Program

In 2025 – the conference program will be a three day event with over 120 speakers, 600 exhibitors, and six networking events.

PDF program available

NB: Please always refer to this website for the latest program information as changes may be made after publication.

The program for AusRAIL PLUS 2025 is being built. Stay updated with our mailing list for the latest information regarding AusRAIL PLUS 2025.

PRE-CONFERENCE: Tuesday 25 November
0800-1500 Site tours Various locations View site tours information		1200-1700 Exhibitor bump in Note: The exhibition does not open until 0800 on Wednesday
1200-1800 Registration open Exhibition concourse, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
1330-1630 Pre-Conference Workshop Next generation asset management: from linear to rolling stock *Sponsored by* Hexagon Group Meeting room 213, MCEC Places are limited, so early registration is essential. View workshop information	1315-1530 Pre-Conference Workshop Future on track: Rail innovation dialogue *Sponsored by* Dassault Systèmes Meeting room 208, MCEC This workshop is by invitation only and not open for registration. View workshop information
1630-1830 Welcome drinks Plenary 2 foyer, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre Included networking event for registered conference delegates; guest tickets may be purchased View social program information

Wed 26 Nov
Thu 27 Nov
Fri 28 Nov

DAY ONE: Wednesday 26 November 2025


0630-1800	Registration open Exhibition concourse, MCEC
0630-1730	Speaker support open
0715-0830	Women in Rail breakfast Sponsored by McConnell Dowell Melbourne Room, MCEC Optional networking event at additional cost View social program information
0800-1800	AusRAIL PLUS exhibition open
0840-1030	Welcome and opening plenary session Plenary 2
0840-0850	Welcome to country & MC welcome Glenn Mintern \| AusRAIL PLUS 2025 MC
0850-0855	ARA welcome Lucio Di Bartolomeo \| Chair, Australasian Railway Association
0855-0910	Ministerial address Gabrielle Williams \| Minister for Transport MP, Victorian Government
0910-0930	Tracks to transformation: Australia’s opportunity in the global rail evolution Henri Poupart-Lafarge \| Chief Executive Officer and Director, Alstom
0930-1010	PANEL: Victorian operators Panel facilitator Lauren Streifer \| Chief Executive Officer, PTAANZ Panellists Sussanah Osborne \| Executive Director Operations, V/Line Raymond O’Flaherty \| Chief Executive Officer, Metro Trains Melbourne Vincent Destot \| Chief Executive Officer, Yarra Trams (operated by Yarra Journey Makers)
1010-1030	Driving the future of mobility Giuseppe Marino \| Global Chief Executive Officer, Hitachi Rail and Senior Vice President & Executive Officer, Hitachi Ltd.
1000-1630	AusRAIL PLUS exhibition theatre presentations AusRAIL PLUS Jacobs Exhibition Theatre
1030-1115	Morning tea AusRAIL PLUS exhibition
1040-1100	First time attendees networking meet up AusRAIL PLUS exhibition
1115-1235	Plenary session Plenary 2
1115-1135	Infrastructure investment priorities for the Rail Industry Jim Betts \| Secretary, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
1135-1215	PANEL: Transforming the rail policy landscape Panel facilitator Caroline Wilkie \| Chief Executive Officer, Australasian Railway Association Panellists Sally Stannard \| Director General, Department of Transport and Main Roads Josh Murray \| Secretary, Transport for NSW Carolyn Walsh \| Chair, National Transport Commission Jim Betts \| Secretary, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
1215-1235	Steve Butcher \| Managing Director, Rail & Transport, John Holland
1235-1350	Lunch break AusRAIL PLUS exhibition
1350-1530	Concurrent sessions

