Swietelsky Rail Australia awarded ARA’s Wellbeing in Rail Award
Visible leadership, real impact
Swietelsky Rail Australia (SRA) has been awarded the Wellbeing in Rail Award at the 2025 Australasian Railway Association (ARA) Rail Industry Awards, recognising the organisation’s comprehensive, people-first approach to wellbeing and its visible leadership on gender equity across the sector.
For SRA, employee wellbeing is not a separate program in the peripheral, instead it is built into how the company leads, plans and makes decisions. The Employee Wellbeing Framework brings together visible leadership, embedded policies and a supportive culture to ensure people have what they need to do their best work and to feel safe, respected and included.
Grounded in SRA’s values - Family, Integrity, Respect and Excellence - the framework blends practical support (flexible work, inclusive leave and paid parental leave, financial wellbeing resources) with structured, proactive check-ins and education. Initiatives such as ‘Balance Breaks’, a comprehensive Employee Assistance Program, and the CHECK5 Wellbeing and Performance System (regular confidential touchpoints across physical, mental, financial, relationships and work domains) help identify needs early and connect people with targeted support. Together, these elements turn policy into practice and make wellbeing a shared responsibility of leaders and teams.
“This award belongs to our people. It reflects the care we have for one another, and the everyday choices our leaders and teams make to ensure wellbeing is visible, supported and real,” said Anne Connors, Managing Director.
Connecting wellbeing and gender equity
On the same day as the awards, SRA contributed to the official launch of the ARA Rail Gender Equity Charter, with Managing Director Anne Connors joining the panel alongside Raphaelle Guerineau (Siemens), Matthew Longland (Sydney Trains) and Chair Rebecca Want (GHD). The discussion focused on turning commitments into lived experience, with three consistent themes:
- Policies that support (not hinder) each other: flexible work designed to work with paid parental leave and career progression, not against them.
- Visible leadership “walking the talk”: executives and managers using, endorsing and improving policies so uptake is normalised and safe.
- Culture where equity is lived reality: removing stigma, closing the say/do gap and ensuring inclusive practice is standard, not exceptional.
From the outset, SRA has been embedding its commitment to equity and inclusion, joining 39 organisations across Australia and New Zealand committed to sustained, measurable action. The Charter sets out five core commitments that align closely with SRA’s wellbeing approach:
- Fair and unbiased recruitment
- Equitable career development opportunities
- Supportive policies for gender equity
- Visible executive leadership engagement
- An inclusive workplace culture
Anne said, “Equity and wellbeing go hand-in-hand. When policies are coherent and leaders are visible, people feel safe to use what’s available, and that’s when inclusion moves from intent to everyday experience.”
Turning commitments into everyday practice
SRA’s wellbeing model is designed to be practical and repeatable: leaders are accountable for making policy accessible; teams have clear pathways to support; and data from participation and feedback informs improvements over time. Education and early intervention are built into BAU rhythms, with the CHECK5 cadence helping leaders identify needs and respond quickly.
Flexibility is tailored to role and context, enabling people to balance work and family responsibilities without penalty, while inclusive leave and parental leave settings recognise diverse family structures. These measures are not stand-alone: they are intentionally connected so that taking leave does not derail development and flexible work does not curtail progression.
“The difference we see is confidence, people know what’s available, leaders model it openly, and using support doesn’t come at a career cost.” said Tahnee Sumner, HR Manager.
A milestone day and a signal to the industry
Being recognised with the Wellbeing in Rail Award and contributing to the Charter launch on the same day is meaningful for the SRA team. It marks progress for the industry and towards the ongoing responsibility of raising the bar.
“It was a proud day, not just to be recognised, but to stand alongside peers and commit to the work ahead. Our role now is to keep closing the gap between policy and practice, so safety, fairness and inclusion are part of everyone’s every day,” Anne said.
SRA’s message is clear: wellbeing and equity are essential to safe, high-performing rail operations. By aligning leadership, policy and culture and by collaborating across the industry, SRA is helping set the standard for workplaces where commitments are visible, trusted and used.
