The Rail Futures Institute says a new federal-state government agreement on rail is laudable - but the organisation's president remains sceptical that anything will change.
The two governments, as well as the Australasian Railway Association, have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation, which aims to make rail more competitive and interoperable across Australia.
Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said the agreement would see rail play a bigger role in the national economy while delivering more freight and passenger services.
"Improving interoperability of the national rail network will mean more people will be employed, more manufacturing will be local, and more passenger and freight services will travel by rail," Ms King said.
"The signatures on the historic Memorandum of Cooperation commit all governments and industry to work together to ensure rail can play a bigger role in our nation's future."
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But RFI president John Hearsch said while the aims of the agreement were laudable, they were no different from what the rail industry had worked towards for many years.
"Since the formation of Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board (RISSB) in 2003, more has happened to facilitate uniformity across rail through the creation of new official Australian Standards," Mr Hearsch said.
"These cover dozens of rail technical and operational matters and provide the framework for moving these issues forward."
But he said the problem remained with the implementation of the standards.
"Some can only have effect when new infrastructure, rolling stock or major upgrades are done," he said.
"Even then many state systems continue to prevail."
Mr Hearsch said the most glaring example was rail signalling and train control, which varied greatly between states.
The Australian Rail Track Corporation had a common system between the Victorian and South Australian border and Kalgoorlie, WA.
"However, Victorian signalling is different and more complex, NSW's system is completely different and Queensland's is different again," he said.
Systems changed at state borders
No jurisdiction wanting to change its existing signalling and operational procedures in the name of uniformity, due to immense costs and difficulty in seeing benefits.
"Change will probably only occur when new technology is introduced which takes many years," he said.
"Meanwhile, history continues to burden rail as the existing systems continue to be installed in each state.
"This adds to cost and makes train interoperability between states more challenging."
Mr Hearsch said the RFI applauded the agreement as another statement of "good intent.
"But long experience makes us sceptical as to what of real substance it will achieve.
"Only time will tell."
Ms King said there was a range of critical issues that had an impact on national rail productivity and innovation.
They included the use of different gauges, signalling systems and rolling stock as well as differences in how trains were run and crews managed.
Workers were often isolated to geographic areas, based on differing technologies, she said.
The Memorandum of Cooperation commits rail operators, builders, manufacturers and transport ministers to work together to make rail more interoperable, particularly for any future major rail investments.
The government would shortly appoint a National Rail Advocate and Rail Industry Innovation Council to support the plan and drive genuine change in Australian rail manufacturing.
A GrainCorp spokeswoman said standard, coordinated and whole-of-journey management of the rail network was vital for the Australian grains industry.
"The majority of GrainCorp's rail movements on the east coast of Australia are over long distances to port, with trains regularly traversing more than one rail network and access undertaking," the spokesperson said.
"The current lack of coordination between rail networks and inconsistencies in access arrangements creates complexity and increases costs, which are ultimately borne by grain growers.
"GrainCorp supports a broader regulatory and standards review of the national rail network to create better alignment between the networks and to support end-to-end supply chain efficiency."
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Andrew Miller
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
