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SYSTRA ANZ is pleased to announce the acquisition of Bamser, an Australian based infrastructure advisory firm providing multi-disciplinary services to the transport, utilities, mining and energy sectors.
With offices in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, Bamser have delivered city shaping projects extensively across Australia and into Asia.
‘We’ve been involved in some of the largest infrastructure projects in Australia and overseas and look forward to adding our expertise to one of world’s leading engineering and consulting groups, specialised in public transport and mobility solutions.’ – Tim Brown, Director, Bamser.
‘By combining our strengths, SYSTRA in design and Bamser in delivery, our current and future clients gain a broader service offering across more of the project lifecycle, from the advisors that they know and trust.’ – Ben Crosby, Director, Bamser.
Renowned for their excellence in underground engineering, the transaction boosts SYSTRA’s position as a leading global player in complex tunnelling, coming after the 2021 acquisition of SWS, a leading tunnelling design firm based in Italy.
‘As we look to continue the growth of our cities and move to a net zero future, tunnelling provides a solution to enable mass transit along with providing opportunities for energy storage and creation through dams, pumped hydro and trenchless projects. We are excited to further bolster our global offering in complex engineering solutions and add to our global expertise in bridges and tunnels with the acquisition of Bamser.
With a large pipeline of major infrastructure projects to be delivered, and significant skills shortage in the tunnelling space, our clients and partners will benefit from our expanded service offering, deepening our global leadership in underground engineering and bringing it to the ANZ market at a time when most needed’ – Alana Newbrook, CEO, SYSTRA ANZ
SYSTRA is one of the world’s leading engineering and consulting groups specialised in public transport and mobility solutions. For more than 65 years, the Group has worked alongside cities and regions, contributing to positive development by creating, improving, and modernising their transport infrastructures.
The ANZ team is an integral part of part of the global network, backed by nearly 9,000 experts, providing us the unique ability to be agile with global scale. With our first project in Australia almost 20 years ago, in 2022, we opened our first permanent office in New Zealand, and are going from strength to strength, expanding in both geography and head count. When a project is complex, high risk and requires deep technical skills and pedigree, SYSTRA ANZ is the signature team.
For more information, visit systra.com/australia.
Established in 2008 with offices in QLD, NSW and VIC, Bamser provides frontline advisory services on complex tunnelling, trenchless and infrastructure projects across Australia and internationally.
An integrated team of project development, procurement, and delivery advisors with the best technical skills and local experience available, they have been involved in some of the largest infrastructure projects in Australia, including Sydney Metro; WestConnex; Western Harbour Tunnel, Suburban Rail Link, AirportLink, Legacy Way and Cross River Rail.
For more information, visit Bamser.com.au.
For media enquiries:
Victoria Black
Director, Clients, Markets and Engagement
SYSTRA ANZ
Tel: 0423844921
E: vblack1@systra.com
All three join the extended SYSTRA ANZ Executive Leadership Team and will accompany Chris Hurst and Jackson Tang who will continue in their roles as Regional Directors for Queensland and Western Australia.
“Following on from the success of 2022, we are determined to keep growing and expanding the SYSTRA story into new target areas”, says Alana Newbrook, CEO & Managing Director of SYTRA ANZ.
The appointments of Sandra, Elliot and Trevor will help ensure SYSTRA is there where it matters, on the complex projects with the greatest impact.
Alana adds, “Having Regional Directors in each state will support the business as we look to grow our reputation as the signature team for transport solutions with new clients while also offering existing clients outstanding project delivery expertise. Sandra, Elliot and Trevor will also play a critical role internally, helping us enhance our culture and embed our values of bold leadership, connected teams and excellence into our growing team.”
“I am thrilled to take on the extra responsibility as the Regional Director for New South Wales,” said Sandra. “I’m excited to work alongside all our talented professionals in the region to positively enhance our culture and to deliver world-class infrastructure solutions for our clients.”
“Victoria is a critical growth area for the business,” says Elliot. “With so much opportunity at hand, I’m looking forward to helping grow our team and embedding our technical expertise into some of the country’s largest infrastructure projects.”
