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13 May 2026, by Amy Sarcevic
When we think of interoperability in rail, the same image usually springs to mind: a modernised system in which each section of the track has the same technology, gauge width and signalling rules.
But for Adrian Teaha, Chief Interoperability and Development Officer at the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), this kind of system need not exist and could even be harmful to pursue.
“We don’t need every aspect of the rail network to be standardised. We just need it to communicate properly with each other and remain productive,” he said.
“To give a simple analogy, it would be like expecting everyone to have an iPhone to send and receive text messages with each other. Not only is this unnecessary, but it could harm people who don’t have the budget for one.”
So, what should the rail industry’s interoperability priorities be, and how can it make the pursuit of these as smooth as possible?
Ahead of the Rail Technology & Interoperability Conference, Adrian broke it down.
Incremental improvement
While striving for interoperability sounds synonymous with transformation, Adrian cautions that anything too radical could harm the bottom line.
“We are staring at a multi-decade task and if we approach it too quickly or without adequate care, the disruption could be damaging for the sector.
“We don’t want transformation for transformation’s sake, especially if that exposes us to perverse outcomes in the short term. We want incremental improvements in how we plan and deliver rail projects, ensuring that every decision is made in respect of all other moving parts of the system.”
In a similar vein, the industry should be weary of ‘panaceas’, Adrian cautioned.
“In rail, given how big and busy those networks are, you can’t wait for everything to be perfect. You’ve got to focus on those interim steps to help you get there and strive for those short term productivity wins.”
Ecosystem focus
Broadly, interoperability is about creating system harmony, but beyond that, the term has many definitions. The lack of harmony on deciding one for rail could be one of its greatest paradoxes.
For many, interoperability is purely a technology conversation, but for Adrian, it’s about the whole transport ecosystem – the regulation, network and operating models.
“Technology is absolutely a critical part of interoperability but with open source models and modern integration capability, compatibility is no longer the barrier it once was. If we take a genuinely system wide approach at the point of planning and procurement, this could actually become one of the fastest interoperability challenges to solve.”
“In my view, the harder challenge is everything beyond the technology – bringing together the many moving parts of rail and seamlessly passing the baton between operators. Creating a genuinely unified system across multiple infrastructure managers, each with their own legacy assets, standards and operational environments, is inherently complex”
An ecosystem view also means considering rail’s relationship outside of the rail corridor – and an interoperable system will take this into account ensuring all business decisions are made with other modes in mind.
“Rail doesn’t operate in isolation. Pickup, delivery and terminal operations across other modes are all part of the customer experience – which means we need to think beyond our own corridor and focus on the performance of the end to end supply chain”
Keep it simple
While the topic of interoperability is complex, Adrian says it pays to keep a simple perspective.
“At its heart, interoperability is about making it easy for goods to be moved around the country and making sure we reduce the unit cost, which is the whole point.
“If our push for interoperability stops these things from happening, then we have gone astray.”
Progress
Although the pursuit of this may be challenging, Adrian said the sector is currently in a ‘good space’ thanks to recent policy decisions and the significant work between industry and government around alignment.
“We’ve now got the framework in place. The challenge ahead is making interoperability work in the real world – integrating across legacy systems, aligning delivery pathways and getting the transition right over time”
“It is now a matter of moving beyond the concept and into the planning and delivery phases,” he said.
Sharing more on how this might look, Adrian will address the upcoming The Rail Technology & Interoperability Conference, hosted by Informa.
Learn more and register your place here.
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