30 Sep 2026
Australia connects with global rail expertise
International connection is an important part of ARISO’s five-year program.
As Australia invests in ETCS, digital signalling and other new railway technologies, ARISO has began work to ensure international experience informs the development of nationally consistent standards, technical guidance and assurance approaches.
ARISO announced three significant partnerships in September that will support the development of a more interoperable and digitally enabled railway.
ARISO has joined EULYNX as an Associate Member and established a strategic partnership with the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) Users Group, creating direct connections to organisations that have spent decades addressing many of the challenges Australia now faces.
EULYNX brings together rail infrastructure managers to develop common signalling architectures and standardised interfaces. Its work provides valuable experience in reducing proprietary interfaces, improving interoperability, supporting supplier competition and making future technology upgrades more straightforward.
The partnership with the ERTMS Users Group provides access to another important source of expertise: the practical experience of European railways implementing and operating digital train control systems at scale. This includes lessons in interoperabilty, systems integration, technical assurance, implementation planning and long-term asset management.
ARISO’s agreement with RSSB will connect Australian industry with RSSB’s experience in evidence-based standards, rail safety, risk, research and benefits realisation. ARISO and RSSB will explore opportunities to share expertise in standards development, technical assurance, digital railway technologies, adoption frameworks and industry capability building.
For ARISO, the value of these relationships goes beyond access to international standards or technical information. They provide an opportunity to learn from approaches that have already been developed, tested and refined, and to consider how that experience can be applied in the Australian context.
“Australia does not need to start from scratch,” said ARISO CEO Alan Fedda.
“We can learn directly from organisations that have already tackled many of the challenges associated with interoperability at scale.”
The partnerships also establish a two-way exchange of knowledge. While Australia can benefit from Europe’s extensive digital railway experience, ARISO brings the perspective of an industry working to harmonise systems across a large, diverse and geographically dispersed national network.
International collaboration will be an important part of building Australia’s technical capability and supporting the safer, more productive and interoperable railway of the future.