The Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure (DPTI), now Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT), previously maintained and operated both Adelaide Train and Tram Networks. These networks have recently been privatised, and now Keolis Downer maintains and operates the Adelaide Metropolitan Passenger Rail Network and Torrens Connect maintains and operates the Adelaide Tram Network.  The Department will cease its Network Operator role on 4 May 2021.

If you are a contractor wishing to access and/or work on either Network, you must hold a Rail Industry Worker Card and comply with the competency requirements of the respective Network Operator role: 

• AMPRN - Operator 
• Torrens Connect - Operator

To understand what competencies you may need to access each network, please contact the relevant Network Operator, or additionally, view the RIW Business Rules for each operator:

• Adelaide Metropolitan Passenger Rail Network (AMPRN) - Keolis Downer Adelaide Business Rules
• Adelaide Tram Network - Torrens Connect Business Rules

RIW Knowledge Centre Article Link:

https://support.riw.net.au/support/solutions/articles/51000176009

Keolis Downer Adelaide has taken over from Department of Infrastructure and Transport as the Network Operator for the Adelaide Metropolitan Passenger Rail Network (AMPRN) on 31 January 2021.

All Contractors and employees wishing to access and work on the Adelaide Metropolitan Passenger Rail Network must hold a valid RIW Card and be compliant with the AMPRN - Operator Role.

For more information, please visit the Keolis Downer Adelaide AMPRN website at https://www.keolisdowneradelaide.com.au/

For the AMPRN Operator Role to be valid, workers must complete the AMPRN Rail Safety Induction (EL85) delivered via E-Learning within the RIW System or have uploaded the DPTI Rail Commissioner Safety Induction (82713). In addition, workers must have completed the National Unit of Competence - Safely Access the Rail Corridor or have uploaded the DPTI Rail Safety Awareness Employee Letter.  

Note. Keolis Downer will continue to accept the DPTI Rail Commissioner Safety Induction until 31 January 2022. After which time all existing and new workers must have completed the AMPRN Rail Safety Induction (EL85) E-Learning and hold the National Unit of Competence - Safely Access the Rail Corridor.  

RIW Knowledge Centre Article Link:

https://support.riw.net.au/support/solutions/articles/51000176027

Torrens Connect, a consortium of John Holland and UGL Rail, had taken over from Department of Infrastructure and Transport as the Network Operator for the Adelaide Tram Network in July 2020.

All Contractors wishing to access and work on the Torrens Connect Adelaide Tram Network must hold a valid RIW Card and be compliant with the Torrens Connect - Operator Role.

For more information, please visit the Torrens Connect Adelaide Tram Network website at https://torrensconnect.com.au/, and for general information about access requirements, visit here.

For the Torrens Connect - Operator Role to be valid, workers must complete the Torrens Connect Operational Rail Induction (EL79) delivered via E-Learning in the RIW System, and have completed the National Unit of Competence - Safely Access the Rail Corridor.  

Note. Torrens Connect does not accept the Rail Commissioners Safety Induction or Employee Letter previously issued by Department of Public Transport and Infrastructure. 

RIW Knowledge Centre Article Link:

https://support.riw.net.au/support/solutions/articles/51000176083

UGL Regional Linx (UGLRL) will commence as the new operator of the Country Regional Network (CRN) on behalf of Transport for NSW (TfNSW) on 30 January 2022.

UGLRL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of UGL Ltd., is mobilising towards service commencement with its operational headquarters to be established in Orange, NSW.

As part of their commitment to regional NSW, UGLRL will ensure more than 80% of employees are based close to the CRN. They have committed to an industry-leading indigenous employment target of 20% of its workforce within five years of service commencement.

All contractors and employees wishing to access and work on the CRN must hold a valid RIW card and be compliant with the below mandatory job roles:

• Around the Track Personnel (Construction/Maintenance)
• UGLRL-Operator on Track

RIW cardholders must also hold the required job role for the work to be undertaken, such as Protection Officer, Track Certifier, Plumber, or Electrician.

