The ARA’s Board Chair and Member of the Rail Industry Innovation Council Danny Broad visited Western Australia this week for the Council’s fifth meeting, and toured local manufacturing facilities in Perth and the Pilbara.
Mr Broad visited a variety of local rail companies and manufacturing facilities as well as travelled to Rio Tinto’s iron ore operations in the Pilbara, together with Federal Assistant Minister for Trade and Manufacturing Senator Tim Ayres and the National Rail Manufacturing Advocate Jacqui Walters.
Mr Broad visited Alstom (passenger car build), Gemco Rail (maintenance and wagon manufacture), Arc Infrastructure (demonstration of the Hiivr autonomous wagon), Hofmann Engineering (manufacturing), Volgren (bus manufacture), RCR Manufacturing, Civmec and the operations at Rio Tinto in the Pilbara, which highlighted to all Council members how the rail industry will greatly benefit from a national approach to manufacturing.
At a small function on Monday evening, the Council and local representatives from the rail industry heard an update from Federal Assistant Minister for Trade and Manufacturing Senator Tim Ayres and Minister Assisting the Minister for State and Industry Development, Jobs and Trade, Stephen Dawson, on their respective governments’ commitment to expand local rail manufacturing.
While in Perth, Mr Broad also visited the Speno Rail Maintenance facility, a leader in the field of rail maintenance, technology, diagnostics and rectification.
The Strategy, under the National Rail Manufacturing Plan, focuses on developing a nationally coordinated approach to rolling stock procurement, harmonising standards for manufacturing rolling stock, adopting a national local content approach and maximising opportunities for freight and heavy haul rail manufacturing.
The rail rolling stock manufacturing and repair industry has a revenue of just over $2.4 billion and a direct value-added of $515 million.
For more information, contact the ARA’s General Manager Supply Chain and Diversity Natalie Currey.