This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our and .
overview
Image source: Wabtec
The Australian heavy haul rail industry, boasting some the heaviest and longest trains, continues to lead the world in operations and innovation.
Bringing together key decision makers, the agenda will showcase the best in local and international project expertise, giving attendees an understanding of the strategic directions of major players together with critical industry and market updates to ensure efficient, safe and reliable operations.
2024 SPEAKERS
Hon Catherine King MP
Minister for infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government
Hon Rita Saffioti MLA
Deputy Premier; Treasurer; Minister for Transport; Tourism
Dr Natalie Pelham
Chief Executive, ONRSR
Antonio Merheb
Chairman, IHHA
Vivek Dhar
Director - Mining and Energy Commodities Research, Commonwealth Bank
Wendy McMillan
Senior Regional Vice President (ANZ and SEA), Wabtec Corporation
Lily Meneghel
GM Integrated Remote Operations Centre, Roy Hill
Warren Wellbeloved
General Manager, Rail | WA Iron Ore, BHP
Georgia Nicholls
General Manager Rail Freight & Heavy Haul, Australasian Railway Association
Candis Rhodes
Manager Sustainability, Rail Strategy, Rio Tinto
Roger Buckley
Fleet Decarbonisation Manager, Aurizon
Shunturi Govender
Senior Rail Civil Engineer, Arup
Janis Emolins
Systems Manager - Engineering, Rail Electrification, Siemens Mobility
Carina O’Brien
Head of Strategy, Siemens Mobility
Mark Wood
Chief Technology Officer, 4AI Systems & General Manager, Communications & Electronics, 4Tel
Saad Khan
Co-Founder & Director, Future Maintenance Technologies
Charlotte Moss
Superintendent Delivery Rail Systems – Sustaining Capital Rail, Rio Tinto
Ash Athukoralalage
Wheel/Rail Interface Engineer, Speno Rail Maintenance
John Deppen
Director Engineering, Amsted Rail
Ksenija Stanic-Colic
Manager Engineering Civil & Mechanical, Roy Hill
Ethan Scott
VR Instructional Designer, Nexefy
Megan McCracken
Chair, Freight and Logistics Council WA, & Leadership Coach, Pleiades Consulting, & Non-Executive Director, Pacific Energy Limited
Agnes Kang
Superintendent Reliability Engineering Rail, Royhill
Brett Elkington
Manager Autonomous Road Trains, Hexagon
Cat Peppler
Group Executive Corporate, Aurizon
Tamara Mahes
Director Operations and Maintenance, Curtin University
Anthony Sacca
General Manager - Composite Sleepers, Unipart Rail
Brian Ross
WA/SA Operations Manager, DT Infrastructure
Richard Cohen
Managing Director Port, Rail & Core Services, Rio Tinto Iron Ore
Jasmine Veaney
Superintendent Asset Integrity, BHP
Professor Ravi Ravitharan
Director, Monash Institute of Railway Technology, Monash University
Mark White
Business Development Manager, Speno Rail Maintenance
Tomas Austen
Senior Transport Safety Investigator, ATSB
Debra Watson
Managing Director, Satarla Australia
Anita Payne
Executive Coach, Team & Culture Coach, Facilitator, Grow Communications
Renee Hakendorf
National Lead, CORE Innovation Hub
Chris Warner
Senior Leader Coach, BHP & Author, ‘Flick The Switch’ & ‘Why Care’
Sue McCarrey
CEO, NOPSEMA
Cameron Wylde
People Manager, Northen Hub, Fortescue
Kari Gonzales
President & CEO, MxV Rail
Rob Ramsden
Principal Energy, & Climate Change Capability, Rio Tinto
Kaylyn Chandran
Senior Integration Engineer and Chief Remote Pilot, Future Maintenance Technologies
Kath Wallace
Portfolio Director – Energy and Transport, North Metropolitan TAFE
Matt Connelly
Operations Manager, Speno Rail Maintenance Australia
Carly Wilson
Rail Standards and Asset Management Specialist, RISSB
Michael Crocker
A/Delivery Manager, Radio Systems Replacement | PTA Project Delivery, PTAWA & Deputy Chair, RTSA WA Chapter
Pricing
Acceleration Allies
NEW TO 2024 | Count Her In: Achieve a minimum 30% female representation to join our ‘Acceleration Allies’ program
To celebrate the 2024 theme of International Women’s Day, ‘Count Her In: Accelerating Gender Equality Through Economic Empowerment’ Informa Australia will be showcasing the organisations who achieve a minimum of 30% female representation at Heavy Haul Rail & Rail Turnouts with special acknowledgements as ‘Acceleration Allies’. This representation will include speakers, delegates, sponsors and delegates. Join the movement to ‘Count her in’ and enjoy special recognition at the event.
