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New focus for the future of rail

December 17, 2004

A movement is under way that could enhance the future of rail transport and regional development in Australia by fostering a deeper awareness of our railway heritage.

Organisers of next year’s National Railway Heritage Conference believe the event could stimulate a revival of rail transport in Australia comparable to that already happening in many countries around the world.

“At the moment, many people feel that there needs to be more planning for the future of rail in Australia,” said Dr Andrew Piper, from the University of New England’s Heritage Futures Research Centre (HFRC). Dr Piper, who is convening the conference for HFRC, said the current problems of CityRail in Sydney were symptomatic of a nation-wide decline in rail, particularly in the availability of skilled staff. “We have a rapidly ageing workforce in rail,” he said, “and because of the growth of rail overseas, it’s being poached.”

“We don’t have the skilled labour to take advantage of innovations,” he continued. “And it’s not only a lack of drivers; the average age of signallers in Australia is 55.”

Dr Piper believes that one of the lessons of the past should be the success of a staff training program that involved a mentoring system as well as a multitude of apprenticeships. “We need to be giving trainees today the benefits of the knowledge of people who’ve been working for 30 or more years,” he said.

More generally, he thinks that planning for transport systems of the future should take into account the “industrial memory” of systems that worked effectively in the past. For example, the “industrial memory” of economically successful railway routes should influence the planning of new routes.

This “industrial memory” is being kept alive by enthusiasts within more than 5,000 organisations throughout Australia with an interest in railway heritage. “I’m just amazed at where the interest is coming from,” said Dr Piper, talking about the already strong response to notification of next year’s conference. “People are really passionate about rail past, present and future. The conference will give them an opportunity to engage in a public debate about it.”

The conference, titled “Thinking Rail: Lessons from the Past, the Way of the Future”, in Tamworth next September, will be the first of its kind. Dr Piper said it would generate “a discussion that has contemporary meaning, not just an antiquarian look at the past”.

“In order to maintain current rail services, and increase and improve those services in a way that’s economically viable, “ he said, “government planners need to recognise the important role of industrial memory. I believe the conference will establish a network of researchers and interest groups that could fulfil that role.”

For more information on the conference, contact Dr Piper on (02) 6773 2764.


Media contact: Dr Andrew Piper, Heritage Futures Research Centre, UNE (02) 6773 2764 or Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE (02) 6773 3049.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at December 17, 2004 03:10 PM