Arc Infrastructure Network Operation Interface Principal Kevin Reeves has marked a major milestone in his rail career, celebrating 50 years of service.
Kevin has been a champion for safeworking throughout his rail career and is an industry leader and mentor in the field.
Kevin commenced with West Australian Government Rail (WAGR) as a Junior Station Assistant at Wubin Railway Station in 1972. After leaving Dalwallinu High School, Kevin says he entered the rail industry “by accident”, initially filling in for his brother in this role, which gave him a basic understanding of WAGR policies, procedures and facilities, and thorough knowledge of the rail network.
Kevin moved to Perth in the late 1970s to pursue opportunities to further his rail education, attending a rail training institute where he studied timetabling, scheduling and what would go on to be his lifelong passion in rail – safeworking.
Arc Infrastructure’s recently retired General Manager Works Delivery Neil Hamel said Kevin was not only a significant subject matter expert in rail, but also a trusted mentor to younger rail workers.
“Kevin is a significant subject matter expert, and has represented the Western Australian rail network through numerous owners including WAGR, Westrail, WestNet Rail, Brookfield Rail and Arc Infrastructure.
“He has worked on numerous national rail committees with RISSB (Railway Industry Safety and Standards Board), his most significant acknowledgement being a key member of the team that delivered the Australian Network Rules & Procedures Project, and he continues to work as a key member of the team further developing this product.
“Over 40 plus years Kevin has trained and passed hundreds of railway ground staff operators, signalman and train controllers, and is a go-to person for clarifications on how rules are meant to be used in live operations.
“He is critical to our business when new or updated rules are being considered and uses his vast experience to assist others always,” Mr Hamel said.
Kevin has invested significant time and effort in mentoring train controllers, going above and beyond what is expected of his role, and taking a personal interest in the growth and development of his younger peers.
Kevin has been involved in the implementation of five different control systems over 50 years, and his ability to understand the impacts and provide instruction to rail workers is unparalleled.
Staying engaged over a career that spans 50 years in one industry could be a challenge for many, but Kevin says he has overcome this by being a continual learner.
“Across all the roles I have worked in, I have always had the opportunity to think, plan and anticipate – nothing has been done by rote learning. Across my training roles, I have enjoyed the opportunity to teach different students, who ask different questions across different scenarios. I’ve also made many lifelong friends and enjoyed the collegiality and sharing of knowledge with others working in our industry,” Mr Reeves said.
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