Australia’s web of tunnels, rail lines and critical infrastructure increasingly relies on robust, long-distance communication networks.
Fibre optic cabling – quiet, light, and capable of carrying vast amounts of data – is becoming essential, not just for transmitting information, but for underpinning the operation of road and rail systems themselves.
While the cables may run underground and out of sight, the engineering behind them is anything but simple. That’s where specialists like Madison Express enter the picture, supplying a diverse range of optical fibre products tailored for complex, high-risk environments.
George Karanikolaou, General Manager at Madison Express, explains that the company’s infrastructure portfolio closely overlaps with its transport offerings.
“Within that space, we focus on three main product categories: cables for rail systems, cables for road transport applications, and optical fibre cables,” he says.
Different cables for different challenges
Each application presents distinct technical demands. For example, cables used in road intersections often support traffic management systems.
“When we talk about intersections, we’re talking about what’s called the detective loop, which is embedded in the road surface,” says Karanikolaou.
“When a car stops at the intersection, it detects that there’s a car there, and that fires an automated process that determines when to change the lights.”
These systems typically rely on short-run copper cables – often only a few hundred metres in length – that connect a sensor loop to a control panel. In contrast, rail applications require communication and control cables running station-to-station.
“Most states will have their own specification, or even on a project basis there might be a requirement specific to that installation,” Karanikolaou says.
“So we’re well versed in designing cables to meet those sorts of custom requirements.”
However, it’s fibre cabling that handles the heavy lifting across longer distances and complex environments.
“Fibre cables basically run along the road and are used to communicate all sorts of stuff,” Karanikolaou says.
“It could be connected to cameras, and all sorts of control systems that the rail operators have got.”
Environmental pressures on infrastructure fibre
Deploying fibre over long distances introduces a range of challenges not typically encountered with copper. Infrastructure environments demand resilience to mechanical stress, moisture, temperature shifts, pests, and even vandalism.Designers have to factor all this in.
“[Operators] are often worried about the life of the cables,” says Karanikolaou.
“So they’re looking for something that has a very long life.”
This includes consideration of rodent and termite attack.
“Rodents like to chew stuff. They have to chew – otherwise their teeth grow too long and they can’t eat,” he explains.
“So cables are good for them.”
In some areas, such as Queensland and Western Australia, termites present an additional risk, especially in reactive soils.
In response, Madison Express has developed cable variants under its Garland brand that incorporate layered protective strategies – ranging from glass yarns and fibre-reinforced polymers to steel tape armour (CSTA), which acts as a physical barrier to pests.
“We’ve had some very extensive testing done by laboratories in Queensland,” says Karanikolaou.
“They’ve been qualified for probably the hardest rodent test that you can do.”
Balancing competing demands in design
Infrastructure projects often bring with them design tensions, particularly in tunnel environments where fibre cables may be expected to perform under fire or flooding conditions.
“In a tunnel, people want the cable to be fire-retardant, or to be flameproof so that it continues to operate even if it’s burning,” Karanikolaou explains.
“At the same time, they want the cable to be waterproof because the tunnel could flood. These are opposing requirements.”
To make a fibre cable waterproof, jelly is typically used to fill the tubes – but the jelly is flammable.
“You need to balance these things out in the design and the way you put your cable together,” he says.
One advantage, Karanikolaou argues, is the company’s ability to produce custom-engineered solutions.
“We pride ourselves on the ability to custom design cables for these sorts of applications and to meet customer requirements,” he says.
“To also offer alternatives that people may not have thought of.”
Tailored solutions, not template offerings
Karanikolaou says offering off-the-shelf products is only part of the business. Just as critical is the ability to participate in early-stage design conversations and adapt specifications in response to project needs – particularly where timelines or environmental factors introduce complexity.
“When we are asked to offer tenders for larger projects, instead of just offering what’s requested, we will often offer a number of options that may provide cost or implementation benefits to the end user,” he says.
“We’ve won projects because we’ve done that and other people haven’t.”
While unable to name current projects due to commercial agreements, Karanikolaou confirmed Madison Express is supplying multiple major Australian infrastructure builds at present.
Supply chain and local assembly
Although the company sources some components from overseas, it manages assembly and final configuration in Australia.
“The cable, we don’t make locally,” Karanikolaou says.
“But we stock the cable locally. The pre-termination is all done locally – we do that all locally. So it’s what we call ‘assembled in Australia’.”
Pre-terminated fibre cabling is a growing part of the portfolio, particularly for installations under 500 metres.
Terminating fibre on site is a specialist task – requiring a clean environment, skilled personnel and often a temporary tent to control dust and moisture.
“It’s not very cost-effective,” he says.
“With pre-term, you tell us the length and connector, and we supply it pre-terminated. Pull it in, take the ends off, plug it in – you’re ready to go.”
This approach can significantly reduce installation time, particularly in remote or weather-exposed locations where scheduling and access issues are common.
Shifting standards and long-term thinking
Madison Express avoids some common overseas practices when it comes to pest-proofing, particularly the use of chemical additives or irritants within cable jackets.
“As an Australian company, we don’t like this approach,” Karanikolaou says.
“We go down the path of what’s tried and true and not going to create problems. We’re a responsible organisation. We’re here for the long term.”
The company has been operating since the early 1990s and remains Australian-owned. Its head office is in Brisbane, with warehouses in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and regional distribution across Tasmania and Newcastle.
Beyond fibre, the business also supplies a suite of associated components: connectors, patch panels, pigtails, racks and through adapters, under brands including Garland and R&M.
“We can provide a pretty much turnkey, end-to-end passive solution,” says Karanikolaou.
Closing the loop
In an infrastructure landscape that is only becoming more data-intensive, fibre is no longer just a telecoms issue – it is a foundational part of how transport networks function and evolve.
“We’re not just about selling cable,” Karanikolaou reflects.
“We’re about engineering advantage – solving problems, customising solutions, and thinking creatively.”