Networking Breakfast
NEW TO 2024: Young Rail Professionals Networking Breakfast
Proudly sponsored by Speno Rail Maintenance Australia
When: 7.30am-8.40am on 13 March 2024
Where: Crown Perth
Free and open to all young rail professionals who are registered to attend the Heavy Haul Rail conference.
If you are under 35, join us to meet and network with other young rail professionals at this important and relaxed event. RSVPs are essential. RSVP when registering to attend the Heavy Haul Rail 2024 conference.
Heavy Haul Rail Dinner
14 March 2024 | Crown Perth | 7:00pm – 10:30pm
Proudly sponsored by
Come together to celebrate and reflect on the learnings and industry achievements showcased at this exciting event. Commencing with pre-dinner drinks at 6.30pm, the Heavy Haul Rail Conference dinner takes place on the evening of the 14th March at the Crown Perth and includes our guest speaker plus the presentation to our Next Generation Conference Scholarships. Attendees must register to attend the conference as well.
Dinner Guest Speaker: Laureate Professor Veena Sahajwalla
Professor Veena Sahajwalla is an internationally recognised materials scientist, engineer, and pioneer revolutionising recycling science. Amongst her many achievements, she is the inventor of polymer injection technology, known as green steel, an eco-friendly process for using recycled tyres in steel production at the UNSW Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) Centre, where she is Founding Director. She is also renowned for her passion in having research work in collaboration with industry to ensure new recycling science is translated into real world environmental and economic benefits. Most recently, in 2023, Veena launched The ARC Research Hub for Microrecycling of Battery and Consumer Wastes.
** As expected, the HEAVY HAUL RAIL DINNER is now SOLD OUT. **
Next Generation Conference Scholarships
Sponsored by Speno
Congratulations to the winners of the Next Generation Conference Scholarship for the Heavy Haul Rail Conference 2024
Kelsey D’Rozario, Communications Advisor, DT Infrastructure
Su-Yeon Chung, Graduate Mechanical Engineer, Aurizon
Andie Gell, Mechanical Engineer, Rio Tinto
Will Penrose, Technical Sales Engineer, Vossloh Australia
Aiden Yap, Graduate Engineer, SYSTRA ANZ
Xutong Zhang, Intern, WSP
Jessica Mitchell, Graduate Control Systems Engineer, Rio Tinto
Daniel Watchorn, Engineer, Rail, WSP
Karthik Thilakan, Graduate Mechanical Engineer, Aurizon
Matthew Edwards, Graduate, Systra ANZ
Darren Lau, Engineering Cadet, Transport for NSW (Sydney Trains)
We’re delighted to be supporting the winners’ professional development and sharing their innovative ideas on how to disrupt, improve or positively impact the future of heavy haul rail.
