Professor Colin Cole is the Director of the Centre for Railway Engineering (CRE), CQUniversity. He has worked in railway research for 28 years and published over 200 technical papers and numerous reports working mainly in train dynamics and condition monitoring. His PhD was on Longitudinal Train Dynamics, and he has continued to develop this modelling and software with focus on traction, vehicle stability, unloading systems and energy consumption. He has conducted a range of rail projects including field testing, simulation, intelligent systems and condition monitoring systems. Projects include both research and consulting with work both in Australia and internationally in Africa, China, India, Mongolia and USA. He has also experience in taking research through to commercialization phase involving patents, proof of concept and first product roll out. His more recent interest has focused on energy recovery, on-board energy storage battery electric locomotives and investigation of hydrogen options for the replacement of diesel powered locomotives.

Jane Gillespie (MBA) is a rail leader specialising in decarbonisation. Jane has led a team of 50 rail engineers, led multimillion dollar projects and held business development responsibilities. From 2019-2022 Jane sat on the Australian Railway Association’s Young Leaders Advisory Board, where she advocated for diversity and sustainability in rail. Jane has presented at conferences and forums about hydrogen and synthetic fuels in rail and developed a rail decarbonisation offering and skills development offering for Arup, a global engineering consultancy. Jane is currently enrolled on the Cambridge University climate and sustainability short course for business leaders. Jane relocated to Australia from the UK, where she worked for Network Rail, a rolling stock owning company and London Overground in commercial, account management and business development roles.

James Petty is a senior leader with over 30 years of international experience in the asset management, mining, rail, and technology industries. He is currently Head of Asset Management & Strategy at Aurizon, leading the asset management, asset strategy, and decarbonisation functions for the above-rail assets. Aurizon is Australia’s largest rail freight operator.
Prior to joining Aurizon, James’ career was primarily with Rio Tinto in a variety of senior leadership roles including operational leadership, asset management and project leadership. While at Rio Tinto he led the autonomous truck program (Mine of the Future), from the first tonne moved in 2008 until he left Rio Tinto in 2016. With Aurizon’s long-term commitment to zero operational GHG emissions, James is leading a decarbonisation program that focuses on both near-term energy optimization and long-term decarbonisation of the Rolling Stock. Recently Aurizon, in conjunction with Progress Rail, announced development of an Australian-built Battery Electric Locomotive. James is a Mechanical Engineer and lives in Brisbane, Queensland where Aurizon is headquartered.

James is a Senior Decarbonisation Strategy Engineer with Pacific National, his responsibilities centre around managing the technical and strategic elements of PN’s fleet decarbonisation pathways. James has 10+ years of experience in the rail industry at Downer, Aurizon and Pacific National with roles initially in maintenance and reliability engineering, shifting to fuel optimisation projects, operational technology, emissions reduction and ultimately fleet decarbonisation technology and strategies. James is passionate about the opportunities inherent in heavy haul rails decarbonisation journey and believes getting this right could make rail the first choice for freight haulage in Australia as we approach 2050.

Engineering Professional with an Executive MBA (AGSM and Kellogg School of Management in Chicago) and a Diploma in Project Management. Significant experience in the execution and management of international railway projects with a focus on sustainable mobility. Experience covers the most recent feasibility study for net zero emissions rail commuter services in South Australia. Previous project experience includes 4.5 years managing several aspects of the Regional Rail Project ($2.8b) which will deliver a new bi-mode Regional Fleet to Transport for NSW. Managed supply chain of a significant Level 3 maintenance contract for the rolling stock of Sydney Trains and NSW Train Link. Spent 3.5 years completing full project development lifecycles within Knorr-Bremse for projects. Proactive, energetic and versatile project manager with a proven ability to deliver results in complex, high-pressure environments. Championing innovation, renewable energy, and sustainable mobility.

Ellen is an award-winning sustainability leader whose expertise lies in the road and rail industries. She is recognised throughout the transport industry in Australia and New Zealand as an advocate for encouraging all industry participants to consider what role they can play in the delivery of sustainable and resilient outcomes. The scale of the decarbonisation challenge demands a step change in both the breadth and scale of ambition, and the engineering profession has a duty to act quickly and decisively to progress to net zero emissions. Ellen actively engages with the industry to bring forward sector-wide collaboration and policies with a plan that anchors the role of infrastructure design in decarbonisation. Her leadership has demonstrably enhanced the inclusion and integration of sustainability into major infrastructure projects. I am an award-winning sustainability leader whose expertise lies in the road and rail industries.