Code of Practice Loading of Rail Freight

The closing date for comments – Monday 27 April 2026

The latest review of the Code of Practice Loading of Rail Freight draft is now open for Public Consultation.

How this product helps the rail industry

The Code of Practice for Loading of Rail Freight provides the Australian rail industry efficient and safe practices for loading of freight at terminals and freight logistics facilities which will help improve safety and productivity. Consistent application of these practices improves uniformity in loading and increases confidence in loads accepted by rail transport operators and infrastructure managers.

It helps reduce load shifts and operational delays, supports better train performance, minimises risks associated with overloading or uneven load distribution, and improves safety for workers, rolling stock, infrastructure, and freight.

About

This Code of Practice provides a significant level of uniformity in loading practices and procedures. The review focused on alignment with AS 7507 Rolling Stock Outlines and industry best practice as it relates to the loading of freight on rail vehicles. 

Efforts focused on providing clarity and aligning responsibilities across the rail networks between rail infrastructure managers and rolling stock operators with focus on highlighting the requirements of consignors.

How to contribute

Code of Practice Loading of Rail Freight is available for public consultation for 30 days. All interested parties are encouraged to provide comments during this time.

It is available to download here.

To make comments on the draft, please use the commenting tools in Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader to comment in-line with the text. If needed you can find instructions here.

Please return your PDF with comments to jmatheson@ariso.org.au by Monday 27 April 2026.

As the rail industry’s only accredited Standards Development Organisation (SDO), ARISO collaborates with government, rail operators and industry leaders to improve the efficiency and harmonisation of the Australia’s rail network, ensuring national interoperability, safety and sustainability into the future.