11 Mar 2026
AS 7708 Signalling Earthing and Surge Protection
The closing date for nominations – Thursday 2 April 2026
The Australian Rail Industry Standards Organisation (ARISO) is seeking nominations from experts in rail electrical engineering, signalling systems, earthing and bonding, lightning and surge protection, signalling design and installation, infrastructure maintenance, and electrical safety assurance, to join a Development Group to review AS 7708 Signalling Earthing and Surge Protection.
How will this help the rail industry?
Electrical safety is a critical component of the safe operation and maintenance of a railway system. Electrical surges like lightning strikes can place rail safety workers and the public in potentially dangerous situations. Likewise, earthing prevents railway infrastructure from becoming live when an electrical fault occurs.
AS 7708 provides requirements and recommendations to assist rail transport operators manage the risks of surges and earth faults in the railway corridor. By adopting a harmonised approach through use of this Standard, safety at interfaces can be improved and the requirement for bespoke training reduced.
About
This Standard describes a set of requirements for the full lifecycle of signalling earthing and surge protection in Australia. It assists rail transport operators manage the risks of lightning, traction and power surges and earth faults in the railway corridor.
Time commitment
Development Group membership is voluntary and requires the support of your organisation to attend and contribute. A minimum of a day per month time commitment will be required between April 2026 and November 2026. Further information on the responsibilities of a Development Group member can be obtained from the our website.
How to contribute
Stakeholders and interested parties are invited to submit nominations for rail industry experts to join this Development Group to contribute to the overall depth and quality of the product.
Click on the options below to either:
The closing date for nominations is Thursday 2 April 2026.
As the rail industry’s only accredited Standards Development Organisation (SDO), ARISO continues to collaborate with government, rail operators and industry leaders to improve the efficiency and harmonisation of the Australia and New Zealand’s rail network, ensuring national interoperability, safety and sustainability into the future.