“I am excited to get started as the Regional Director for the ACT. Along with the recent hire of Andrew Waye as the Director of Security and Technology Solutions who is also based in Canberra, the team is primed for substantial growth into Federal Government Agencies,” says Trevor.
Sandra’s professionalism and expertise is based on more than 30 years practicing Digital Engineering in the international construction industry. The spectrum of projects she has worked on includes rail and airports as well as the commercial sector.
Since joining SYSTRA in 2020 she has worked on some of the major global transport projects such as the High-Speed Rail in the UK, the Doha Metro in Qatar and the Sydney Metro West project.
Sandra holds a Master of International BIM Management of Zigurat Global Institute of Technology.
Elliot has helped to deliver projects in rail, aviation and defence across Europe and Australasia, including leading major projects and government initiatives. Focussed on large, mission critical and safety critical problems, he has built and led teams to deliver multi-billion dollar projects, keeping business, operational, and commercial strategies aligned.
These experiences have allowed him to explore avionics bays and cockpits, work in airfields, walk tube lines, represent London Underground during the Olympics, authorise a $10bn rolling stock procurement, and oversee transformational changes to engineering departments. Elliot started with SYSTRA in 2022.
Trevor is a skilled and competent project, program and business operations Manager with over 30 years’ experience in Defence and Defence Industry. He has extensive experience especially in the aviation domain having been involved in Aircrew/craft Training systems, Maintenance Systems and Avionics systems for both fixed and rotary wing platforms as well as aviation support elements. He leverages his technical understanding to attain better accuracy in his project management materials. Trevor has been with SYSTRA since 2018.
SYSTRA ANZ’s mission is to be there where it matters; on the complex projects with the greatest impact, providing innovative solutions that will shape the future of our communities. As one of the world’s leading engineering and consulting groups, we are focused on building tomorrow’s mobility solutions today. Operating in more than 80 countries, we have designed 1 in 2 of the world’s metros and highspeed rail lines. The ANZ team is an integral part of part of our global network, backed by 9000+ experts, providing us the unique ability to be agile with global scale.
For more information, please contact: Victoria Black, Director Clients, Markets and Engagement, SYSTRA ANZ at vblack1@systra.com.
SYSTRA wins EIIP role with Sydney TrainsOn behalf of Sydney Trains, SYSTRA will be focusing on the Remote Switching part of EIIP fulfilling a highly specialised service. As part of the project scope, SYSTRA will design, type approve, and construct and commission the integrated remote switching system.
Helen Williams, Executive General Manager – Transport, SYSTRA says, “SYSTRA has forged a reputation as the signature team for transport solutions and this project exemplifies that. We want to be the go-to for clients looking to resolve complex challenges and to bring direct benefits to the communities we live and operate in.”
The Remote Switching capability has been developed to address two key challenges. First is to accommodate a safer and more productive maintenance schedule for rail corridor assets to maintain safe operation. The second is to reduce the impact on commuters if a power outage is required in case of an emergency.
The project aims to deliver safer and more improved electrical power outages on the 1500V Overhead Wiring and High Voltage networks. More specifically, the project will deliver benefits such as:
This project will commence with an off-system trial.
For more information on our expertise in System Integration please click here or for more on the project, please reach out to Helen Williams.
SYSTRA ANZ Appoints Chris Hurst as Executive General Manager – Major ProjectsAs SYSTRA continues its growth across ANZ, Chris will be responsible for leading the newly formed Major Projects team – established to focus on the successful delivery of major projects for our clients, partners, and the communities we serve.
“2022 was a huge year for Systra in ANZ; we won our largest intake of orders in major projects as we successfully pivoted to taking on larger roles in complex projects. Due to the success of this strategy, it was clear we needed a new division dedicated to delivery. Chris was the obvious choice and has what it takes to lead this newly formed team,” says Alana Newbrook, CEO SYSTRA ANZ.
Alana adds, “Chris is well-known to many of our clients, having been part of the SYSTRA team for the last five years. He brings to the role extensive experience managing complex major infrastructure projects; most recently leading our operational integration teams delivering train control systems projects across ANZ. Under Chris’s leadership, the team will ensure that we not only continue to provide outstanding delivery to our clients, but we also grow our reputation as the partner of choice and signature team for transport solutions across ANZ.”
