The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) will host a study tour to Europe from Sunday 13 to Friday 18 September 2026.
The study tour will take place the week prior to InnoTrans in Berlin, where the ARA will again lead an industry delegation.
Program outline
Building on the success of the London and Paris Study Tour in 2024, the ARA is developing a program that will allow participants to capture opportunities and learnings relevant to the Australian and New Zealand rail industry.
Across the five-days, participants will have the opportunity to visit leading rail operations, projects, and suppliers, gaining valuable insights into innovation, technology, and best practice across the sector, experiencing learnings firsthand whilst engaging with peers from across the Australia and New Zealand rail industry.
The program is yet to be developed but issues the ARA intends to include are:
- Interoperability
- Passenger operations
- High Speed Rail
- Signalling systems
- Freight operations
- Rail suppliers and manufacturing
- Other content based on the interest of study tour participants.
Indicative program (subject to change)
The ARA is exploring the following program structure:
| Date | Location | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday 13 September | Barcelona | Study tour welcome dinner |
| Monday 14 September | Barcelona/Northern Spain | Briefings, meetings and site tours, study tour dinner |
| Tuesday 15 September | Barcelona/Northern Spain | Briefings, meetings and site tours, free evening |
| Wednesday 16 September | Barcelona/Northern Spain | Briefings, meetings and site tours, study tour dinner |
| Thursday 17 September | Rome | Briefings, meetings and site tours, final dinner |
| Friday 18 September | Rome | Briefings, meetings and site tours (close of study tour) |
Please note that the locations in Italy and Spain are subject to change as we confirm the most productive program for delegates.
A detailed program will be released in March 2026.
For those heading to InnoTrans, the ARA delegation will meet in Berlin on Sunday 22 September for a Welcome Dinner. Study tour participants are welcome to join the Australian delegation to InnoTrans.
Attendees, cost and participation
The study tour is open to CEO’s and Senior Executives from ARA member organisations as well as senior government officials and stakeholders.
Cost: $3,950 including GST
Maximum participants: 25. As numbers are limited, we expect this to sell out quickly.
Register your interest
To register your interest to join the 2026 study tour, please email [email protected].
What’s included (subject to change)
- Fully hosted site visits and coordination of the study tour day programme
- Briefings and relevant information
- Sunday 13 September – study tour welcome dinner
- Monday 14 September – light lunch, dinner and travel between meetings
- Tuesday 15 September – light lunch and travel between meetings
- Wednesday 16 September – light lunch, dinner and travel between meetings
- Thursday 17 September – light lunch, dinner and travel between meetings
- Friday 18 September – light lunch
What’s not included
- International return flights to Europe
- Travel costs between countries
- Accommodation (hotels will be recommended but other hotels can be booked)
- Transfers to Berlin for InnoTrans
- Travel insurance
Questions?
If you have questions about the study tour, please contact us via [email protected].