Marking Rail Safety Week 2025, this online session aims to share information on railway crossing safety projects from Australia, New Zealand and the United States. The content is relevant for rail and road infrastructure owners and managers, rail operators, governments, researchers and members of the community.
The session includes presentations including Q&A from each of the following speakers:
- Augmented Level Crossing Warning System – pilot in New Zealand. This project builds on the findings presented at the Knowledgeshare in Rail Safety Week 2024 – Paul Bennett, Senior Technology Leader, Asset Management National Transport Research Organisation, Phil Lock, Founding Director ARCS Group & Jamie French Technical Director, JPEC Consulting
- Automated risk management of level crossings using AI and Machine Learning. Paul Mullins, Chief Product Officer – Cordel.
3. Community-based trespass, suicide prevention and law enforcement engagement – a case study from Florida. Scott Gabree & Danielle Eon – US Department of Transport Volpe Transportation Systems Centre.
Meet the speakers
Paul Bennett – Senior Technology Leader, Asset Performance, National Transport Research Organisation (NTRO)
Paul Bennett is a Senior Technology Leader in the Transport Futures team at the National Transport Research Organisation (NTRO). He has primarily worked in the road space, providing research, analysis and guidance in traffic management, road safety and the use of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) to enhance the safety and operations of our road networks. In particular, he has been instrumental in the development of Austroads guide content for the implementation and operation of ‘smart motorways’ – incorporating ramp metering, lane use management systems and other ITS to improve the safety and productivity of our motorways. In 2022, the NTRO acquired the Australasian Centre for Rail Innovation (ACRI), and Paul is now applying his knowledge and skills in road safety and ITS to seek cost-effective solutions for improving safety at railway level crossings. Paul is also overseeing the delivery of several other NTRO Rail projects conducting research and developing innovative solutions for improving rail infrastructure management, heavy haul, freight and passenger rail.
Phil Lock – Founding Director ARCS Group
Phil is a seasoned rail systems expert with over 45 years of experience in the design and implementation of train control systems, SCADA, operational scheduling, and real-time information solutions for railways across Australia and New Zealand. As a founding Director of the ARCS Group, Phil has played a pivotal role in shaping modern rail infrastructure.
His career spans urban passenger and freight rail networks across Australia and New Zealand. During the early part of his career at Westrail (now the Public Transport Authority), Phil was instrumental in developing and implementing the first computerized train control systems for Perth’s freight and electrified passenger network. More recently Phil has driven innovation and the use of smart technology, IoT and advanced data analytics to improve the safety and providing platforms for better decision support and proactive planning of railways and other large infrastructure.
Phil continues to consult nationally, bringing his expertise in rail project management, signalling, communications, asset monitoring, IoT and innovative rail solutions to ensure safe and high-performing infrastructure services.
Jamie French, Technical Director, JPEC Consulting
Jamie is a strategic and results-driven Commercial and Technical Executive with over 25 years of international experience leading the delivery and maintenance of complex infrastructure programs across the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia. He is recognized for a unique ability to bridge commercial, technical, and operational functions to drive performance, reduce risk, and ensure successful project outcomes across the full asset lifecycle. He has demonstrated success in aligning stakeholder vision with system design and delivery strategies—translating operational needs into robust, standards-aligned infrastructure solutions. Adept at overseeing multi-disciplinary teams through all project phases, from early-stage concept development and functional design to procurement, contract execution, and operational handover. Jamie is a trusted advisor and Subject Matter Expert in commercial and technical conflict resolution, frequently engaged to mediate high-stakes issues and justify critical design changes within the context of broader project goals and compliance frameworks. A proven leader in fostering collaboration among asset owners, maintainers, contractors, and regulatory bodies to ensure seamless transitions from capital delivery to operational readiness.
Scott Gabree, Ph.D., Manager of Grade Crossing Safety and Trespass Prevention, Transportation Human Factors Division at the Volpe Center
Scott co-manages the grade crossing safety and trespass prevention research program for the Human Factors Division at the Volpe Cente, a multi-modal and multi-disciplinary resource within the United States Department of Transportation. After receiving his PhD in Psychology from Northeastern University in 2009, Scott joined the Volpe Center where he has worked on research efforts across a variety of transportation modes. Since 2011, Scott has focused his effort on railroad and transit safety with an emphasis on trespass and suicide prevention. Alongside an amazing team at Volpe and with consistent support from the Federal Railroad Administration, Scott has helped to build a research program that continues to advance our knowledge about how to effectively prevent railroad trespassing and suicide events and mitigate the impacts of these incidents on railroad staff.
Danielle Eon, Engineering Psychologist, Human Factors Division, Volpe National Transportation Systems Centre
Danielle Eon is an Engineering Psychologist in the Human Factors Division at the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts where she has worked to help improve safety across transportation modes for 20 years. She has been a member of the trespass and suicide prevention research team since 2014 where she closely collaborates with her team, FRA, rail carriers, and other stakeholders to improve our understanding of what may be done to help reduce the frequency of these events and mitigate their impact on rail workers and communities. When she is not conducting research at Volpe, Danielle is also a practicing mental health clinician. She brings her human factors and clinical mental health expertise to several national and international working groups dedicated to both suicide and trespass prevention.
Paul Mullins, Chief Product Officer, Cordel
Paul has extensive experience in bringing new technology and innovation to the rail industry. Paul leads teams through the organisational change process when introducing technical advancements to existing processes.
Updated 6/8/25