	Innovation in construction and infrastructure	Digitalisation, AI and automation Sponsored by Hitachi Rail	Securing the Next Gen workforce	Signalling IRSE technical stream	Technical RTSA technical stream	Workshop Sponsored by National Transport Commission
	Plenary 2	Meeting room 210	Meeting room 211	Meeting room 212	Meeting room 213	Meeting room 208
1350-1410	Presentation to be announced	Autonomous mobile robots for rail construction Jay Nathella \| Director, Alcarail Muthu Vangaliappan \| Engineering Manager, Alcarail	Flexibility on track: Implementing Next Rail’s flexible work model for industry success Amin Mangat \| People Manager, John Holland Group Regina Wootton \| Project Director, Beerburrum to Nambour Rail Upgrade (B2N) Project, John Holland Group	Open signalling and its role in ensuring the successful delivery of ETCS Level 2 across Australia Neil Popplewell \| Director, Quantum Rail Francisco Parrilla \| Innovation & Solution Manager, Indra Australia Pty Ltd	Can a diesel be Net Zero? Frank Szanto\| Technical Director – Rolling Stock	Reforming Australia’s rail system through the National Rail Action Plan Join the National Transport Commission as they discuss the latest updates on the landmark reforms being delivered through the National Rail Action Plan. The historic program of national rail reform is changing how rail works in Australia by reducing differences across networks and taking a coordinated, national approach to drive interoperability, safety and productivity. Hear from the team on the work being done to introduce the first mandatory rail standards, ensure the interoperability of digital train control technologies and to deliver more consistent and harmonised operating rules and processes.
1410-1430	Beating the ROI conundrum: How the Cross River Rail Delivery Authority has unlocked ‘next level’ value from its 3D digital twin Russell Vine \| General Manager Strategic Communications and Engagement, Cross River Rail Delivery Authority	Are we ready yet? Mark Whitty \| Senior Manager Operational Readiness, Sydney Metro Hugh Lawson\| Head of Customer, Operations and Outcomes, Sydney Metro	Ideation to implementation: Transforming rail workforce development ARA Workforce Development Team \| Australasian Railway Association	Presentation to be announced	Coping with railway change Brent Atchison \| Discipline Head – Systems Engineering, Queensland Rail
1430-1450	AI, automation, and the human-in-the-loop in Melbourne’s tram network David Flynn \| Accessibility and User Centric Design Manager – Next Generation Tram Project, Victorian Department of Transport and Planning	Model citizens: What happens when you can give everyone access to the model? Chris McKinnon \| Immersive Technology Solutions – Industry Lead, KBR	Start ’em young – Work experience and internships as pathways to diversity in rail Brandon Fisher \| Product Engineering Manager, Siemens Mobility	Revolutionising signalling networks across Australia and New Zealand Fabiana Sanches-Scaglione \| Project Director Perth HCS, Alstom	Lesson learnt from rail system CBTC commissioning Ankur Kumar \| Technical Principal Rail System, Interface Rail Engineering
1450-1510	Rail cyber security: Stopping the next rail breach Ben Greaney \| Senior Cyber Security Specialist, Egis Group	Bridging legacy and modern: Cost-effective ETCS migration minimising fleet disruption Jordan Oustambasidis \| National Engineering Manager – TCS, UGL	The opportunity for shared competency recognition and skills portability to maximise the benefits of interoperability and standardisation David Ness \| Executive Director, Network Signalling Services (NSS), VIDA Rail	Case study of mixed mode signalling: An exploration of Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel Project Thomas Hooymans \| Urban Engineering Director, Alstom	Using interoperability methods to allow a replacement onboard safety system to work with existing signaling safety systems Mark Wood \| Chief Technology Officer, 4ai Systems
1510-1530	Ideation, incubation and industrialisation: The pursuit for 100% service availability in the age of digital Andrew Mudford \| Vice President, Digital Transformation & Advisory, Hitachi	Benefits and challenges of alternative materials to reduce supply chain risk in the rail industry Georgia Gosse \| Manager Sustainability, Queensland Rail	National Rail Workforce Plan: Securing the next generation Carly Grigg \| Industry Engagement Manager – Rail, Industry Skills Australia	Achieving interoperability of disparate digital signalling systems Aaron Fraser \| Engineering Director – Systems & Software, Wabtec	Presentation to be announced
1530-1615	Afternoon tea AusRAIL PLUS exhibition
1615-1735	Concurrent sessions

