Australian Rail On Track to Help Indian Railways

Friday, 19 Dec 2008

India's US$18 billion railway extension plans and subsequent need to attract world class expertise was the subject of a visit to Australia from senior executives from the Indian Railway Board (IRB) this week.

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Trade, John Murphy MP, said the broad needs of the Indian railway industry mirrors Australia's supply capability in both passenger freight and bulk haulage.

"Australia is keen to work with the IRB and provide expertise and consultancy skills to India's railway development and expansion projects, including in port connectivity, corridor hinterland projects and construction of major bridges," said Mr Murphy.

"The Australian railway industry is one of the most modern and sophisticated in the world, providing innovative engineering solutions to address a variety of physical, economic and technical challenges.

"We have developed specialised expertise in all aspects of the design, development, construction, operation, maintenance and refurbishment of modern rail systems, particularly in heavy haul networks in remote locations and climatically challenging environments.

Mr Murphy said the meeting with the Chairman of IRB, Mr KC Jena, was a productive one with an agreement reached to progress talks.

"I feel there was an acknowledgment that Australia's world class expertise is certainly worth considering for some of these large railway projects and we have agreed to look at the potential for a Memorandum of Understanding," Mr Murphy said.

The Indian Railway Board is responsible overall for India's state-owned railways. The Indian railway system is one of the largest and busiest rail networks in the world, transporting eighteen million passengers and more than two million tonnes of freight daily.

Two-way trade in goods totalled over $10.94 billion in 2007-08, with India as Australia's 11th largest merchandise trading partner.

In April this year, Austrade commissioned a study to identify infrastructure opportunities for Australian companies in India, including in the railways sector. This meeting was identified as an important first step in securing opportunities for Australian businesses.

ARIC, in conjunction with Austrade, are planning for Rail Mission to India in March 2009. Register your interest at aric@aric.com.au

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