Dear Readers
We are proud to support AusRAIL PLUS 2025, taking place from Tuesday 25 to Friday 28 November at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), Australia.
AusRAIL PLUS 2025 is the largest rail industry event in the Asia-Pacific region and an essential opportunity to connect with decision-makers, customers, suppliers and partners shaping the future of rail. More than 7,000 industry professionals will gather to hear from 120+ local and international experts, explore 16+ technical and concurrent streams, and meet 240+ exhibitors, sharing insights on digitalisation, AI, sustainability, safety, passenger experience and the future of rail worldwide.
Find out more and register today: https://ausrail.com
And we have a Stand at AusRail PLUS (Stand 340) so drop by for a chat with our Team.
Our Jobs of the Week this week are in Australia and Bangladesh. In Bangladesh we are looking for a Team Leader and in Brisbane, Australia we are looking for a Requirements Manager.
Best Regards
Rail Personnel
Rail News
12 November 2025. Australia. Plasser breaths new life into trusted rail assets
Plasser Australia, the local arm of global track maintenance leader Plasser & Theurer, has long been synonymous with precision, durability, and innovation. Headquartered in St Mary's, Western Sydney, the company has steadily expanded its footprint with service offices in New Zealand and Port Hedland, enhancing its ability to support customers across Australasia. For its first four decades, Plasser Australia was almost exclusively focused on manufacturing. However, recognizing that customers needed support well beyond the delivery of new machines
Source: Infrastructure Magazine
Chennai Metro Rail Ltd has awarded Faiveley Transport Rail Technologies India a contract to retrofit metro cars with an anti-drag safety system, which would stop the train if a sari, bag, or belt gets trapped in the doors. CMRL said it had not yet had any accidents caused by door entrapment, and the Rs483m contract announced on October 27 is a proactive measure aimed at strengthening passenger protection, particularly for women, and ensuring world-class safety standards.
Source: Railway Gazette International
10 November 2025. Japan. Tokyo Metro to introduce GoA2·5 automated operation on the Marunouchi Line
Tokyo Metro is working to introduce what it calls ‘GoA2·5’ train control on the 1,435 mm gauge Marunouchi Line (Line 4), the operator has told Railway Gazette International. The Marunouchi Line has been operating using attended ATO to Grade of Automation 2 since 2008, and Tokyo Metro is now undertaking field testing of GoA2·5, ahead of a partial roll-out by the end of FY2027. Tokyo Metro says GoA2·5 is a term that is used in Japan to define a level.
Source: Railway Gazette International
As the Basingstoke Rail Operating Centre (ROC) marks its 10th anniversary, Network Rail has completed a £129 million signalling upgrade between Farncombe and Petersfield, one of the most significant investments ever made on the Portsmouth Direct Line. The ROC, which opened in November 2015, now manages signalling on services between Farncombe and Petersfield as part of its expanding role across the Wessex route. The modernization transfers control from several ageing signal boxes to the ROC, improving reliability and resilience for passengers.
Source: Rail UK
Set to enter service in the Leipzig region from December 2026, the fleet will comprise 75 Mireo trains. Siemens Mobility has unveiled its latest regional train models for S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland at the Wegberg-Wildenrath Test Centre in Germany. Scheduled to enter service in the Leipzig region from December 2026, the fleet consists of 75 Mireo trains, including battery-powered Mireo Plus B units designed for non-electrified routes. The new fleet will cover approximately 10.6 million train kilometres annually across several lines in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia.
Source: Railway Technology
10 November 2025. Egypt. Siemens Mobility Unveils Velaro High-Speed Trains in Egypt
Siemens Mobility has unveiled its new Velaro high-speed train to the Egyptian public during the TransMEA 2025 exhibition. The new train has been specifically adapted to operate in the country’s desert conditions and is capable of reaching speeds of up to 250 km/h with seating for 489 passengers. Additionally, Siemens’ Desiro HC regional train completed its very first run on a set of newly constructed tracks near the 6th of October Depot, located west of Cairo.
Source: Railway News
7 November 2025. Spain. Spain’s Adif appoints Hitachi Rail for Port of Seville freight rail upgrade
The project involves the construction of a 2,485m branch line connecting the Guadaíra River railway bridge to the La Negrilla freight terminal bypass. The Spanish Railway Infrastructure Administrator (Adif) has appointed Hitachi Rail to adapt signalling and telecommunications systems for a new freight rail connection to the Port of Seville in Spain. The project, supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), introduces a 2,485m branch line running between the Guadaíra River railway bridge and the La Negrilla freight terminal bypass.
Source: Railway Technology
7 November 2025. China. CRRC Changchun Unveils China’s First Hydrogen-Powered Tourist Train
CRRC Changchun has unveiled China’s very first hydrogen-powered tourism train, the Qingchun.
