The ARA convened the first meeting of the Rail Collaboration Centre Steering Committee in Perth last week, with representatives from heavy haulers Rio Tinto, BHP, Fortescue and Roy Hill.

The SteerCo has been set up to facilitate access to subject matter experts, intelligence and information from within Pilbara heavy haul businesses required to inform scoping, assessment, initiation and ongoing management of opportunities and specific projects.

The ARA’s heavy haul members have sought the ARA’s support to align and coordinate their commitments and investments through collaboration to speed up innovation, mitigate costs, risks and complexity of transformation. The collaboration will enable heavy haulers to progress supply chain localisation and local manufacturing, improve workforce availability and mobility, and support net zero targets.

The RCC is a critical platform for us to realise this aspiration for collaboration.  Run by CORE Innovation Hub, the RCC will develop, scope and test projects for collaborative investment of heavy haul operators based on areas of focus generated by the heavy haul businesses and endorsed by the ARA’s Heavy Haul Executive Committee.

The ARA’s General Manager – Workforce, Fiona Love, and Capability and Learning Design Manager, Renae Fardon, demonstrated the work already well advanced on a single ‘Safely Access the Rail Corridor’ course to be used across the Pilbara as well as work to transition of several heavy haul businesses to the Rail Industry Worker Program.

CORE Innovation Hub also provided a briefing on two specific projects which will be the subject of market scans, business case development and R&D evaluation over coming months.