The finalists for the Australasian Rail Industry (ARI) Awards have been named, recognised for their extraordinary contributions to the industry.
The 84 finalists are chosen from 16 categories, with winners to be announced on Wednesday, September 13, at a Gala Dinner at Crown Towers in Melbourne.
Australasian Railway Association (ARA) chief executive and ARI Awards judging chair Caroline Wilkie said the awards recognised outstanding achievements in a range of areas, including safety, diversity, customer service, innovation and sustainability.
“This year’s nominations were incredibly impressive. They showcased the extraordinary depth of talent and commitment that exists right across the rail sector, demonstrating what a rich and rewarding industry it is to work in,” she said.
“I would like to congratulate every organisation and individual celebrated today for their exemplary skill and dedication, and also thank everyone in rail working hard to ensure a safe, productive and sustainable rail industry.”
The awards are hosted by the ARA, Rail Track Association Australia (RTAA), Railway Technical Society of Australasia (RTSA), Permanent Way Institution (PWI NSW), Institution of Railway Signal Engineers (IRSE) and Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board (RISSB).
AUSTRALASIAN RAIL INDUSTRY AWARDS – 2023 FINALISTS
Category |
Finalists |
Young Achiever Award – supported by Permanent Way Institution (PWI NSW) |
- Benson Wong – John Holland
- James Dillon – ARTC
- James Dowzard – John Holland Group
- Tyler Martin – Laing O’Rourke
|
Emerging Rail Specialist Award – supported by Rail Track Association Australia (RTAA) |
- Kershan Pillai – Mott MacDonald
- Michelle Doolan – John Holland
|
Young Rail Professional Award – supported by Railway Technical Society of Australasia (RTSA)
|
- Ellen Worthington, Aurecon
- Jason Zhou, Downer
- Maria Cristina Fabbricatore, Hitachi
- Ryan Spooner, Arup
- Salam Al-Mulla, Laing O’Rourke
- Stephen Chambers, Metro Trains Melbourne
|
Safety Excellence Award – supported by the Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board (RISSB) |
- Downer, Julian Popowicz for Emerging Leader
- Downer Rail & Transit Systems, Shayne Carvolth for Industry Safety Professional of the Year
- Metro Trains Melbourne “New Ways of Working” for the Safety Leadership/Initiative
- Puffy Billy, Vikki Ducrow for Community Safety
- Rio Tinto, Tristan Lynn for Industry Safety Professional of the Year
- Sydney Trains, Chris Polias for Frontline Worker Safety Initiative
|
Signalling and Systems Engineering Excellence Award – supported by Institution of Railway Signal Engineers (IRSE) |
- Beau Wilde – Sydney Trains
- Moemedi Goitsemang – WSP
- Steven Grant – Sydney Trains
|
Customer Service Excellence Award – supported by the Australasian Railway Association (ARA)
|
- John Holland – METRONET Trade Training Centre
- Keolis Downer Adelaide – Customer Service Excellence
- Keolis Downer Yarra Trams – Winning Doubles: Yarra Trams/Travellers Aid Partnership
- Metro Trains Melbourne – SPA MURL City Loop Closure
- Sydney Trains – Simplified Customer Language
|
Career Achievement Award – sponsored by Frauscher
Supported by the Australasian Railway Association (ARA)
|
- Andrew Matthews, GHD
- Kevin Reeves, Arc Infrastructure
- Kylie Gallasch, Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC)
- Phil Terry – Transport for NSW
- Rick Sclater – John Holland, Next Rail
- Victoria Snook – Siemens Mobility
|
Employee Engagement Excellence Award – sponsored by Rio Tinto
Supported by the Australasian Railway Association (ARA)
|
- Downer – Preventing injury and improving efficiencies through employee engagement on the world’s largest tram refurbishment project
- Keolis Downer Adelaide – Engaging with KDA Drivers – Training and Competence Management