	Project lessons	Rolling stock	Freight and heavy haul	Track RTAA technical stream	Track/electrical PWI technical stream	Digitalisation, AI and automation Sponsored by Hitachi Rail
	Plenary 2	Meeting room 210	Meeting room 211	Meeting room 212	Meeting room 213	Meeting room 208
1615-1635	Eyes on the rails: How augmented reality could transform train driving Anirudhha Chatterjee \| Senior Engineer, Arup	The importance of system integration in a brownfield environment Giulia Oliveri \| Senior Project Manager, Hitachi Rail Andrew Varnavides \| Principal Project Engineer, Hitachi Rail	Victoria’s local content strategy: Insights and lessons from rolling stock projects Chris Wong\| Executive Director, Local Content and Industry Rolling Stock & Ticketing, Victoria Department of Transport and Planning	Thermal stress management using optimal mix of standard and ZLR fasteners on bridges Sebastian Ocampo \| Rail Engineer, Aecom Maneesh Gupta \| Technical Director and WA Team Leader – Rail, Aecom	Rail depots of the future Martin Lock \| Principal Railway Transportation Consultant, GHD	The future of freight and third-party access Anjum Khan\| Director, Freight & Third Party Access, V/Line Corporation
1635-1655	Getting on track with rail cybersecurity: Defending the integrity of operational rail systems through design George Sarandrea \| Cybersecurity Consultant, GHD Digital	MaaS as a catalyst for sustainable mobility: Insights from Deutsche Telekom’s GoodRide Project Silas Wong \| APAC Business Manager, Siemens Mobility	Next-Gen rail propulsion: How three-level converters transform rail energy performance Pradip Savaliya \| Product Manager, ABB Australia Stuart Gurney \| Senior Sales Engineer Traction – ANZ, ABB Australia	Railway track health monitoring using advanced technologies Dr Mohammad Siahkouhi \| Researcher, Western Sydney University	Modern analysis of the wheel/rail Interface in junction work Darcy Carroll \| Engineering Manager, Vossloh Australia	Planning Freight Services on an Increasingly Busy Shared Rail Network Michael Simpson \| Senior Rail Timetable Developer, Victorian Department of Transport and Planning
1655-1715	Signal change: Leveraging AI to win in the rail tender landscape Steve Gerlach \| Ai Catalyst, Aurora Marketing	Innovative design management: Insights from Sydney and Canberra light rail projects Rebecca Want \| Market Leader Transport, Sydney, GHD	Building rail freight solutions domestically: leveraging leasing and manufacturing capability to unlock value Beata Lipman \| Chief Executive Officer, Rail First	Tamping automation to bridge workforce gap Fabian Hansmann\| Head of Marketing, Plasser & Theurer Jochen Nowotny \| Chief Executive Officer, Track Machines Connected	Innovations in the operational shared environment of light rail systems Dianne Banks \| Head of Engineering, Civil and Structural Systems, Yarra Trams	WABTEC/UGL’s future ready locomotive product roadmap Josh Salkeld \| Senior Director, Sales & Accounts Management, Wabtec Corporation James Davidson \| Head of Strategy, Growth and Development, UGL
1715-1735	Bridging the gap: Aligning IT and operations with Enterprise Asset Management	Modern methods of construction in rail infrastructure station projects: A case study of Union Station, Level Crossing Removal Program, Victoria Andrew Hancock \| Technical Director, Jacobs	Greener tracks ahead: The battery advantage Carla Garvie \| Commercial Director, Alstom	The development of visual inspection: Past, present & future Ellen Cohen \| Assistant Product Marketing Manager, Siemens Mobility	Enhancing urban and suburban railway mass transit systems with advanced 25 kV AC FACTS electrification systems Alexandre Lagarde \| Technical Business Development, GE Vernova	Western Sydney Freight Line and Intermodal Terminal – The importance of freight rail to the economy, productivity and sustainability Ken Sun \| Project Director, Transport for NSW Navneel Ram \| Director Freight Network Optimisation, Transport for NSW
1830-2230	Yellow Dinner *Sponsored by ALSTOM* Featuring guest presenter Pascal Dupond Melbourne Room, MCEC Optional networking event at additional cost View social program information