WINNERS WILL RECEIVE:
- Complimentary attendance to the Young Rail Professionals Breakfast hosted by our sponsor, Speno Rail Maintenance Australia
- Complimentary attendance to the Two-Day Heavy Haul Rail Conference
- Certificates of acknowledgement – to be presented at the Conference Dinner
Technical Site Tours
Thursday 14 March | AUTONOMOUS WAGON DEMONSTRATION AT ARC
INSTRUCTURE, KEWDALE FACILITY
13:30 Departure from Crowne, Perth
14:00 Arrive at Kewdale Facility for Demonstration
14:40 Depart Kewdale
15:10 Arrive back at Crowne, Perth
Arc Infrastructure invites you to attend a demonstration of the autonomous wagon prototype at the Kenwick Rail Freight Facility. Hiivr Rail is the exciting name Arc Infrastructure has given the autonomous wagon and its real-world application in the WA context, after more than three years of development. Designed with the future Westport in mind, the Hiivr Rail concept would see containers move directly from a vessel to a future network of intermodal freight terminals and be available to customers within hours of being unloaded from the vessel. Intermodal locations which have a constrained footprint would be unlocked by the Hiivr Rail wagon.
Hiivr Rail’s autonomous wagon leverages self-driving technology that is already being used all over the world and tailors it to the rail environment for Westport. It will include technology which connects to logistics systems, providing safe, autonomous operations with real-time visibility of container movements. The future Hiivr Rail fleet would be comprised of individual, battery-powered, autonomous wagons which can operate as a single wagon, or together as a fleet, reducing the number of trucks on the road as rail modal share increases. The Hiivr Rail wagon will have positive social and sustainability outcomes, including improved road safety through a reduction in the number of trucks on the road and zero greenhouse gas emissions, with batteries capable of being charged by 100% renewable energy.
PPE requirements: Long pants and closed-in shoes.
Friday 15 March | TOUR THE AUSTRALIAN AUTOMATION & ROBOTICS PRECINCT (AARP) & DIRT LAB DEMO DAY
9:30 Departure from Crowne, Perth
10:00 Welcome + Acknowledgments at the AARP site office
10:15 Innovator Introductions
10:30 Innovator Showcase on Site
11:15 Attendees to return back to the AARP site office
11:30 Panel session + Open Q&A
12:00 Lunch, Networking & Tour Close
13:00 Arrive back at Crowne, Perth
Join us for an onsite AARP Demo Day, where several innovators will demonstrate their technology with open Q&A with the innovators to conclude.
The 51-hectare site, which has been made available by Development WA, and being activated and operated by CORE Innovation Hub, includes multiple test beds that can accommodate a range of vehicles, equipment, field robots, drones and other technologies. It is an exciting chance to visit as the Precinct develops and a vibrant innovation ecosystem is built up around it. The test areas are being developed to provide a Dirt Lab – Innovation Mine with drill pad, haul ramp, and load and unload areas as well as New Energy, Heavy Haul, Urban and Flex Zones for drones and collaborative projects.
Construction is underway on the Precinct HQ (or common user facility) – which will be a commercial and collaborative space equipped with co-working space, meeting rooms and offices, a control room and training facilities, lab and maker space and exhibition areas. The AARP caters to startups, small and medium-sized businesses, mi-tier miners and Tier 1 operators – across sectors including mining, resources and energy, construction, agriculture, manufacturing, defence and space.
PPE requirements: Long pants and closed-in shoes.
Sponsors Profile
Salcef Group is an Italian excellence designing, developing, and producing solutions for sustainable mobility. Serving the market for over 70 years, the Group is now a global leading player providing the railway industry with a comprehensive ecosystem of products and services.
Its 7 operative Business Units and 15 operating companies are a unique combination of specialization and integration, the result of continuous investments in innovation and external growth. The Group has over 2,100 employees, boasts a fleet of more than 1,100 railway machines, and, in 2022, achieved a consolidated turnover of 565 million euros.
Amsted Rail® is a leading global provider of integrated freight wagon component systems, produced with precision, to deliver best-in-class value to our customers for freight, transit and locomotive assets. Amsted Rail is also at the forefront in delivering IoT telematics solutions that track, trace and monitor fleet assets 24/7 virtually anywhere around the globe.
