PRM Takes Home Two Prestigious Titles at Rail Industry Awards

• PRM wins in two categories at the 2025 Australasian Railway Association (ARA) Awards.
• PRM wins Safety Excellence Award for its Safety Innovation Program.
• PRM wins Customer Service Excellence Award for its support of Rio Tinto’s Pilbara Rail Network.

Pilbara Rail Maintenance (PRM) is proud to announce it has won in two separate categories at the Australasian Railway Association (ARA) 2025 Awards, which took place at a gala event in Sydney.

Winner of the Safety Excellence category, PRM was up against strong competition including ACCIONA, John Holland, Metro Trains Melbourne, Sydney Trains and Queensland Rail. The Company’s Safety Innovation Program was recognised for delivering several industry-leading equipment innovations, including a smart track laying system, a bespoke vacuum lifting system, rail lifter and narrow head welder attachments, transforming rail safety and maintenance.

Beyond equipment innovations, the company also implemented comprehensive driver safety monitoring systems that have transformed their approach to one of the highest-risk activities in rail operations.

Presenting the award, a Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board (RISSB) spokesperson said, “Pilbara Rail Maintenance has harnessed the power of technology to remove the need for human intervention in a potentially high-risk situation, strengthening safety outcomes as a result. RISSB commends Pilbara Rail Maintenance on their innovation and strong commitment to safety.”

In the Customer Service Excellence category, PRM took the win for its partnership with Rio Tinto Iron Ore, supporting the success of its Pilbara rail network, which services 17 mines across ~2,000km of track.

Going above and beyond its engagement, PRM has tailored its operations to meet the specific needs of Rio Tinto’s complex infrastructure and demanding schedule, offering outstanding service delivery across a host of areas, from track renewals to re-rail, re-sleepering, ballast cleaning and resurfacing.

On selecting PRM for the award, Australasian Railway Association Chief Executive Officer Caroline Wilkie said, “Pilbara Rail Maintenance has demonstrated that a strong customer focus can deliver results, ensuring flexibility, innovation and quality. The ARA congratulates Pilbara Rail Maintenance for prioritising a great customer experience as part of the delivery of a long-term rail maintenance contract.”

PRM’S Founding Director Chris Prior attributed the awards to the Company’s commitment to ingenuity.

Our success is always through identifying smarter, safer and more efficient ways to work, not delivering in the same way as has been done for decades. Our goal is to drive progress both at the client and industry level – this philosophy is what sees us achieve new levels of safety and productivity at the same time as delivering new technology and methods – ultimately putting tangible value back into our clients’ operations.

These awards are a direct reflection of the work our people do every day, whether it’s in the office or in the field. This recognition comes from the passion we have for what we do, from the ground up, and our drive to always be invested in ingenuity. This is a tremendous achievement, and we couldn’t be prouder of the whole PRM team for making it possible.