DAY TWO: Thursday 27 November 2025


0730-1800	Registration open Exhibition concourse, MCEC
0730-1600	Speaker support open
0800-1730	AusRAIL PLUS exhibition open
0850-1030	Plenary session Plenary 2
0850-0855	MC welcome to day two Glenn Mintern \| AusRAIL PLUS 2025 MC
0855-0930	Navigating economic instability: What’s ahead for rail investment in Australia and the world Paul Bloxham \| Chief Economist, New Zealand and Global Commodities, HSBC
0930-0950	Transforming the Victorian Rail Network Jeroen Weimar \| Secretary, Department of Transport and Planning
0950-1030	PANEL: Sustaining the future of rail freight Panel facilitator Georgia Nicholls \| General Manager – Rail Freight and Heavy Haul, Australasian Railway Association Panellists Peter Thomas \| Regional Senior Vice President – ANZ/SEA, Wabtec Brett Grehan \| Chief Executive Officer, Pacific National Hon Melissa Horne MP \| Minister for Ports and Freight, Victorian Government Geoff Smith \| Managing Director, The SCT Group
1000-1610	AusRAIL PLUS exhibition theatre presentations AusRAIL PLUS Jacobs Exhibition Theatre
1030-1115	Morning tea AusRAIL PLUS exhibition
1115-1235	Plenary session Plenary 2
1115-1135	People, planet, performance: The new global benchmark for urban rail Thierry Mallet \| Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Transdev Group Antoine Colas \| International Chief Executive Officer, Transdev
1135-1215	PANEL: Rail safety Panel facilitator Carolyn Walsh \| Chair, National Transport Commission Panellists Alan Fedda \| Chief Executive Officer, RISSB Natalie Pelham \| Chief Executive Officer, ONRSR Gini Welch \| National Manager Rail Safety Regulation, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Huw Bridges\| Chief Safety Officer, Transdev Australia & New Zealand
1215-1235	Global insights on the rail supply chain Darren Leigh \| Group Chief Executive Officer, Unipart
1235-1400	Lunch break AusRAIL PLUS exhibition
1400-1600	Concurrent sessions