The train, which was developed by CRRC Changchun, was unveiled in Changchun on October 16, marking a significant milestone in the country’s hydrogen journey. Equipped with a built-in hydrogen-powered system, the train operates without the need for an overhead catenary power supply and combines both local cultural and tourist characteristics in order to provide a green solution for mobility. The train has been specifically designed to withstand the low temperatures in Northeast China.
Source: Railway News
Job of the Week
Team Leader (International), Dhaka, Bangladesh
Job ID#: 15260
Discipline: Operations
Language: English
Our client has approved technical assistance (TA) to the Government of Bangladesh to support the Bangladesh Railway, the state-owned rail transport agency, in strengthening its capacity to improve its operational efficiency and financial sustainability. The TA will review Bangladesh Railway's operations and cost and revenue structure to develop an institutional framework to improve the agency's operational efficiency and capacity in project implementation.
They are seeking suitably qualified and experienced candidates for the role of Team Leader (International). The Team Leader will be responsible for leading the team to achieve the objective of the assignment.
This consulting services under the TA have two outputs. First, the consultant will develop a proposal to improve operational efficiency of Bangladesh Railway based on completed studies (roadmap, core business study, and non-core business study) under a loan and technical assistance from the client. The tasks will include: (i) identifying root problems which hinder improvement of operational efficiency and financial sustainability; (ii) assessing the impact and possible interrelation among initiatives and propose implementation plan of interventions included in roadmap and other measures; and (iii) identifying Bangladesh Railway's public service obligation, which is to provide minimum access all over the country. The consultant will conduct service segment-wise analyses on cost and revenue structure and suggest operational key performance indicators (KPI) and monitoring scheme. Second, the consultant will develop the transition plan from meter gauge to broad gauge of Bangladesh Railways.
This Job closes on 19th November 2025.
Job Requirements:
The expert is required to (i) have at least a Master's Degree in the relevant field, (ii) have at least 20 years of general work experience, and (iii) have at least 15 years of experience in railway operation.
Contact: David Hyland (davidh@railpersonnel.com)
Manager, Requirements, Brisbane, Australia
Job ID#: 15256
Discipline: Requirements Management
Language: English
Job Description:
Our client is seeking the services of experienced professionals in integration (of major infrastructure projects) to lead, manage and support critical integration activities between Stage 1, Stage 2, signalling works packages and interfacing projects for The Wave (Rail).
They are seeking suitably qualified and experienced candidates for the role of Manager, Requirements.
The Manager, Requirements is responsible for leading the development, management, and verification of requirements across the Wave (Rail) project. This role ensures that all project requirements are clearly defined, traceable, and aligned with project objectives, stakeholder needs, and regulatory standards.
The key objective of the Integration team is to ensure safe operation of passenger services and delivery of all Project Sponsor Requirements by 2032.
Closing Time and Date: Thursday 27 November 2025 03:00 PM (Brisbane time)
Core scope for this role will include, but will not be limited to:
• Build upon and manage the Requirements Management Plan, ensuring alignment with project objectives and stakeholder needs.
• Configure and administer the IBM DOORS NG/ELM environment to support requirements management and traceability.
• Ensure requirements are appropriately allocated to the correct delivery packages, breaking them into manageable parts while maintaining alignment with the overall project objectives.
• Oversee the verification and validation (V&V) process, ensuring that results are summarised and integrated into a cohesive, project-wide view.
• Provide training and capability uplift across the project to ensure consistent application of requirements management processes.
• Support the integration of requirements into design, testing, and assurance activities, ensuring traceability and compliance with regulatory standards.
• Support the reporting of requirements to demonstrate benefits realisation and achievement of Project Sponsor Requirements as the project progresses.
• Lead a team of Principal Advisors (Requirements) who will be embedded in each of the package teams, to ensure a consistent, ‘best practice' approach to requirements management across all delivery packages.
• Work closely across other functional and package delivery teams, with a strong focus on collaboration and a solution focused ‘best for program' approach.
• Exemplify the Wave (Rail) project vibes and the client's values throughout the engagement.
• Capture and share learnings where required to improve the client's capacity and capability to undertake systems integration across the rail program.
• Develop reports and presentations as required to support project governance activities and ensure that the project meets other reporting requirements.
Job Requirements:
* 10+ years' experience in requirements management on major infrastructure projects.
* Expertise in IBM DOORS Next / ELM.
* Strong knowledge of lifecycle requirements and Verification & Validation (V&V) processes.
* Experience managing multi-disciplinary teams and complex stakeholder environments.
* Ability to expand requirements management beyond the rail environment to encompass requirements for other key stakeholders and returned works owners.
* Experience working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to align configuration management activities with project objectives and delivery milestones.
Contact: Jackie Hendry (jackie@railpersonnel.com)