In addition to the mandatory roles listed above, UGLRL will require specific competencies to be current and valid. These are:

• Safely Access the Rail Corridor (or equivalent)
• Construction Induction (White Card)
• Category 3 Rail Medical (Category 1 and 2 are also accepted)
• UGLRL Induction (delivered via E-Learning from the RIW System)
• UGLRL Critical Risks (delivered via E-Learning from the RIW System)
• For Protection Officers, UGLRL Work on Track Electronic Application

For more information, please visit the UGLRL website at www.uglregionallinx.com.au.

Note: UGLRL will continue to accept current CRN job roles until 31 July 2022. After this date, all workers must have completed the above UGLRL requirements to access the CRN.

RIW Knowledge Centre Article Link:

https://support.riw.net.au/support/solutions/articles/51000285670

From 1 January 2023, Network-based competencies issued by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) to a Rail Industry Worker must be awarded in the RIW System as follows:

• Directly uploaded to the Rail Industry Worker profile by the RTO who delivered the training, or
• Where a certificate is provided to the worker by the RTO for upload to the RIW System by their Employer, the certificate must have back-to-source verification on the certificate so the RIW Service Desk can verify the authenticity of the competency award.

If a competency award does not meet these requirements and is uploaded by an Employer in the RIW System with the usual add competency method, the competency will be rejected during verification, and you will need to progress the award through a service request (details below).

A Network-based competency is specific to a Network, such as Queensland Rail Safety Access the Rail Corridor or ARTC National Contractor Induction, which can be uploaded to the RIW System by an RIW Employer Admin.

Back-to-source verification is a method where the RIW Service Desk can immediately check with the RTO on the valid issue of a competency, the source of truth. This could look like a QR code on the certificate (see sample below).

Why is the RIW Program doing this?

In 2022 the Office of the Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) released its national regulatory priorities, focusing on competency of rail safety workers. To ensure we adopt best practice when verifying high-risk competencies and to reduce the potential for fraudulent competency certificates, the RIW Program is mandating source of truth on Network-based competencies issued after 1 January 2023. This means 

What does this mean for companies who manage competencies for Rail Industry Workers?

From 1 January 2023, if a Rail Industry Worker undertakes a course that results in the issue of a Network-based competency, please request the RTO to upload the competency direct to the Rail Industry Worker's profile. You can check which RTO's can directly upload competencies to a Rail Industry Worker in the RIW System on the RIW website.

If an RTO does not directly award the competency in the RIW System, check the RIW Business Rule for the competency and the evidence upload requirements.  You can then follow the steps below to understand how to add the competency to a Rail Industry Workers profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I do with certificates issued before 1 January 2023?

If the certificate was issued prior to 1 January 2023, then just follow the usual add competency method.  Please still check the RIW Business Rules to ensure the evidence meets the upload requirements.

The RTO directly uploaded the competency evidence, however, did not apply it to the right competency.

If a certificate was directly uploaded by an RTO but applied to a different competency code, then you can request that the competency is re-awarded to another competency code by filling in a Re-award a Network-based competency service request at https://www.riw.net.au/contact-us/request-a-service/ by selecting the category and sub-category mentioned in the below screenshot: 

There is no cost for this request.

For example, where the Rail Industry Worker was awarded Statement of Attainment TLIF0020 - Safely Access the Rail Corridor (32154) which fulfilled the requirements in the Around the Track National job role, the evidence may also be applied to the Certificate of Currency competency in other Network Operator job roles.

Help! I need to get the Rail Industry Worker to site quickly!

You can still use the fast track option when adding a competency if you need to get a Rail Industry Worker to site quickly. The RIW Service Desk will perform back-to-source verification at this time if required.  Choosing the fast track option covers up to 20 competencies for the worker and will be processed in 8 business hours for AUD $55+GST. 

What does this mean for Registered Training Organisations?

Registered Training Organisations should endeavour to upload Network-based competencies direct to a Rail Industry Worker profile in the RIW System for all Network-based competencies issued after 1 January 2023. They can use the single cardholder assign or multiple cardholder assign process.

If an RTO is unable to directly upload competencies, they must ensure:

• The certificate provided to the Rail Industry Worker has back-to-source verification identified on the certificate, or
• Request the RIW Service Desk to upload the Network-based competencies on the RTO's behalf by service request, RTO Direct Upload - Fee For Service available at https://www.riw.net.au/contact-us/request-a-service/

Article link:

https://support.riw.net.au/support/solutions/articles/51000325547

A new design for the Rail Industry Worker (RIW) card as part of our rebranding initiative with the Australasian Railway Association has been launched. This update aims to enhance cardholder experience.