	Strategic partnerships and innovation Sponsored by Hitachi Rail	Asset and lifecycle management	Passenger experience	Rail safety (ONRSR technical stream)	End-to-end sustainable transport	Future ready rail
	Meeting room 210	Meeting room 211	Meeting room 212	Plenary 2	Meeting room 213	Meeting room 208
1400-1420	Driving change at the heart of South East Queensland’s once in a generation rail upgrade Jeremy Kruger \| Program Director, Cross River Rail Delivery Authority	Digital transformation of rail infrastructure: The shift to predictive and prescriptive maintenance John Smith \| Chief Executive Officer, Voestalpine Signaling UK Ltd	Driving equity in regional rail: V/Line’s regional fare cap Laura Tucker \| Director, Operational Planning & Readiness, V/line Corporation	National rail safety regulators update Dr Natalie Pelham \| Chief Executive, Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator	Improving sustainability and safety for rail infrastructure using composites Chris Meikle \| Business Development Manager, Dura Composites	Presentation to be announced
1420-1440	Enhancing collaboration between aviation and rail industries for Australian industry development Cecilia Crosby \| Supply Chain Director, Alstom Australia & New Zealand	Rethinking rail maintenance: How Downer is cutting waste, carbon, and complexity Melodi Gokalp \| Program Manager – NSW Projects & Contract Delivery, Downer Joel Forbes \| Senior Project Manager, Downer	Best practices from SNCF: the case study of Line L (Paris region) Philippe Mouly \| Managing Director of Line L, SNCF	Safety insights from ONRSR’s activity Ty Graham \| General Manager, Melbourne, Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator	Leveraging alternative funding models to decarbonise rail Tristan Anderson \| Executive Advisor – Transport & Energy, GHD	Implementing a corridor intrusion detection system and object detection system for Sydney Metro unattended train operation Stuart Hosie\| Operations Manager, Rail and Technology Systems, UGL Pty Limited Alia Karaman \| Project Director, Sydney Metro
1440-1500	Advancing level crossing safety assessments through desktop methodologies Finbar Holland \| Director, Agonics	From data to action: Transforming existing rail systems into predictive maintenance powerhouses David Khoo \| Program Manager, DT Infrastructure Kieran Sager \| Asset Insights Manager, V/Line Corporation	From awareness to action: How experiential training transforms inclusive transport design Ben Harrington \| Training Officer, Travellers Aid Jodie Bateman \| Project officer – Training Programs, Travellers Aid	Safety lessons learned from regulatory investigations Dean Harris \| Senior investigator, Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator	Meeting the needs of the future: Delivering a decarbonisation rail solution Chris Myatt\| GM Decabonisation & Freight Engineering, Downer EDI Rail Pty Ltd	Presentation to be announced
1500-1520	The case for a national approach to rail condition monitoring Ibrahim Fazah\| Co-Founder and Director, Mobility Futures John Garrad \| Chief Executive, Transport Asset Management	The acquisition of land for major infrastructure projects Andrew Dangerfield \| Property Acquisition Manager, Inland Rail	The Elizabeth Line experience: Where customer service meets city transformation Piero McCarthy \| Business Development Director, Go-Ahead Australia and New Zealand	Interoperability management plans – requirements for rail transport operators Jessica Linsell \| Director Policy, Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator	Advancing sustainability: Metro Trains Melbourne’s circular economy strategy and pioneering initiatives Felice Wong\| Sustainability Manager, Metro Trains Melbourne	Safety on heavy rail and management of climate risks – The Dubai experience David Franks \| Chief Executive Officer, Keolis Downer
1520-1540	Implementing creative strategies in Victorian rail projects: insights from engaging First Nations and local artists Charmaine Kasselman\| Project Manager – Legacy Artwork Program (Metro Tunnel), Arup Kath Kok \| Landscape Architect, Arup	Beyond static documents: SIM technology transforming rail communications asset management Samuel Gibson\| Senior Communications Engineer, Public Transport Authority of Western Australia Jeffrey Hamilton \| Communications Manager, Public Transport Authority of Western Australia	Embedding qualified community outreach professionals into the transport environment Heather Pennell\| Community Investment Manager, Metro Trains Melbourne Jenny Odgers\| General Manager External Affairs and Communications, Metro Trains Melbourne	Productivity benefits for the rail sector – how do we achieve them? Andrew Mogg \| Senior Manager Programs, Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator	Climate risk management: From information to action Troy Harrison \| Manager Environment Strategy, Queensland Rail	Believe the hype? Using artificial intelligence for rail safety assurance John Slowey \| Principal – Safety Assurance, Think Systems
1540-1600	Rail hubs – Evolution or revolution? Anne Shiu \| Principal – Transportation Operational Integration, Jacobs	Data driven approach for track maintenance Jinliang Lester Lim \| Head of Digital Services Asia Pacific, Siemens Mobility	From Myki to contactless payments: Delivering Victoria’s new public transport ticketing system Susan Palmer-Cannon \| Executive Director, Future Public Transport Ticketing Program Rolling Stock & Ticketing, Victoria Department of Transport and Planning Daniela McMurray \| Director Technical, Department of Transport and Planning	National Rail Standards in a co-regulatory environment Sudha Niles \| General Manager Product & Innovation, Rail Industry Safety & Standards Board	Embodied emissions study plus sustainability and durability optimised materials specification and design on an Australian transport infrastructure project Jonathon Dyson \| Associate Technical Director – Durability, Arcadis Laszlo Horvath\| Principal Engineer – Sustainability, Arcadis	Presentation to be announced
1600-1800	Exhibition networking drinks AusRAIL PLUS 2025 exhibition Included networking event for registered conference delegates and exhibitors; guest tickets may be purchased View social program information
1815-2115	Flavours of Melbourne Street Party South Wharf NEW for 2025 – optional networking event at additional cost View social program information

