Australia’s rail renaissance – a regional focus by Paul Comfort

Paul Comfort is a transport broadcaster, author, and influencer who is familiar to rail professionals around the world through his Transit Unplugged podcasts and TV shows. He is also Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer at Modaxo, the international collective of transport technology companies that includes Zelra. Paul recently visited Australia where he was a guest speaker at AusRail, the Australasian Railway Association’s annual conference. This article was first published in Global Railway Review.

Australia’s rail sector is on the rise. Visitors heading Down Under cannot fail to be impressed by the urban infrastructure projects popularising train travel in cities across the country.

These new developments showcase the local commitment to investment and innovation, driven by leadership that is willing to look beyond its own region to gather international expertise.

One of these respected global voices is Howard Collins OBE from the UK. The former Chief Operating Officer of London Underground moved to Australia more than a decade ago to become Chief Executive at Sydney Trains and is now Coordinator General at Transport for New South Wales. He is clear about the importance of expanding rail ridership.

“We have got to work through the strategy of how we provide great public transport, to encourage people out of their cars and into mass transit. When I lived and worked in London, about seventy per cent of all journeys were by public transport and the rest by private car. Here, it’s the other way around. Less than twenty per cent of journeys are made by public transport,” Howard said.

“While Australia is very much an independent country with its own views, I think it is important that we work together. There is a community of leaders around the world who have worked in Australia, London, Hong Kong, Singapore, the USA, and Canada. It is really important that we share these ideas.”

New South Wales – Sydney Metro

The $20 billion Sydney Metro is Australia’s largest public transport development, with a transformative impact that is similar in scale to London’s Elizabeth Line or Singapore’s MRT network.

The project features four Metro lines, with one already operational and the others under construction, including 46 stations and 113km of rail. When completed, the capacity of train services entering Sydney’s Central Business District will increase from 120 per hour to approximately 200 per hour, with a direct connection to the new Western Sydney Airport.

After leading the design and construction of the project’s first stage, John Holland Group is now part of the Metro Trains Sydney consortium operating the service. “This really will open up the transport network not only internally to Sydney, but also for people flying in domestically and internationally,” said Steve Butcher, John Holland Group’s Executive General Manager, Rail and Transport. “There is an amazing amount of investment in terms of the transportation industry.”

Sydney Metro is unique as it is Australia’s only driverless passenger train service. The nation’s most technologically advanced railway uses on-board and on-track digital components to communicate with each other along the train’s route. All movements are managed from a central control centre designed around a 17-metre display screen which provides oversight of the entire network.

Victoria – Yarra Trams

Further south in Melbourne, the world’s largest tram system goes from strength to strength. Yarra Trams provides more than 5,000 services per day on 250km of double track, with more than 200 million trips completed every year.

The iconic network, which has been relied upon by locals and visitors for more than 120 years, began a fresh chapter in 2024 when the Yarra Journey Makers consortium was named as its new operator.

Director of Engagement at Yarra Journey Makers, Michelle Batsas, highlighted the importance of customer experience. “We’re focused on reliability and punctuality – people want their services to be on time. A key commitment is to improve real time information, from the technology and data that underpins it right through to the information that people receive on their app or on screens at stops. We’re making sure our customers have the information they need, and that’s really exciting.”

One of the Australian companies working with Yarra Trams to enhance this information is Zelra. Previously known as Trapeze Rail, Zelra was chosen to deliver the next generation of tram tracking, providing accurate vehicle location with a real-time operational view for effective fleet management. The system helps Yarra Trams deliver better arrival predictions and on time performance to improve the customer experience.

Queensland – Cross River Rail

Brisbane will host the 2032 Olympics and is Australia’s fastest growing state capital, but the rail network’s reliance upon a single river crossing severely restricts service capacity. By creating a second crossing, Cross River Rail will transform travel across South East Queensland when it opens in 2029.

The project includes a 10km rail line with almost 6km of twin tunnels below the Brisbane River and Central Business District, as well as additional suburban stations, train stabling facilities, and a new signalling system.

“We will have four new underground stations as part of that as well, with one in the heart of the city at Albert Street which will totally transform how people travel,” said Nerida Hand, Cross River Rail’s Director of Customer and Operational Integration. “It’s so exciting that the Olympics are coming, it’s an amazing catalyst for the rail network to have that on the horizon.”

Another major development improving rail connections in time for the Olympics is the Direct Sunshine Coast Rail Line. The first stage includes 19km of dual track linking Brisbane with the Sunshine Coast’s iconic beaches at Caloundra.

The American perspective

For an American visitor, a noticeable difference between the two countries is Australia’s treatment of rail as a public asset. This contrasts with the private ownership of infrastructure which is common in the USA.

America has the world’s largest rail network but relatively limited passenger integration, as services such as Amtrak typically operate on freight-owned track. The Australian approach enables greater integration of freight and passenger services, as public ownership maximises the utility of infrastructure for all and encourages government authorities to prioritise equitable transport.

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