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access the corridor

Arc Infrastructure is responsible for managing the safe operation of the rail network, as well as the safety of people accessing the rail corridor. The rail corridor is a hazardous environment with many types of risks. Often the laws that apply to working in and around the rail corridor impose different and higher standards than those that apply in other environments. In order to do this, it is critical we control and monitor access.

The rail corridor is private property and, for the safety of our employees, customers, contractors and the wider community, it is illegal for anyone to enter the corridor without appropriate permissions. Given the inherent safety risks arising from unauthorised or undeclared entry in the Rail Corridor, Arc reserves the right to report Third Parties and Services Owners (TPSOs) who commit these offences to the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) without prior notice.

There are a range of people who are required to interact with the rail corridor, including State and local governments, above-rail operators, private companies, regulatory bodies, contractors and consultants, emergency service providers and authorised members of the community. These people are only permitted to have access to the rail corridor following the completion of a formal application process and authorisation from Arc Infrastructure.

It’s important to contact Arc Infrastructure in the early planning stages for any potential activity with a rail corridor interface to ensure each party can achieve what they set out to do.

Below is some information about situations where corridor access may be required. If you have a query regarding access to Arc Infrastructure’s rail corridor, you can find the relevant contact details in the information below.

Rail Corridor Induction

The Rail Corridor Induction was made available to all third party contractors from 1 July 2020.

Click here and scroll down to enrol

Please note: To complete the online course, click on the link above and scroll to the bottom of the webpage to the course calendar, select Rail Corridor Induction and follow the enrolment process.

The Rail Corridor Induction is designed to enhance the safety of everyone who enters the rail corridor. As the manager of the rail corridor, Arc has a responsibility to provide accurate and comprehensive education to ensure the safety of third party contractors. We have identified that third party contractors who are required to undertake work within the rail corridor may benefit from a greater understanding of the associated risks and hazards.

The training for the Rail Corridor Induction can be completed online and is mandatory for all third party contractors who access the rail corridor. It can be accessed ‘on demand’ from the Arc Infrastructure website and completed at any time. A certificate will be issued once a worker has completed and passed the online course, and this certificate will be required to stay with the worker while they are in the rail corridor.

It is important to note that the Rail Corridor Induction does not replace the formal application process third parties currently use to request access to the rail corridor to complete inspections and other work activities, nor does it replace any existing training requirements. If a third party contractor is required to work closer than 5m to the nearest rail, they are still required to complete a Supervised Worker or Protection Officer Safeworking course and obtain a Track Access Permit (TAP) relevant to their tasks.

The Rail Corridor Induction online training course covers a broad range of topics including minimum PPE requirements, fit for work information, speed limits, entering and exiting the rail corridor safely, environmental considerations and what to do in the event of an emergency.

Currently, the Rail Corridor Induction can be completed free of charge. The Rail Corridor Induction is valid for 12 months. After this 12 month period the Induction will need to be completed again if the third party contractor still requires access to the rail corridor.

Proof of completion will need to be shown by all third party contractors working in the rail corridor.

Click here to view the third party stakeholder presentation: Access to Rail Corridor and Rail Corridor Induction.

If you have any queries, please contact the Third Party team at thirdparty.services@arcinfra.com.

If you require assistance accessing the Rail Corridor Induction online training course, please contact the Learning & Development team at asktraining@arcinfra.com.

Once you have enrolled, you will be emailed a link from the system that will allow you to log in and complete the course.

You need to click on the link in this email to access and complete the course.

Utilities and Third Party Services

Access to the rail corridor includes all utility services to be installed or maintained under, over or alongside the rail corridor including gas, power, water and telecoms. Whilst we acknowledge that there are Laws and Acts that govern certain service installations, it is important to note that all works must be carried out under Arc Infrastructure accreditation and Arc Infrastructure must approve these works to ensure that there is no adverse impact to the safety of rail operations.

The Third Party Team works regularly with these organisations to ensure their works are carried out safely and do not compromise the integrity of the freight rail network.

These works include:

Various topographical and geotechnical surveys
Installation and maintenance of oil, gas, water, stormwater and other pipelines
Installation and maintenance of electricity and telecommunications cables (including fibre optic cables)
Installation and maintenance of power poles
Installation and maintenance of groundwater monitoring wells

Third Party Service applications attract fees. The application fee is to recover the administrative cost of assessing your application. It is important to note that application fees do not guarantee approval and the fees are non-refundable. Fees are required to be paid before the application can be finalised.

Non-intrusive

Application type description: Topographic surveys. Visual inspections only / no treatments. Hauling cable through existing 3rd party duct & pit network. Collecting water samples.

