Geoff Smith, Managing Director for Australian rail and multimodal transport powerhouse SCT Group, is taking on a new challenge within the nation’s rail sector as the new Chair of the Freight on Rail Group (FORG).
He has replaced Aurizon Managing Director and CEO Andrew Harding in the role.
FORG consists of nine major rail freight businesses which, between them, are responsible for managing over 95 per cent of Australia’s freight rail activity.
Pacific National, Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), One Rail Australia, Aurizon, Qube Holdings, SCT Logistics, Arc Infrastructure, WatCo Australia and Southern Shorthaul Railroad make up FORG and are responsible for the contribution of over $11 billion each year to Australia’s economy while employing 20,000 people.
Under Smith’s leadership, FORG will now seek to address multiple key short- and medium-term issues impacting the rail industry including:
- Improving the share of general rail freight and underlying cost competitiveness issues
- Supporting the ongoing work to improve the quality of the rail network, including level-crossing safety issues
- Advocating for the contribution that rail freight can make to the decarbonisation of the transport sector
- Reforming the coastal trading system to ensure Australia’s supply chain sovereignty is not being compromised by the dumping of freight services by foreign flagged ships.
Smith says FORG will continue to push for the expansion of rail freight’s opportunity due to its positive safety and decarbonisation potential.
“While the industry faces significant challenges, as a peak body we believe there are also substantial opportunities for rail freight,” Smith says.
“We offer a freight alternative that is safer, with significantly lower carbon emissions.
“As a group, FORG members are uniquely positioned to advocate for the advantages of rail freight to politicians, government departments and the public more broadly.
“I look forward to continuing the work of Andrew Harding, my predecessor from Aurizon, and the ongoing dialogue with the federal and state governments and other industry groups on behalf of the FORG membership.”
Since its establishment over 50 years ago, SCT has evolved to become one of Australia’s largest privately-owned rail businesses.
It now offers a broad range of services including FCL and LCL dry rail and temperature-controlled rail freight, road freight, contract logistics and port services.
Smith has operated within SCT for 25 years and says the company’s status within Australia’s rail and freight landscape has given him a unique perspective into the issues facing the sector.
“SCT was the first privately-owned competitor to government rail businesses in Australia,” he says. “Our history has given me a unique insight into the key issues facing both rail operators and our customers in metropolitan and regional areas.”
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