AusRAIL PLUS will now take place in Sydney from Monday 28 February to Wednesday 2 March 2022, providing the first opportunity for the rail industry to come together as the east coast reopens for business.
Australasian Railway Association (ARA) Chief Executive Officer, Caroline Wilkie, said the new dates would make the most of easing restrictions in the new year and give participants the chance to maximise their networking at the biggest event on the rail industry calendar.
“We can’t wait to celebrate the achievements of the industry over the last two years at AusRAIL PLUS,” Ms Wilkie said.
“Rail organisations have worked so hard to maintain essential services through the pandemic and this will be the first opportunity to get together and discuss the key issues the industry is facing as we support Australia and New Zealand’s recovery.
“After so much time spent apart, we expect AusRAIL PLUS will be better than ever and will provide a much-needed opportunity to network, share information and take advantage of the outstanding program on offer.”
AusRAIL PLUS was originally expected to take place from 30 November to 2 December in Brisbane.
Current Queensland border restrictions and ongoing uncertainty about when they will be lifted resulted in the need to postpone the event and seek alternative options.
Ms Wilkie said the move to Sydney gave industry greater certainty to start making plans to attend AusRAIL PLUS early next year, with New South Wales’ roadmap out of lockdown confirming the state will be open for business in the new year.
“We can now plan for a fantastic event in the new year, complete with all the features people know and love about AusRAIL,” Ms Wilkie said.
The AusRAIL PLUS program features three days of keynote addresses, specialist streams and networking events to highlight the people, projects and innovation that are shaping the future of the rail industry.
Keynote presentations will be delivered by economist Saul Eslake, 2016 Summer Olympics Chef de Mission, Kitty Chiller AM, and Orange Sky Australia founders, Nick Marchesi OAM and Lucas Patchett OAM.
Specialist streams will include sessions on passenger rail, asset management, rail freight and heavy haul, safety, workforce development and sustainability.
Updates on major rail projects such as Inland Rail, Cross River Rail, Sydney Metro, Suburban Rail Loop and METRONET are also planned.
AusRAIL PLUS will be held at the International Convention Centre in Sydney from Monday 28 February to Wednesday 2 March 2022. Registrations are now open at ausrail.com with discounted rates available for ARA member organisations.
AusRAIL 2022 will still be held in Canberra as planned from Tuesday 29 November to Wednesday 30 November 2022, with further information to be available soon.
For more information, visit www.ausrail.com/.