Fee: $350 + GST

Intrusive survey geotech

Application type description: Geotechnical surveys, i.e. test pits, bore holes, monitoring wells

Fee: $800 + GST

Third Party work activity

Application type description: Excavation pits. Pole Maintenance. Pole replacement within Rail Corridor and/or affecting overhead conductors. Installation / replacement of low/high voltage power lines. Pipe Maintenance. Pit / Access chamber replacement. Removal of Service / Decommissioning

Fee: $800 + GST

Underbore for new works

Application type description: Installation of directionally drilled/micro tunnelled pipe sleeve / conduit less than 300mm in diameter

Fee: $800 + GST

Non-standard installation

Application type description: Major installations underbore in excess of 300mm in diameter, Non-service installation i.e. chemicals, caustics, parallel installations

Fee: $3,000 + GST

All applications are subject to a formal review form Arc Infrastructure. This review is to ensure the technical requirements and safety protocols comply with current engineering and safety standards. All applications forms must be completed in full with detailed work activity description and be accompanied by all supporting documents. Incomplete applications will not be accepted and will delay the review process. The review process can take up to 12 weeks to process.

The suite of documents below outlines procedures and protocols for accessing the rail corridor to install or maintain utility services.

Communication Protocol Document (Emergency Works)
Application Form for Works relating to Services impacting Rail Corridor Land
Arc Requirements for Non Arc Services Crossing in the Rail Corridor Land
Fact Sheet Works near or on Railways and interaction with utilities

Title	Description	Access
Communication Protocol	Protocol for Emergency Works	Click here
Third Party Services Application Form	Application for Access to our Rail Corridor	Click here
Arc Requirements	Arc Requirements for Non-Arc Services in the Rail Corridor Land	Click here
Fact Sheet - Works near or on Railways and interaction with utilities	Fact sheet on ONRSR website	Click here

For Third Party Service enquiries please contact thirdparty.services@arcinfra.com.

Third Party Projects

All projects that involve access or construction in, under or over the Arc Infrastructure corridor that are not projects initiated by Arc Infrastructure require approval.

Examples of the works that may require approval from Arc:

Road realignment
New bridges, level crossings or tunnel installation
Pedestrian pathways
New rail connections to the network
Maintenance to existing interfacing infrastructure (bridges, earthworks etc.)

Documents to initiate the approval can be found below:

Title	Description	Access
Third Party Project Application form - minor	Application for minor works Maintenance works at level crossings Any works adjacent to corridor	Click here
Third Party Project Application form - major	Application for major projects New at-grade or grade separated vehicle or pedestrian crossings	COMING SOON

For any works involved in or impacting services and utilities within the corridor land, please refer to the guidelines in Third Party Services.

How to apply for approval:

Step 1: Download relevant application form
Step 2: Complete the application form
Step 3: Send the application form and any relevant attachments to thirdparty.projects@arcinfra.com
Step 4: Arc will review and provide feedback.

It’s important to contact Arc Infrastructure in the early planning stages for any potential activity with a rail corridor interface to ensure each party can achieve the project goals and schedule.

For Third Party Project enquiries, please contact thirdparty.projects@arcinfra.com

Adjacent landowners

Arc Infrastructure must be notified of all works and activities carried out by adjacent landowners including alterations to boundary fencing, high risk building and construction activities, including crane lifting, deep excavations, drainage or discharge adjacent to rail corridor and large land developments resulting in changed traffic conditions in proximity to the railway.

If you wish to contact a Corridor Interface team member please email corridorplanning@arcinfra.com.

Arc Infrastructure requires adjacent landowners to notify Arc of prescribed burns, or any planned fire mitigation as Arc Regional Leads need to be notified of the date so they can be aware and notify Network Control.

For environmental enquiries and notifications please contact environment@arcinfra.com.

Level crossing interface agreements

An interface agreement is a written agreement between the road manager and rail infrastructure manager, which details the management of safety risks at locations where road and railway tracks cross. The agreement can cover one or more level crossings.

Interface Agreements are a legislative requirement under the Rail Safety National Law (WA) Act 2015. The Act places obligations on road managers and rail infrastructure managers to ensure safety risks at each level crossing are identified, assessed and managed. The Interface Agreement is a formal agreement between both parties on the management of these safety risks.

The Interface Agreement may contain information on:

Implementing and maintaining measures for managing risks
The roles and responsibilities of each party to the agreement
How each party will monitor compliance with their obligations under the agreement
A process for keeping the agreement under review and how any review will be conducted and implemented

Safety Interface Agreements involve a range of parties, including rail infrastructure managers, this includes Arc Infrastructure as the manager of the West Australian freight rail network, and road managers, including private and public road managers.

Private road managers are land owners who use a level crossing to access their property, or different parts of their property located on either side of the track.

Public roads that intersect with the track are generally managed by either Main Roads Western Australia who manage public freeways, major highways and arterial roads, or the Shire/City responsible for roads and footpaths within their Local Government area.

If you have a query regarding Interface Agreements, please email corridorplanning@arcinfra.com.

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