Here are some key details regarding the new RIW card design:

Card Validity: Cardholders are not required to replace their current cards unless they are expired, lost, or damaged. Both the previous and new card designs will remain valid and functional.

Card Design Variations: The new card design may vary across different workers due to the update, but it retains the same functionality and purpose as the previous design.

Functionality: The new card functions identically to the old card. There will also be no impact on the card ordering process within the system.

Reason for Change:  The redesign is part of a broader rebranding initiative by the Australasian Railway Association (ARA), the RIW Program Owner. This update aims to reflect the new brand identity and improve the visual appeal of the card.

Card Type Selection: There is no need to select a specific card type when ordering. The system will automatically issue the new design once it has been launched, and all cards issued thereafter will feature the updated design.

Below is the sample of the new RIW design: 

Article link:

https://support.riw.net.au/support/solutions/articles/51000429815

Overview:
To simplify your login experience, we’ve integrated Single Sign-On (SSO) with the RIW System. This article outlines the steps to access the RIW System via SSO, the changes to the login process, and what you can expect when logging in after SSO is enabled for your organisation.

What You Need to Know About SSO Access

Once your organisation’s domain is enabled for SSO, you will be able to log in to the RIW System using your existing email address and your organisation's credentials. The following is an overview of the process:

1. Steps for Enabling SSO for Your Organisation

To enable SSO for your organisation's domain, your IT team will need to follow these steps:

1. User Setup: Ensure that all users who need access to the RIW system are set up in your organisation’s SSO system with the appropriate access. Important: If users aren’t set up in SSO before switching on the domain, they will not be able to log in to the RIW System.

2. Provide Required Information: To successfully integrate your company's domain with our Single Sign-On (SSO) policy, our helpdesk team will require the following details from your IT team, depending on the authentication method being used:

                 If using Entra (Azure AD): 

• Client ID: The application ID associated with the app registration
• Tenant ID: The SSO Tenant ID being linked to

                 If using Auth0 or Okta:

• Client ID: The application ID associated with the app registration
• Client Secret: The client secret linked with the app registration. 

Once these details are provided and the changes are made to the RIW system, all users in your organization with that domain will be required to log in using SSO.

Whenever you're ready to enable SSO for your organisation, you can request to access RIW system using Single Sign-On (SSO) on https://www.riw.net.au/contact-us/request-a-service/ by selecting category & sub-category mentioned in the below screenshot.

2. What Will Change After SSO is Enabled?

Once your organisation's domain is enabled for SSO, users will experience the following changes when logging into the RIW System:

Login Process with SSO:

1. Visit the RIW login page as you normally would. 
2. Enter Username: You’ll enter your email address as your username.
3. Redirect to SSO Login Page: After clicking "Next", you’ll be redirected to your organisation's Single Sign-On (SSO) login page.
4. Enter Credentials: You’ll be prompted to enter your organisation's credentials (the same credentials used to access other internal systems).
5. Access RIW System: After successfully entering your credentials, you will be logged into the RIW system and redirected to the RIW dashboard.

Note: You will not be prompted for 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication) by the RIW System, as this step will be handled through your organisation’s SSO system.

3.What Happens If Your Organisation Hasn't Enabled SSO Yet?

If your organisation’s domain is not yet enabled for SSO, the login process will remain as the standard:

1. Visit the RIW login page as you normally would. 
2. Enter Username: You’ll enter your RIW login username.
3. Password Screen: Enter your RIW login password.
4. 2FA Prompt: After entering your password, you will see a 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication) prompt from the RIW system before being granted access.

4.Troubleshooting 

If you're having trouble logging in after SSO has been enabled for your domain, please ensure Your Email is Linked to Your Organisation’s SSO System. Please contact your IT team to verify that your email address is properly set up in the organisation's SSO system.

If you’re still experiencing issues, please contact the RIW Service Desk on 1300 101 682 or info@riw.net.au.