The creation of a new role and team for Major Projects is exciting to not just further strengthen and grow our own team, but to bring more of the global SYSTRA skill sets to our local clients. “I am excited to take on this new role overseeing a larger portfolio of complex projects,” says Chris.
“SYSTRA ANZ has been growing steadily for the last couple of years on the back of some significant wins. I’m looking forward to working with our teams in Australia, New Zealand and across SYSTRA to capitalise on this growth momentum and deliver world-class infrastructure solutions for our clients.”
With over two decades experience in project delivery and consulting roles, Chris has worked on numerous large-scale infrastructure projects including West Coast Route Modernisation in the UK and the roll out of the European Train Control System in Southeast Queensland.
SYSTRA ANZ’s mission is to be there where it matters; on the complex projects with the greatest impact, providing innovative solutions that will shape the future of our communities. As one of the world’s leading engineering and consulting groups, we are focused on building tomorrow’s mobility solutions today. Operating in more than 80 countries, we have designed 1 in 2 of the world’s metros and highspeed rail lines. The ANZ team is an integral part of part of our global network, backed by 9000+ experts, providing us the unique ability to be agile with global scale.
For more information, please contact: Victoria Black, Director of Clients, Markets and Engagement, SYSTRA at vblack1@systra.com.
Four to Join Horizons ProgramWe are excited to announce Ben Voss, Consultant – Systems Safety Assurance, Amine Aloui, Consultant – Train Control and Signalling, Gemma Main, Senior Consultant – Systems Safety Assurance and Thomas Britland, Principal Consultant – Human Factors have been selected to join the Rail Industry Safety Standards Board (RISSB) Horizons Program 5.0.
The Horizons Program offers a unique opportunity to up and coming technical professionals who want to broaden their knowledge and understanding of technology in rail. The program seeks to address the challenges of the rail industry by offering participants knowledge sharing and leadership development opportunities that focuses on improving critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, communication, and collaboration.
Dave Cahilap, Learning and Talent Development Manager, SYSTRA says, “We are incredibly excited for Ben, Amine, Gemma and Tom. All four are outstanding individuals who continue to uphold our values and who have all excelled in their roles helping to shape positive outcomes for our clients and the community.
“Their selection as part of the Horizons Program will provide them with a greater understanding of the industry as well as input into its direction.”
Ben adds, “I’m really looking forward to attending the Horizons Program, I’m particularly keen to hear from some of the industry’s most senior leaders as well as develop my professional network.”
The Horizons Program is aimed at technical professionals aged 35 and under who have been identified as emerging high potential leaders or those who would benefit from learning more about the rail industry and new technologies. The Horizons Program includes:
For more information on the learning and development opportunities available to staff at SYSTRA, please click here.
Connecting Teams through International MobilityIn October this year, Nieves transferred to our Sydney office from our headquarters in Paris.
Nieves a Senior Consultant in our Complex Structures team says, “The opportunity to come out to Australia to help grow our expertise in Tunnels and Bridges was too good to refuse. Firstly, the opportunity to work on some of Australia’s most significant projects was a big factor in our decision to move and then secondly the chance to bring our young family over to Australia was equally amazing. My family and I are both grateful for SYSTRA’s support to make the move possible.”
SYSTRA ANZ is focused on developing its skills in Complex Structures leveraging its Bridges & Tunnels international network of more than 900 experts across the world. In her role, Nieves will bring her decade of experience to connect our global network to the local market where she will also focus on the execution of tenders, negotiation of services and project delivery.
She adds, “In my career I’ve been fortunate enough to have worked on projects in Europe and Central America including roles onsite as a construction engineer so have valuable experience and networks that I think will be of value to our Australian clients.”
When speaking about the future of Complex Structures, Nieves is passionate about the role sustainability will play.
“We are building all these amazing structures that are connecting people to one another as well as new opportunities, but it needs to be done in a more sustainable way. Transport is the world’s third largest emitter of carbon. That is why SYSTRA has placed sustainable innovation at the core of its offer because we cannot compromise the future of the next generation.
