The first workshop for the 2018 Australasian Railway Association Future Leaders Program has commenced in Melbourne. The programme brings together young talents working in rail from across Australia and New Zealand to develop their leadership skills and cultivate networks under the mentorship of senior figures in the industry. All 37 participants, one per member organisation, were selected by a rigorous application progress.

The programme comprises three residential workshops in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra, along with five networking events. The participants must also complete group projects which will be presented at AusRAIL 2018.

Danny Broad, CEO of the Australasian Railway Association (ARA), said:

“37 young stars from right across our industry have come together to develop their leadership abilities, establish valuable networks and ultimately, complete projects that address challenges facing rail. They have been put into diverse project teams and are being challenged to look for ways to incrementally improve our industry so rail can deliver the tidal wave of infrastructure investment heading our way whilst innovating and adapting to the changing transport landscape.”

The 2018 ARA Future Leaders are: