RailCorp

Rail Corporation New South Wales (RailCorp) was an agency of the Government of New South Wales, Australia, established in 2004 pursuant to the Transport Administration Act 1988. It was a division under the control of Transport for NSW, following the latter's establishment in 2011. On 20 June 2020, RailCorp was disbanded with its functions taken over by Transport Asset Holding Entity.

RailCorp held rail property assets, rolling stock and rail infrastructure in the Sydney metropolitan area and limited country locations in the state, and made those assets available to Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink for their operations. It also managed the government's contract with the Airport Link Company.

Until 2013, RailCorp also operated passenger train services in New South Wales under the brand CityRail, and maintained rail infrastructure within the New South Wales Metropolitan Rail Area. From July 2013, operation and maintenance functions were transferred to the newly created Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink agencies, which were also subsidiaries of RailCorp, leaving RailCorp as an asset owner. In July 2017, Sydney Trains and NSW Trains ceased to be subsidiaries of RailCorp and became standalone independent agencies.

History

In January 2004, after much criticism, and public perceptions of blame-shifting between units of the State Rail Authority relating to operational failings, RailCorp was formed, taking over the passenger train operations of CityRail and CountryLink, and assuming responsibility for maintaining the greater metropolitan network from the Rail Infrastructure Corporation.<ref>Rail Corporation of New South Wales NSW Government State Records</ref><ref>Annual Report 30 June 2004 RailCorp</ref> It was established as a non dividend paying statutory corporation.<ref>NSW reorganises the railways - again Railway Digest January 2004 page 8</ref><ref>RailCorp Railway Gazette International February 2004 page 63</ref>

Initially governed by a Board of Directors as a state-owned corporation, changes to the Template:Cite Legislation AU resulted in RailCorp ceasing to be a state-owned corporation and becoming a NSW statutory authority on 1 January 2009.<ref>Transport Administration Amendment (Rail and Ferry Transport Authorities) Act 2008 No 98 NSW Legislation</ref><ref>RailCorp to become statutory authority Railway Digest November 2008 page 15</ref><ref>RailCorp - All out, all change? Railway Digest December 2008 pages 5/6</ref><ref>Annual Report 30 June 2009 RailCorp</ref> Further changes to the Template:Cite Legislation AU resulted in abolition of the Board effective 1 July 2010 and the repositioning of RailCorp as an agency of Transport NSW.<ref>Annual Report 30 June 2010 RailCorp</ref> This was followed by further structural changes under the Transport Legislation Amendment Act 2011, which saw Transport NSW replaced by Transport for NSW, which was established as a controlled entity of the Department of Transport, with Rail Corporation New South Wales a controlled entity of Transport for NSW.<ref>Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 2011 Parliament of New South Wales 13 September 2011</ref> RailCorp reported to the Minister for Transport.

Restructure

In May 2012, the Minister for Transport announced a restructure of RailCorp from July 2013 that would:<ref>RailCorp job cuts first of many: unions Sydney Morning Herald 15 May 2012</ref><ref>Ruthless RailCorp reforms planned as middle management axed Daily Telegraph 15 May 2012</ref><ref>Corporate Plan 2012/13 RailCorp</ref><ref>700 jobs to go as RailCorp gets the axe Daily Telegraph 16 November 2012</ref>

• establish Sydney Trains to operate services in the Sydney Metropolitan area bounded by Berowra, Richmond, Emu Plains, Macarthur and Waterfall
• establish NSW TrainLink to operate all other passenger services including those of CountryLink
• transfer capital projects and planning functions to Transport for NSW
• establish Transport Cleaning Services, a specialist division responsible for train cleaning
• establish a customer service division
• reduce RailCorp's function to asset owner
• offer voluntary redundancies to 750 management and support staff

The restructure resulted in Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink, which were subsidiaries of RailCorp, operating railway passenger services in New South Wales under the Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink brands. While being subsidiaries of Railcorp, Sydney Trains and NSW Trains were not controlled entities of RailCorp, but were instead controlled by Transport for NSW.<ref name=railcorp2014>Railcorp Annual Report 2013–14 page 15 Transport for NSW</ref> CityRail and CountryLink were also abolished. In July 2017, Sydney Trains and NSW Trains ceased to be subsidiaries of RailCorp and became standalone and independent agencies of Transport for NSW.<ref name=AR2018>Transport for NSW Annual Report 2017–18 page 49 Transport for NSW</ref>

Cessation

RailCorp was disbanded and succeeded by the Transport Asset Holding Entity (TAHE) on 1 July 2020.<ref>Transport Asset Holding Entity of New South Wales Transport for NSW</ref><ref>Annual Report 2016–17 page 142, 237 Transport for NSW</ref><ref>Transport Administration Amendment (Transport Entities) Act 2017 No 12 Australasian Legal Information Institute</ref> The new entity continued to own assets on behalf of Transport for NSW. The Residual Transport Corporation (RTC), which was formed in July 2017, would then own assets not suitable for TAHE ownership.<ref name=AR2018/>

Corruption investigation

In 2007 and 2008, RailCorp was investigated by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). In a series of seven reports released during 2008,ICAC reported that more than $21 million in improper contracts and deals through the procurement of services in just three years.<ref>]https://web.archive.org/web/20120321164508/http://www.railcorp.info/commercial/contracts__and__procurement/individuals_adversely_named Individuals adversely named by ICAC] RailCorp 21 March 2012</ref><ref>Railcorp corruption inquiry 7.30 22 May 2008</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In June 2009, RailCorp terminated the contract of Vicki Coleman, its chief information officer, and it was claimed that she was at the centre of claims of dishonesty and corruption.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

ICAC recommended charges against 33 people; yet by April 2012, only eight people had faced the courts. Those that received custodial sentences included Allan Michael Blackstock (4½ years) and Renea Hughes (3½ years). Youssef (Joe) Madrajat was directed to undertake community service. Further charges are expected to be laid on others, and several are still waiting for the outcome of criminal proceedings.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Emergency response

RailCorp maintained a statewide Emergency Response Unit. The function of this unit was to attend incidents, such as derailments. Formerly known as the State Rail Fire Service, the unit was based in Sydney and responded to emergency incidents involving the rail network including automatic fire alarms within the underground and nearby stations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The unit also undertook cross-training with Fire & Rescue New South Wales.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The unit was equipped with a number of vehicles including Mercedes and International pumpers and a specialist rapid rail response unit which was able to travel via the road and rail network for rescue operations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The unit's motto was Semper Paratus, translated from Latin to mean Always Ready.

See also

• Rail transport in New South Wales
• Railways in Sydney

External links

• Official website