Nieves Penalba Perez
“An example of sustainable innovation is our CarbonTracker tool which measures, monitors and controls carbon emissions at each phase of the project. The application is a powerful solution during the tender design of a Design & Build project to evaluate the CO2 emissions of the reference design and the savings that our design could generate.”
Moving to Australia was not the first times Nieves has lived abroad. Having grown up in Spain she moved to Paris for her first opportunity with SYSTRA where she began her career as an Alignment and Track Engineer.
Recently, Nieves was given the full support of the business to take a year off to travel the world and volunteer. Spending time in a remote Peruvian town in the Andes Ranges near the Cusco Valley, Nieves admits this experience made her more aware of the societal responsibility we have in our industry. Upholding our value of bold leadership, she has since championed SYSTRA’s involvement with ‘Bridges to Prosperity’ where we will help construct a footbridge in Rwanda.
She finishes, “I consider equal opportunity, diversity, and inclusion as core values for the future of our industry. As a woman living abroad, I am very thankful for the opportunities that have come my way. Now, as a mum, I feel that it’s my turn to help us reach social equality. Our commitment to build a more sustainable future is essential to serve the coming generations.”
SYSTRA’s international mobility is embedded within our values. We connect our experts throughout the entire Group and coordinate them in order to respond to the most complex issues. This also extends to our people connecting with their loved ones overseas. We recently introduced an International Work Remote Program so our staff can visit family and friends anywhere in the world. Read more about that here.
To find out more about our ambitions and values, please hit the link here.
To get in contact with Nieves, please reach out to her here.
Andrew brings to the business over three decades of experience across multiple government agencies and over a decade of service in the Royal Australian Navy.
Alana Newbrook, Chief Executive Officer, SYSTRA ANZ says, “Andrew is a key appointment for our business as we look to grow and expand our expertise across critical infrastructure to support resilience, respond to cyber threats and utilise analytics.
His background is well aligned to our target growth areas, having previously worked for government agencies and professional services firms. He also brings a diverse skillset that we are particularly excited to leverage with his experience spanning the maritime, aviation, national security, capability systems and critical infrastructure sectors.”
Alana Newbrook, Chief Executive Officer, SYSTRA ANZ
An accomplished leader and strategic advisor, Andrew specialises in implementing generational change capabilities and reform programs.
He says, “I’m really excited to get to work with SYSTRA, meet my new colleagues and to help expand our expertise. SYSTRA is well known across the industry for its work in this space, particularly in collaboration with Team Downer. I’m looking forward to taking on the challenge of a national role and getting to know my team as well as new and existing clients.”
Andrew will be based in our Canberra office and will also be part of our Executive Leadership Team for Australia and New Zealand.
To find out more about Andrew’s role or to get in contact with him, please click here.
SYSTRA, Beca, WSP and COX join forces on Waitematā Harbour ConnectionsLeading design and engineering firms SYSTRA ANZ, Beca, WSP and COX Architecture with EY are delighted to have been chosen as the preferred bidder for additional transport connections across Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland’s Waitematā Harbour.
Clients Waka Kotahi with partners Auckland Transport and Auckland Council selected the four firms following a competitive tender process. They will work closely with the preferred bidders for Auckland Light Rail, as together the two projects are essential to Auckland’s rapid transit future.
A joint venture partnership between the companies has been established and will now work with the clients to progress planning and design aspects for the next phase of the Additional Waitematā Harbour Connections (AWHC) project.
The AWHC project represents an essential long-term investment in Auckland and New Zealand’s transport future. It seeks to be a catalyst for the public realm, with the design and planning solutions aimed at supporting and improving the functionality of the city and galvanising the community.
The partnership will leverage experience from many successful harbour connection projects. Individual firms in the partnership have previously worked together on projects including Sydney’s Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link, and Sydney Metro City Harbour Crossing. In coming together for the AWHC project they will combine previous local infrastructure experience with international design and engineering best practice.
There has been talk of a second harbour crossing ever since Auckland Harbour Bridge opened in 1959. Fast forward over sixty years, and the additional harbour connection now being investigated will be considering all multi-modal options – including light rail, buses, connections for walking and cycling, vehicles and freight.
