Good morning. I would like to pay my respects to the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

I pay my respects to their Elders past and present, and I pass on that respect to any First Nations people who have joined us today.

Firstly, I’d like to thank Caroline Wilkie and the Australasian Railway Association for inviting me to speak this morning.

It’s great to see the range of people that you’ve managed to bring together here.

We all understand that a modern rail freight network is vital to a connected and productive Australia.

Its importance is only going to increase as our economy decarbonises, our regions develop, and our population grows.

We anticipate a significant increase in freight volumes over the coming years,

With the national freight task projected to grow 26 per cent between 2020 and 2050.

But we also face challenges that demand greater resilience and efficiency in our supply chains.

To navigate this, we need effective partnerships; to work across all levels of governments, with industry and unions; to work with all of you.

That is why I recently released our refreshed National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy and National Action Plan.

The Strategy and Action Plan were developed collaboratively by all jurisdictions, and with industry.

They provide a clear, coordinated approach across all types of freight – including rail freight.

Because we know that freight doesn’t exist on one mode, but is instead an interconnected system of ports, rail, intermodals, highways and airports.

Our strategy prioritises four key areas: Productivity, Resilience, Decarbonisation, and Data.

The Action Plan outlines how we will deliver on these priorities over the next five years, with safety always at the forefront.

Firstly, productivity. Improving the productivity of the rail industry will have flow on benefits across the economy.

To truly unlock the potential of rail, we are committed to improving harmonisation and interoperability across the sector.

This means streamlining regulations and standards nationwide.

One of the stickier issues I inherited when I stepped into this role, was how we’d move Australia’s rail network towards modern digital signalling.

We wanted to avoid each Australian rail network adopting their own system and creating a new digital break-of-gauge between networks. 

I’m pleased that alongside my state and territory colleagues, we have now agreed to adopt European Train Control Systems standards for signalling and train control, which will integrate our rail networks more effectively.

We are strengthening the role of the Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board to ensure we have consistent, industry-led standards. The ideal is that freight trains will be able to move from the ARTC network, to the network of another operator, and utilise a consistent signalling system.

We are also working on a national rolling stock approvals process and other reforms to make it easier and more cost-effective for operators to move their trains across different networks.

ITMM will consider ways to nationally harmonise standards for manufacturing rolling stock supported by the National Rail Procurement and Management Strategy.

ITMM has also asked for a come back paper at our next meeting this year to further examine barriers to getting more freight on rail.

We know workforce constraints if not addressed, will limit our ability to achieve increased productivity.

A skilled, portable and adaptable workforce has been a focus of the National Rail Action Plan.

Bringing together governments with the rail and skills sectors, taking a national approach to grow the rail skills Australia needs now and into the future.

Secondly, resilience. A supply chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

The disruptions caused by floodwaters blocking both the Trans-Australian Railway line and the Eyre Highway in 2024 shows us just how vulnerable our nation can be to disruption.

Our strategy directly confronts this by committing to the development of a National Freight Resilience Plan.

We will work with state governments and industry to identify critical infrastructure, build redundancy into the network.

This is to ensure we have consistent, coordinated responses when disruptions occur.

ARTC is progressing the $1.1 billion Network Investment Program, funded by this government, and we will continue to work with state governments and industry to identify critical infrastructure to build redundancy into the network.

In April, we committed $2.5 million alongside the Western Australian government, to investigate how the WA freight network can be integrated into the ARTC interstate network.

Investing in resilience is not a cost; it is an essential insurance policy to protect our economy, keep shelves stocked and our exports moving.

Thirdly, decarbonisation. The transport sector is on track to become Australia’s largest source of emissions by 2030. We have a responsibility to act, and rail freight presents a powerful solution.

Moving freight by rail is already significantly more fuel-efficient than road, and it can deliver immediate and substantial emissions reductions.

Our strategy embraces this advantage, setting a clear goal to decarbonise the freight sector.

We will partner with industry to support the transition to net-zero, including conducting vital safety research into battery and zero-emission technologies.

This is not just an environmental imperative; it is an economic opportunity to modernise our fleet and become a leader in sustainable transport.

Finally, none of this is possible without better data. To make the best decisions for the future, we need a clear picture of what is happening on our network right now.

The National Freight Data Hub is a cornerstone of our strategy.

By improving the collection and sharing of consistent, national freight data, we can enhance our modelling, guide smarter infrastructure investment, and support more efficient operations.

This will give both government and industry the evidence base needed to plan for the future with confidence.

In our first term, our government set out our plans for modernising rail freight.

Now, in our second, we continue to deliver on our investments.

When complete, the 1600-kilometre Inland Rail freight route will run double-stacked trains between Beveridge in Victoria, via regional New South Wales to Ebenezer in Queensland.

It will cut rail freight travel time between Melbourne and Brisbane to less than 24 hours.

An average of 6300 trucks travel the Hume Highway daily, with up to 10,000 approaches to Sydney and Melbourne^[2].

Inland Rail is projected to carry 70 per cent domestic-use goods, which means we’ll be able to get food from our ports, our growers and our producers to our suppliers, and to our homes in rapid speed.

The Beverage to Parkes section of Inland Rail is on track to be completed by the end of 2027.

And in Queensland, Inland Rail are now working with the Queensland Office of the Coordinator to respond to submissions received through the EIS process.

Last April we opened the Moorebank precinct in New South Wales. It will take up to 3000 heavy truck movements off Sydney roads each day, with freight containers moving goods, via rail, between Port Botany, the precinct and beyond.

And the Beveridge Intermodal Precinct in Victoria is set to commence construction soon.

It is important that key freight lines remain productive, viable and well-maintained.

We continue to invest significantly in passenger rail.

One of the privileges of my job is seeing our co-funded passenger rail projects like Western Sydney Airport Metro, the WA METRONET Byford line and the Direct Sunshine Coast Rail line come together.

It’s also exciting to see projects the Federal Government isn’t funding – like the Melbourne Metro Tunnel and Brisbane’s Cross River Rail – spring to life.

These new railways will carry millions of passengers, safely and efficiently to their destinations. They’ll also inspire the next generation of railway engineers, drivers and even freight operators to enter the industry.

Whether you’re moving people or goods, Australia needs rail – and we’re really proud to be investing in its future.  

Thank you again for this morning’s invitation, and to Caroline and the ARA team for organising this event.

Thank you also to everyone attending, for your ongoing interest and for your commitment to Australia’s rail.