new technologies will be a nationally coordinated approach to implementing the change.
While different technologies may offer solutions for different contexts, there will be a need to review policy and regulatory frameworks, and consider the skills, investment and enabling infrastructure needed to support decarbonised rollingstock across Australia.
Our research, which commenced in January, will explore these issues together with industry and government stakeholders to provide a clearly defined path to zero emissions rollingstock across the national network.
We expect this work will be completed mid-year and will complement ongoing engagement with governments as they implement sector roadmaps to support a net zero future.
The project will also include specific consideration of the supply chain impacts of transitioning to decarbonised rollingstock.
The ARA expects this work will build on our engagement with the Federal Government as it implements the National Rail Manufacturing Strategy, which was launched late last year.
Collective action
The Infrastructure Net Zero initiative, of which the ARA is a founding partner, commences new projects this year to address some of the strategic sustainability issues facing the infrastructure sector.
Key initiatives to define net zero pathways, support more sustainable procurement practices and define the skills and capabilities required to enable a net zero infrastructure sector are among the areas of focus for 2024.
The collaboration of industry peak bodies and government agencies as part of Infrastructure Net Zero provides a powerful opportunity to accelerate efforts to address shared challenges and ensure a focused approach to solving some of the key issues that will be critical to enabling our transition to net-zero.
Interoperability
The current sustainability challenges facing the transport sector also provide a unique opportunity to further efforts to achieve greater national interoperability in the rail industry.
The pace of change required to support the achievement of net zero targets means we must do things differently.
In an industry that has been plagued with challenges associated with a lack of interoperability, this presents a unique opportunity to introduce national approaches and build greater consistency as new solutions are identified to support our response to key challenges such as reducing carbon emissions.
The National Transport Commission’s efforts to streamline rollingstock approval regimes as part of the National Rail Action Plan recognises this opportunity, and it is hoped the ARA’s research on decarbonising the national fleet will complement this work.
There is also an opportunity to develop nationally consistent standards associated with new technologies.
The ARA will be working closely with RISSB and other industry bodies to ensure we can maximise the benefits of our efforts to decarbonise by supporting nationally consistent and coordinated approaches.
This represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make gains in improving rail interoperability. This issue will be a major focus in 2024.
Building capability and supporting diversity and inclusion
The transition to net-zero will also create new skills requirements for the industry, which is already facing large skills gaps.
Early consultation with ARA members highlighted disciplines, such as electrical engineering, will be in demand as we rely more on electric technologies in the future.
While our rolling stock research and collaboration with Infrastructure Net Zero will help further define our skills needs as we move towards net zero, and build on research and analysis of the Australian rail workforce released late last year, it is important that we ensure the industry continues to support growing diversity and inclusion as part of this process.
The ARA has a good track record in supporting gender diversity in rail and fostering the career development of young people.
In 2024, we will build on these efforts with new research to better understand the participation and engagement of First Nations people within the rail industry, and how we can better partner with communities to build on this for the long term.
Year of action to support a sustainable future
While the issues we are facing to prepare for a sustainable future are not new, there is strong momentum in the industry to take action in 2024.
The ARA looks forward to working closely with our members to support the industry’s progress on these important issues.
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