Australia’s rail-aissance
From trams to Metro to light rail, Australia’s on the right track
Like many other parts of the world, Australia is investing in rail as a way to move a lot of people really quickly around a city (or between cities!). While in Australia, Paul attended and spoke at the AusRAIL conference in Brisbane. During the conference he interviewed a true legend in the passenger rail business — Steve Butcher. Steve is currently the Executive General Manager and Managing Director, Rail & Transport Division for John Holland. John Holland is one of the largest end-to-end rail companies in the Southern Pacific region and is part of Yarra Journey Makers with Transdev to operate Melbourne’s iconic Yarra Trams.
In this conversation, Paul and Steve talk about the breadth of rail in Australia. From the Sydney Metro, Yarra Trams, and the Gold Coast Light Railway, there is a lot going on across the country and John Holland is a big part of all these projects.
Paul and Steve also get into Steve’s rail career that started at age 16 at British Rail and has rolled along ever since, plus Steve’s advice for people coming up in their careers.
By all accounts, Australia really has things on track for passenger rail and Steve Butcher and John Holland are right there in the thick of it.
Next week on the show we have a star-studded panel of experts with an update on Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) and paratransit. First piloted by Brad Miller in 2016, this innovative approach has been adopted across the U.S. But this innovation is under threat from new regulations proposed by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). This panel gets into the issue, discussing the benefits and opportunities this innovation brought with it.
- Judy L. Shanley, Ph.D., National Director, Transportation, Mobility, & Youth Transition, Easterseals
- Alex Elegudin, CEO, Wheeling Forward
- Jen Shepherd, General Manager Uber Transit, Uber
- Brad Miller, CEO, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority
Before we say goodbye to Melbourne and hello to Brisbane
We’re at the end of January which means new episodes of Transit Unplugged TV are coming! In February we feature the beautiful city of Brisbane (which as many parents know is also Bluey’s hometown) with part two of Paul’s Australian tour.
Not that the Melbourne episodes are going anywhere, but here’s your chance to catch up before the new ones from Brisbane come out next week.
This Week in Transit News…
Trump executive orders will impact US transit. New York’s congestion pricing is making driving faster in Manhattan. And you can now take a train from Ottawa to the airport.
Welcome to your Transit Unplugged News Minute.
Make sure you tune in every Monday for your fresh dose of transit news from Julie Gates.
