Agenda

DAY ONE: WEDNESDAY 4TH AUGUST 2010

8.30 Registration and coffee

9.00 Welcome and opening remarks from the Chair

Kevin Taylor, General Manager, Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board

9.10 ARA presentation

• Why does the Australian rail industry need interoperability?
• What stands in the way of achieving interoperability and what are the solutions?
• Looking ahead – The steps to make interoperability a reality for rail 

Bryan Nye, CEO, Australasian Railway Association

AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

9.30 A European view of rail interoperability

• Developing operating synergies through collaboration and cooperation
• What policies are in place to ensure interoperability across Europe and how are they working?
• The lessons learnt in creating an interoperable European rail network

Dr Libor Lochman, Deputy Executive Director, Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies

10.10 Morning tea

10.30 Achieving interoperability in the Asian rail landscape

• Examining the strategies in place to achieve compatible Asian rail networks
• Analysing the effectiveness of interoperability policies
• Creating a competitive advantage through interoperability

Thierry Lesaine, Alstom Transport

CROSS-INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVES

11.10 Aviation

• Identifying the drivers for interoperability in aviation
• How has interoperability been introduced into the aviation industry and how has it worked?
• Creating a more competitive industry through improved cohesion and communication

Greg Hood, Executive Manager CASA Operations Division, Civil Aviation Safety Authority

11.50 Australian Defence Force

• What are the forces shaping interoperability within the Australian Defence Force?
• Creating seamless operations through common processes and communication systems
• Evaluating the effectiveness of interoperability policies
• Harmonisation between services at a macro and mirco-level

Colonel Chris Robinson, Director J6 Plans, Australian Department of Defence

12.30 Lunch

1.30 Government communications during a crisis/natural disaster

• Understanding how a lack of interoperable technologies hindered the past work of emergency services during major relief efforts
• What policies have been implemented to ensure smooth operations between varying emergency services and government bodies, across jurisdictions, during a major crisis?
• Developing interoperability policies within the constraints of existing systems and procurement cycles
• Incrementally adopting consensus technologies

Tony Gates, Deputy Chairperson, National Coordinating Committee for Government Radiocommunications

2.10 Case Study: Lessons in interoperability from the Black Saturday Bushfires

• How was interoperability used during the Black Saturday Bushfires?
• Evaluating the effectiveness of interoperability in a disaster – what lessons were learnt from Black Saturday and what changes/new technology has been implemented as a result
• Can interoperability help prevent or deter such large scale disasters in the future?
• What can the rail industry take from the lessons of the Country Fire Authority’s experience?

Greg Esnouf, Deputy Chief Officer, Country Fire Association

2.50 Refreshments and networking break

3.10 Telecommunications

• Interoperability as a business imperative for mobile phone operators
• The development of international roaming and its impact on the industry
• Achieving optimum efficiency through interoperability
• Interoperability to reduce costs
• Sustained commitment to interoperability in an evolving, technology-driven environment

Chris Althaus, CEO, Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association

THE AUSTRALASIAN RAIL PERSPECTIVE

3.50 Spectrum requirements for rail industry communications
Victoria Roberston,  Manager of Spectrum Licence Renewal, Australian Communications and Media Authority

4.30 Rail Suppliers – A strategic approach to interoperability

• What are the responsibilities of rail suppliers towards achieving an interoperable rail industry?
• Analysing the need for standardisation of specifications for equipment
• Developing a technology strategy to drive interoperability

5.10 End of day one

DAY TWO: THURSDAY 5TH AUGUST 2010

8.30 Coffee and networking

9.00 Opening remarks from chair

THE AUSTRALASIAN RAIL PERSPECTIVE (CONTINUED)

9.10 Australian Rail Track Corporation

• Is interoperability a priority for ARTC?
• Setting the framework for interoperable systems – The policies and standards needed to achieve seamless information flows across organisations
• Interoperability for a competitive advantage

David Marchant, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Rail Track Corporation

9.50 RailCorp

• Commonality across boundaries – Understanding why interoperability is a priority for RailCorp
• Setting the framework for interoperable systems

Tony Eid, Deputy Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Operations, RailCorp

10.30 Morning tea

10.50 Interoperability and the New Zealand rail industry

• What are the policy drivers for interoperability within New Zealand?
• Creating an efficient New Zealand rail network through interoperability
• Reducing costs through interoperable standards

Peter Steel, General Manager, Engineering and Standards, KiwiRail Network (New Zealand)

11.30 Start of workshop session
See below for workshop details

12.45 Lunch

1.30 Workshop session resumes

3.15 Refreshments and networking break

3.30 Summary of round table discussion and closing remarks

Delegates will come together to discuss the highlights of the group discussion

4.15 Close of conference