For over a century, Amsted Rail has leveraged the power of innovation to create high performance solutions that are helping reimagine the future of mobility. We’re relentless in our pursuit of new product advances, new engineering technologies and new manufacturing processes to better prepare our customers for the challenges ahead.
Speno Rail Maintenance Australia is a world leader in rail maintenance, technology, diagnostics, and rectification. We provide sustainable, high-quality rail grinding and ultrasonic solutions in an innovative and safe working environment.
Our focus is to safely, professionally, and consistently deliver on our promise of specialist rail grinding and testing services, customised to exceed our client’s expectations. Our contracts in rail grinding and testing extend to major mining, resource, and rail network companies, with a significant presence across Australia and New Zealand. SRMA have been the service provider of choice for the past 50 years.
www.speno.com.au / 08 9471 5000
Rail Turnouts
Alongside Heavy Haul Rail comes the return of the popular specialist Rail Turnouts Workshop in 2024. To be held on the 12 March 2024 as an intensive one-day focused introduction to the fundamental technical knowledge, the workshop will exchange and transfer knowledge from a range of experts working across rail turnouts.
SPECIAL OFFER: A 15% DISCOUNT WHEN REGISTERING FOR BOTH THE HEAVY HAUL RAIL CONFERENCE AND RAIL TURNOUTS WORKSHOP
Visit the website for more details
Event Images
Below is a slide show of images from the 2024 Heavy Haul Rail Conference.
To view all images across the two day event, view our Flickr album.
Testimonials
Hear what our 2023 attendees had to say:
“Very good turn out with great customer engagement.”
“The networking is very good – the right people attend.”
“It was not a sales pitch conference- it was an industry update.”
“Great representation from all the big heavy haul operators in Australia on the speaking panel and in attendance.”
“For someone new to the industry, this conference is an eye opener. It provide various topics regarding the current state of heavy haul rail and the future that it may lead to. It is a very fascinating experience and all the speakers are very knowledgeable in their field. I learnt a lot.”
ConnectMe + Streamly
ConnectMe • Networking enhanced
All of our events utilise a bespoke dynamic smartphone app, ConnectMe – which guarantees attendees a premium event experience. Logins are sent prior to the conference commencement allowing you to check who’s attending, schedule in meetings and catch ups, participate in live Q+A and interactive polls, and much more. ConnectMe ensures you never miss a beat prior, during and post event.
Streamly • On-Demand video vault
Streamly is a new video platform from Informa Connect – hosting hours of session recordings from our events and more. Select the Streamly add-on at the checkout to receive year round access to exclusive On-Demand session recordings from all of our related transport events*. Login information will be sent post event. For more information visit our Streamly page.
* Note: In a minority of cases, speakers may request their sessions to be excluded from Streamly access.
Sustainability
Our Commitment to Sustainability
In Australia, we are committed to running our events in an environmentally and socially responsible way. Across Informa Connect we are focusing on the short and long-term sustainability impacts we have on customers and colleagues alongside the communities we work in.
We recognise that it’s not just about the way we produce our events and products but recognising that we have a role to play in providing a space to work in partnership together with our markets to inspire the sustainable development of the industries we serve.
To read more on our latest sustainability reports and Faster Forward initiatives – click here.
when & where
26 - 27 Mar 2025
Crown Perth
Great Eastern Hwy,
Burswood WA 6100
Book accommodation with HotelMaps
To access the best available rate, book here.
contact
Still have a question?
General Information & Registration
Customer Service
+61 2 9080 4307
info@staging.informa.com.au
Sponsorship & Exhibition Opportunities
Sarah Ingram
+61 406 530 043
Sarah.Ingram@informa.com
Speaking Enquiries
Kate Twentyman
Senior Conference Director
Kate.Twentyman@staging.informa.com.au
Marketing & Media Enquiries
Paul O’Connor
Paul.c.Oconnor@informa.com