AUSTRALASIAN RAILWAY ASSOCIATION ( ARA )
Estimated Australian Freight Volumes
Across Australia , there are approximately 330 manufacturing firms with more than 150 years of rail design and manufacturing capability . Rail suppliers are mostly small to medium enterprises ( SMEs ), 85 per cent of which are Australian owned .
Australia ’ s geography and geology lends itself to requiring world class rail capability , one that is economically efficient and environmentally friendly and that improves urban amenity . Today , the Australian rail industry can demonstrate world ’ s best practices in terms of design , innovative technologies , signalling , and the infrastructure that underpins it . It is important that Australia continues to leverage this competitive advantage and become a leader in the global market .
There is still much room for improvement in terms of efficiency and effectiveness of freight haulage and increasing passenger patronage onto rail modes of public transport . Both government and industry should be motivated to increase the industry ’ s growth and productivity as the economic benefits are significant .
Government is central to the competitiveness equation , being a major customer and influencer of the rail industry .
98 June 2015