For reasons of environmental sustainability, resilience, and population growth, it’s never been more important for the City of Sails to have an additional integrated, safe, responsive and sustainable additional cross-harbour travel route between the North Shore and Auckland isthmus. Together, the partnership has the drive, capability and capacity to develop and deliver a plan to achieve this.
The partnership looks forward to next steps and working with Waka Kotahi, Auckland Transport, Auckland Council, and the Auckland Light Rail team to bring to life additional harbour connections that will provide Aucklanders with more carbon-friendly transport choice, engage with communities, and rival the very best cross-harbour infrastructure seen anywhere in the world.
AWHC Project Team
awhc@nzta.govt.nz
0800 44 44 49
or
Catherine Reiss
Associate – marketing and communications, Beca
catherine.reiss@beca.com
021 0632 684
At SYSTRA ANZ, we care about employee wellbeing. We recognise that the past few years have not been easy on our people and their families especially as closed borders have kept many apart.
With international travel restrictions now having eased, we have introduced an International Work Remote Program so our staff can visit family and friends anywhere in the world.
Alison Scott, People and Culture Director, SYSTRA ANZ says, “We appreciate how challenging these last few years have been for people not being able to see their loved ones. With roughly 46% of our staff coming from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, providing the flexibility to work from an international location reflects how seriously we value our people and their ability to bring their whole-self to work.”
SYSTRA ANZ’s International Work Remote Program allows staff to work from anywhere in the world through 2022 and into the first half of 2023 for a one-off period of up to four-weeks.
Alison continues, “With our Headquarters in France, naturally we have a of people looking to head home for their first taste of the European summer in some time. We are hoping our staff take the time they need to reconnect with their families and enjoy some quality time together.”
So how have our staff used their time overseas?
I used a mixture of our work remote program and annual leave to extend my recent visit to the UK. I wanted to ensure I maximised the quality time I spent with the family and friends I have not seen since before COVID.
I worked two weeks over a five-week period which generally involved early morning starts in the UK to coincide with the afternoon in Australia. I communicated the plan to clients well in advance and then had the support of my team to provide cover as needed. It goes to show how far flexibility has progressed in recent years that this type of leave is not only accepted but also encouraged.
I utilised SYSTRA’s international work policy to catch up with friends and family who I haven’t seen for many years. I even visited colleagues in our Paris and Algerian offices. The experience offered a new perspective as to the benefits of working for a global business and I found that by going back home, my motivation for work increased and made my daily routine more dynamic.
Over a 3-4 week period, I mixed my time to find what worked best. I would typically start my day in the afternoon and use that as my focus hours. I would then login again later that night to attend client meetings and keep in contact with my team back in Australia. In the mornings, I relaxed and enjoyed quality time with my family and friends.
SYSTRA’s International Work Remote Program has been introduced alongside a host of additional policies and initiatives available to our employees that provide benefits across several dimensions.
To find out more about what it is like to work for SYSTRA, please click here.
I can even link the model I am discussing to the concept of clickbait – expectancy and value are top-down (or knowledge-driven) factors which help you decide where to allocate your limited attentional resources. Which links us nicely to the model we are discussing, Christopher Wickens’ Model of Human Information Processing [1].
That’s the beautiful thing about this model, you can use it describe to human behaviour in so many situations. Furthermore, you can use this model to understand the role of the human in your system and make better design decisions. In this article I discuss one how the SYSTRA Human Factors team has used the Model of Human Information Processing to assess selective attention and perception for in-cab signalling solutions. In future articles we will discuss other aspects of the Model of Human Information Processing in a diverse range of rail projects.
For anyone with an interest in human factors I would highly recommend reading ‘An Introduction to Human Factors Engineering’ by Christopher Wickens [1]. It was my go-to textbook during university and has been a permanent feature on my desk ever since. In the following sections I will briefly introduce the model, however if I have piqued your interest, I suggest you refer to the far more comprehensive explanation therein.
The human information processing system is comprised of three distinct stages: perception of information, central processing and transformation of that information, and responding to that information. On the left of the model the senses gather information which can be perceived and turned into meaningful information on which we can take action.
