The ARA’s Heavy Haul Executive Committee (HHEC) met for the first time in 2024 to shape the workplan for their collective efforts for the year ahead. The gathering was extremely positive and represented major progress on our efforts at collaboration.

ARA GM Rail Freight and Heavy Haul Georgia Nicholls worked closely with CORE Innovation Hub National Lead Renee Hakendorf to present a detailed list of collaborative project ideas for the first 12-month implementation plan of our joint Rail Collaboration Centre initiative organised under the three program pillars of Innovation, Future Workforce and Collaboration/Harmonisation.

The project list was developed after many months of broad and detailed member and industry consultation to identify common sector challenges and opportunities to mitigate the cost and complexity, or accelerate the pace of transformation.

Feedback from the HHEC helped prioritise project opportunities and our efforts will now turn to detailed project scoping and business case development.  With successful transitioning to implementation, each would have their own project team of appropriate SMEs from heavy haul members to support delivery.

To facilitate broader member and industry engagement, the ARA and CORE team will work on providing more detailed information to the industry as the project list crystalises and pursue opportunities to align and connect with other streams of complementary work including the National Rail Manufacturing Plan and the WA Government’s efforts to localise supply and manufacturing being led by Minister Stephen Dawson through the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation, among others nationally.

The meeting also included presentations from the National Transport Research Organisation which identified a number of opportunities to lean on multi-modal research intelligence, a report from ARA General Manager – Sustainability Joeley Pettit on the ARA/GHD Rollingstock Decarbonisation Critical Path project, and an update on the various WA-based education sector partnership projects underway in WA.