- Keolis Downer Yarra Trams – Keolis Signature Service Co-Design Project
- Metro Trains Melbourne – APIP: Every Second Counts
- Metro Trains Melbourne – My Metro My Say
- Metro Trains Melbourne – Supporting our People during the Comeng Retirement
- Queensland Rail – What’s Your Plan A
- Sydney Trains – A Fair Decision Framework for our people
- Sydney Trains – Accelerate Signalling Program
- Sydney Trains – Seconds Count
|
Freight Rail Excellence Award – sponsored by Port of Melbourne
Supported by the Australasian Railway Association (ARA)
|
- Arc Infrastructure – Autonomous Rail Container Wagon
- Arc Infrastructure – Digital Twin
- Sydney Trains – Planning Response Team for 2022 Disasters
|
Supplier Excellence Award – sponsored by John Holland Group
Supported by the Australasian Railway Association (ARA)
|
- Agonics
- Mott MacDonald
- Pilbara Rail Maintenance
- Sydney Trains
|
Rail Innovation of the Year Award – sponsored by Project i-TRACE, powered by GS1 Australia
Supported by the Australasian Railway Association (ARA)
|
- Arc Infrastructure – Digital Twin
- Keolis Downer Yarra Trams – Kerbing vehicle vs tram collisions on Melbourne’s legacy light rail network
- McConnell Dowell Constructors – Cranbourne Line Upgrade – Eumemmerring Creek Bridge
- Metro Trains Melbourne – Bridge Strike Detection System
- Metro Trains Melbourne – MetroGO – Improving Metro’s day of operations through digitisation
- Nexefy – Immersive Product Manager
|
Sustainability & Environmental Excellence Award – sponsored by Acciona Rail
Supported by the Australasian Railway Association (ARA)
|
- GHD – Central Station Main Works Project (CSM)
- Link Alliance – Sustainability on the City Rail Link project
- North Western Program Alliance – Low Carbon Paths & Pavements
- Murray Basin Rail Project – Murray Basin Rail Project
- Sydney Trains – Energy Efficiency Program
- Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport: Creating Australia’s first certified carbon neutral rail infrastructure project
|
Diversity & Inclusion Excellence Award – sponsored by Training Ahead
Supported by the Australasian Railway Association (ARA)
|
- John Holland – Women in Trades
- Metro Trains Melbourne – MTM Graduate Engineering Program
- Sydney Trains – Breaking Barriers in Rail
- Sydney Trains – Train Crewing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Program
- Systra ANZ – Building Tomorrow’s Communities Today
- Transdev Australasia – ‘Belong at Transdev’, – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Transdev Australasia
|
Passenger Operations Excellence Award – supported by the Australasian Railway Association (ARA)
|
- Keolis Downer Adelaide – Ginny Hollands
- Keolis Downer Yarra Trams – Christopher Carson
- Metro Trains Melbourne – Adam Deverell
- Metro Trains Melbourne – Gokul Rajamani
- Transdev Australia & NZ – Cameron Whalan
|
Infrastructure Excellence Project Award – supported by the Railway Technical Society of Australasia (RTSA)
|
- McConnell Dowell Constructors – Eumemmering Creek Bridge
- Metro Trains – Sunbury Corridor Substation Project (SCSP)
- North Western Program Alliance – The Preston Level Removal Crossing Project
- Queensland Rail – Auchenflower station
- Salini Impregilo, Western Australia – The Forrestfield-Airport Link
- V/Line – Shepparton Line Upgrade Project (the Project)
|
Recognising R U OK? Conversations (TrackSAFE Foundation) – supported by TrackSAFE Foundation
|
- McConnell Dowell Constructors – R U OK Day Conversations and Wellbeing
- Metro Trains Melbourne – Rail RUOK? 2023
- Metro Trains Melbourne – Train Services Peer Support Program
- North Western Program Alliance – NWPA’s Wellbeing Strategy
- Pacific National – Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy
- V/Line – Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy
|