DAY THREE: Friday 28 November 2025


0700-0800	AusRAIL PLUS 2025 run and walk Departing from MCEC – further details to be announced
0800-1530	Registration open Exhibition concourse, MCEC
0800-1600	AusRAIL PLUS exhibition open
0845-1030	Plenary session Plenary 2
0845-0850	MC welcome to day three Glenn Mintern \| AusRAIL PLUS 2025 MC
0850-0900	ARA update Caroline Wilkie \| Chief Executive Officer, Australasian Railway Association
0900-0920	Tim Parker \| Chief Executive Officer, High Speed Rail Authority
0920-0940	From global practices to local purpose: Partnering to deliver effective, sustainable, and inclusive public transport Hiba Fares \| Chairwoman, RATP Dev
0940-1000	Wayne Johnson \| Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, ARTC
1000-1030	Building diversity in rail: The ‘Build Like a Girl’ model Jo Farrell \| Director, Build Like A Girl
1000-1450	AusRAIL PLUS exhibition theatre presentations Sponsored by Jacobs AusRAIL PLUS Jacobs Exhibition Theatre
1030-1115	Morning tea AusRAIL PLUS exhibition
1115-1235	Plenary session *Sponsored by Arup* Plenary 2
1115-1135	Sara Elkady \| Global Head of Strategy, Digitalisation and Innovation, Siemens Mobility
1135-1155	Urban rail transformation: Integrated solutions for modern mobility Alain Ribat \| Managing Director Transilien, SNCF Voyages
1155-1235	PANEL: First Nations community engagement in major rail projects Panel facilitator Joeley Pettit \| General Manager – Corporate Communication and Sustainability, Australasian Railway Association Panellists Sharon Gray \| Group Manager, Diversity, Indigenous and Social Inclusion, CPB Contractors Melanie Grills \| Associate Principal – First Nations Programs and Projects, Arup Ashley Garlett \| Aboriginal Engagement Lead, Alstom Australia and New Zealand
1235-1400	Lunch break AusRAIL PLUS exhibition
1400-1530	Plenary session Plenary 2
1400-1440	PANEL: Ten trends shaping the future of public transport Panel facilitator Yvette Mihelic \| Director, Customer Experience, John Holland Group Panellists Matt Longland \| Chief Executive, Sydney Trains David Franks \| Chief Executive Officer, Keolis Downer
1440-1510	Presentation to be announced
1510-1515	Conference close Caroline Wilkie \| Chief Executive Officer, Australasian Railway Association
1515-1600	Closing drinks to farewell AusRAIL PLUS 2025 MCEC NEW for 2025 – included networking event for registered conference delegates View social program information

Build your network

AusRAIL attracts key industry leaders and decision makers from across Australia, New Zealand and beyond. Join us to meet with representatives of leading rail organisations and build your network.

Connect with people from across the rail industry. Attendees will include representatives from the following sectors:

Passenger rail operators
Freight rail operators
Heavy haul operators
Rollingstock manufacturers
Contractors
Rail industry suppliers
Consultants
Government and industry representatives

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