Recent Release | 22 Dec 2022
Australian Rail Market Outlook

Construction Consulting Team


BIS Oxford Economics was commissioned by the Australian Railway Association to examine the outlook for Australia’s railway construction
and maintenance work for the next 10 years and presents the key
drivers of activity at a national and state level.
Over the decade to 2032, Australia’s population is projected to increase by 3.8 million to just under 30 million people – this is equivalent to an annual growth rate of 1.4%. In order to support this relatively strong growth in population and related passenger and freight tasks – as well as helping meet Australia’s climate change objectives – further major investment in Australia’s railway network is required. As such a number of key projects shape the forecast for construction activity.
The forecast for railway construction activity over the short to medium term is driven by a strong, funded pipeline spanning heavy haul, freight and passenger projects. A positive longer-term outlook is driven by population growth; urban expansion; and environmental concerns, particularly the need to reduce carbon emissions in Australia’s transport sector to help meet critical climate targets.
About the team
Our macro consulting team are world leaders in quantitative economic analysis, working with clients around the globe and across sectors to build models, forecast markets and evaluate interventions using state-of-the art techniques. Lead consultants on this project were:

Adrian Hart
Associate Director, Infrastructure Construction, OE Australia

Private: Adrian Hart
Associate Director, Infrastructure Construction, OE Australia
Sydney, Australia
Adrian has over 20 years of economic analysis and consulting experience with BIS Oxford Economics, focusing on the infrastructure, building, maintenance and mining industries.
Adrian has undertaken a wide range of consultancy projects for the public and private sector based on his detailed understanding of construction, mining and maintenance markets, their drivers and outlooks, the range of organisations operating in this space and the issues they face. This work includes deeper industry liaison, contractor and competitive analysis, pipeline analysis, demand and cost escalation forecasting, and industry capacity and capability projects for the public and private sector. He is the lead author of major reports but also undertakes briefings and workshops for senior management, board members and industry associations, and facilitates and chairs roundtables between government and industry.

Daniel Rahme
Associate Economist, OE Australia
+61 (4) 8127 3364

Daniel Rahme
Associate Economist, OE Australia
Sydney, Australia
Daniel joined BIS Oxford Economics in 2021 as an Associate Economist with the Due Diligence team. He is involved in a number of private consulting and advisory projects for a range of BIS Oxford Economics clients, with a focus on land registries, residential market analysis, demographic trend analysis, and cost escalation. Prior to joining BIS Oxford Economics, Daniel completed a 1st Class Honours degree at the University of Sydney.
You might be interested in

Post
Firms must brace for higher ‘new normal’ construction material prices
New research by Oxford Economics suggests that construction materials prices have shifted permanently higher due to the shocks of the past couple of years. Project managers and investors should anticipate costs being at least 15-20% higher in 2024 and onwards than in 2021.
Find Out More
Post
China, US, and India – The top three countries will add almost US$2.4 trillion to global growth in construction work done over the next 15 years
China, the US, and India will account for 51% of all construction work done by 2037—underpinning the future economic development of the three countries that account for over a third of the world’s population and economic output.
Find Out More
Post
Australia: Budget initiatives on housing supply to be outpaced by demand
We believe the most significant policy measures to come through in the budget for residential building are the announced tax tweaks for build-to-rent (BTR) development.
Find Out More