Safety has always been one of the most important measures of progress in rail.
From depots to rolling stock to digital systems, one question guides every decision: does it make the railway safer for the people who operate it and the communities who depend on it?
At Freightquip, this principle underpins every project. As the company prepares to exhibit at AusRAIL PLUS 2025, safety will take centre stage, with both a Depot Protection System or DPS demo kit and a Mobile Sand Delivery Unit showcased on the Freightquip stand.
These products are supplied in partnership with FirstClass Safety & Control Ltd and Newtek Solidos SL.
Building layers of protection
Rail depots are complex environments. With hundreds of people often working around rolling stock, even the smallest lapse can put lives at risk.
Freightquip believes safety must be designed into depot infrastructure, not left to procedures alone.
To achieve this, Freightquip has partnered with FirstClass Safety & Control Ltd, bringing proven global technology into Australia and New Zealand and adapting it to local standards and conditions.
The company’s SIL2 (Safety Integrity Level 2)-rated Depot Protection and Control Systems set high standards for managing train movements in maintenance facilities.
Using Allen Bradley PLC and Rockwell Automation technology, the systems monitor train positions and access points, reducing the risks posed by moving trains and high-voltage electricity.
The DPS demo kit, which will be on display at AusRAIL PLUS, is a key component of this system. It acts as a physical safeguard that prevents unauthorised access to live tracks, reinforcing protection for depot staff.
Steven Truong, General Manager of Rail at Freightquip, said the system provides the certainty that depot teams need while encouraging a vigilant safety mindset.
“Everyone working in a depot must remain alert to safety at all times,” Truong said. “The Depot Protection System reinforces this culture by providing dependable automated protection.
“Workers know that if something goes wrong, the system will safeguard them. That confidence allows them to focus on their tasks whilst safety is kept front of mind.”
A culture, not a compliance exercise
Truong said that for Freightquip, safety is not a checklist but a culture that runs through every product and partnership the company delivers.
This commitment is evident not only in Depot Protection Systems but also in other solutions Freightquip brings to market, such as Sand Delivery Systems, which directly addresses one of the most serious health risks in rail depots: exposure to crystalline silica dust and the potential for silicosis – a preventable but irreversible lung disease
With WorkSafe Australia mandating enclosed systems, minimal manual handling and dust suppression, these sand delivery systems are designed to minimise the creation of silica dust and capture any that forms.
“This provides the safest and most compliant solution,” Truong added.
Freightquip recently completed a major Sand Delivery System installation in Australia, in partnership with Newtek Solidos SL, setting a new benchmark for safe and efficient sand handling.
The fully enclosed system automates filling, removes airborne dust, integrates dust filtration and supports both fixed and mobile sanding operations. The result has been cleaner depots, healthier staff and smoother day-to-day operations.
John Steel, Chief Executive Officer of Freightquip, said the company’s safety culture is as much about people as it is about technology.
“It is easy to look at safety as an obligation, something you have to tick off,” he said. “But we see it as an opportunity.”
He added that when you invest in safety properly, you get more than compliance.
“You get smoother workflows, more efficient depots, and most importantly, a workforce that feels safe. That is the change we are driving.”
Collaboration that delivers confidence
Freightquip has worked with Original Equipment Manufacturers around the world to bring proven safety technologies to the Australian and New Zealand markets, adapting them for local standards and operating conditions. Mark Meyrick, Director of FirstClass Safety & Control Ltd, said the partnership is a great example of how this approach benefits operators.
“Safety technology has to fit the environment it serves,” he said. “The conditions, the standards, the layouts, they are all different in Australia and New Zealand.
“Freightquip brings that local expertise, ensuring that the protection and control system integrates seamlessly into depot systems here.
“It is the combination of proven technology and local insight that makes these tailored solutions so effective.”
Setting the standard at AusRAIL PLUS
Visitors to Stand number 527 at AusRAIL PLUS 2025 will be able to see a Depot Protection System demo kit in action and speak with the Freightquip team about how it fits into broader depot safety strategies.
Freightquip will also be showcasing a Mobile Sand Delivery Unit, giving operators a clear picture of how layered protection can reduce risk across the depot floor.
For Freightquip, the message is clear: safety is not an afterthought but the standard on which the future of rail needs to be built.
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