This week the Australasian Railway Association (ARA) continued progress on several new industry initiatives that it is seeking to establish in New Zealand in 2025, with a particular focus on the workforce and safety regulatory reform.
The ARA met with members and explored several opportunities to broaden the reach of its existing Young Rail Professional and Women in Rail initiatives to generate more engagement with New Zealand members.
The ARA will engage with New Zealand stakeholders in the new year to inform them of ARA’s activity in these areas and information on how they can get involved, with a view to host a networking opportunity event in New Zealand later next year.
The ARA also met with senior safety representatives from New Zealand rail organisations to discuss opportunities for industry collaboration on safety issues and rail safety regulatory reform. It was agreed that an ARA NZ Rail Safety Committee would be established to formalise this collaboration, with a view to developing governance arrangements and holding its first meeting early next year.
Finally, the ARA is finalising arrangements this week to commence its new research project exploring the challenges and opportunities for the rail workforce in New Zealand.
The new report will gather data and information from across the sector, with a view to developing recommendations and actions to ensure the rail workforce is well-positioned to meet the future requirements of the industry.