Sometimes perception can lead directly to an action, such as slamming on the car brakes when you perceive a hazard ahead. This form of perception leading directly to action is synonymous with the System 1 thinking described by Daniel Kahneman [2]. You think fast, automatically, and with minimal effort. Other times your response is delayed, as information is manipulated within working memory in order to select the most appropriate response. This System 2, or Thinking Slow, in Kahneman’s parlance, is conscious and effortful. An example is trying to solve a complex math problem.
At the top of the model is attentional resources pool. This illustrates the finite pool of cognitive resources we have available to support each stage of the process. This limited pool of resources has a direct consequence on the selection of sensory channels (left of the model) for further information processing. Whilst not shown on the model it is worth noting that a persons’ mood or emotions may influence the available resources or directly bias one of the stages of information processing.
We could not possibly perceive all the information our senses provide us, as such we must select the sources to pay attention to. Wickens’ identifies four factors which influence our selection of channels, these are discussed within the following project example.
SYSTRA has extensive experience in the design of European Train Control Systems (ETCS) here in Australia and around the world. ETCS is the signalling and control component of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). It is a sophisticated train control system that improves rail safety and efficiency. In Europe it is replacing many legacy train protection systems and provides interoperability between jurisdictions. Critically for this example, ETCS most commonly utilises in-cab signalling, rather than traditional lineside signalling.
ETCS is typically implemented in stages, rather than a whole network at once. This results in areas with different levels of supervision and control. For example, the busy inner section of the network may employ ETCS Level 2, whilst the outer regions may retain a legacy system, or a lower level of ETCS. When a train transitions to a region with a lower level of supervision (e.g. ETCS Level 2 to legacy unfitted section) the driver is required to acknowledge this transition on the in cab display, the Driver Machine Interface (DMI). See an example of the DMI indication that must be acknowledged in Figure 2. Note the icon will be flashing.
The SYSTRA Human Factors team sought to better understand human information processing associated with an ETCS level transitions and other features of the ETCS solution, to inform design decisions and to assess any safety and performance risks.
For ETCS level transitions the focus was on the selective attention and perception components of the model. We were interested to know whether drivers would identify the transition alerts and take action and to explore any potentially negative consequences associated with distraction.
A driver is alerted to an ETCS level transitions by two auditory alerts and visual cues on the DMI. One alert occurs in advance of the transition, and the second occurs as the transition is executed. The driver must acknowledge a flashing icon on the DMI within 5 seconds of the second alert (though other configurations are possible). Wickens’ framework is used to assess whether these cues are sufficient to ‘grab’ a drivers’ attention:
Based on the four factors of selective attention, it was concluded that a driver is highly likely to pay attention to the level transition alerts and indications. Though as previously noted, we only have a limited pool of attentional resources. Our attention will be influenced by external factors, and any other demands being placed on us at that time. As such it is imperative that ETCS level transitions are positioned at locations with low driver workload. Placing a transition in a complex section of the network, where a drivers attentional resources are depleted, will reduce the likelihood of the level transition ‘channels’ being selected.
Selective attention does not always guarantee perception, a topic that is explored below.
Perception involves the extraction of meaning from information processed by the senses. Wickens’ defines three simultaneous and concurrent processes that influence ability to perceive. These are discussed below using the example of the ETCS level transition:
This example does not go into detail on the central processing and response stages of the model. Acknowledging a level transition is likely to be an automatic response, based on the factors of selective attention and perception described above. Long term and working memory are fascinating topics where the application of good design and human factors principles can optimise the match between man made products and the human information processing system. We will explore these factors further in future articles.
This article provides an overview of the selective attention and perception components on the Human Information Processing Model. These tools are demonstrated for a relatively simple project example where existing design features and situational factors mean that perception and response are expected. However, for more complex situations, operator perception and action is not always guaranteed. SYSTRA has utilised the same approach to assesses selective attention and perception for a broad range of ETCS features, proving focused recommendations to optimise these processes, and ultimately improve the usability and safety of ETCS solutions.
For more information, please get in contact with Jamie Barton.