AGY-2151 | Rail Infrastructure Corporation

Full description

The Rail Infrastructure Corporation (RIC), a State-Owned Corporation, was formed by the amalgamation of the Rail Access Corporation and Rail Services Australia, and was established on 1 January 2001 by the Transport Administration Amendment (Rail Management) Act 2000 (No. 89, 2000) (1), which was proclaimed on 22 December 2000. (2)

The objectives of the Rail Infrastructure Corporation were primarily to ensure that the NSW rail network enabled safe and reliable passenger and freight services to be provided in an efficient, effective, and financially responsible manner, and secondarily to facilitate access to the rail network, to operate as a successful business, and to exhibit a sense of social responsibility having regard to community interests, environmental impact, regional development and decentralisation. (3)

A new business model for the merged Corporation was in place by January 2002. The structure consisted of three business divisions:
1. The Metropolitan Division was responsible for the management of the rail infrastructure assets of the Sydney Metropolitan rail network;
2. The Access Division provided safe and reliable train paths to freight and country passenger customers; and
3. The Commercial Division managed commercial businesses and joint ventures. (4)

The three divisions were supported by three centres of excellence:
- The Projects and support centre was responsible for planning, management and delivery of major periodic maintenance and capital works projects including replacing rails and sleepers, bridges and signals and ballast cleaning. The division also managed external contracts and Information Technology projects;
- The Engineering group ensured that the infrastructure was met authorised standards and also developed asset management systems and frameworks; and
- The Safety Group was responsible for managing safety throughout the Corporation in operations, infrastructure and other workplaces, and for safety audits, investigations, and accreditation and for environmental and quality assurance.
In addition there were four professional support groups that provided corporate services, financial, personnel management and planning services for the Corporation.(5)

The RIC served two large customers - the State Rail Authority in the provision of passenger services and Pacific National for freight services. Other network customers included smaller freight operators and heritage groups. (6)

On 1 July 2010, under the Transport Administration Amendment Act 2010 (No.31, 2010), the Country Rail Infrastructure Authority (CRIA) was established to replace the role and functions previously undertaken by RIC. CRIA was to be taken for all purposes as a continuation of, and the same legal entity, as RIC. (7)

Endnotes
1. Transport Administration Amendment (Rail Management) Act 2000 (No. 89, 2000). Schedule 2, 2.1, (10).
2. NSW Government Gazette, 22 December 2000, p.13466.
3. Transport Administration Amendment (Rail Management) Act, ibid, Schedule 2, 2.1, (12).
4. Rail Infrastructure Corporation report for the year ended 30 June 2003, pp.5-7.
5. Ibid. pp.5-7.
6. Ibid. pp.5-7.
7. Transport Administration Amendment Act 2010 (No.31, 2010). Sch. 3.