All rail transport operators must be accredited, unless they are exempt under legislation, before they start railway operations or are planning to have someone do it for them.

A rail transport operator is a person who is either:

• a rail infrastructure manager,
• a rolling stock operator,
• or both.

A rail infrastructure manager (RIM) must have effective control of the rail infrastructure whether or not the person is the owner, or controls or provides access to it. Accreditation should only be sought once control of the proposed or existing rail infrastructure has been established.

A rolling stock manager must have effective control of the operation of rolling stock in a particular way.

Railway operations include: construction of a railway, railway tracks and associated track structures or rolling stock management, commissioning, maintenance, repair, modification, installation, operation or decommissioning of rail infrastructure, maintenance, repair, modification or decommissioning of rolling stock operation or movement, or causing the operation or movement by any means, of rolling stock on a railway (including for the purposes of construction or restoration of rail infrastructure).

The following are some of the criteria for a person becoming accredited for railway operations. The railway operations relate to: rail infrastructure for which the person is or will be a rail infrastructure manager (RIM) or the proposed rail infrastructure rolling stock for which the person is or will be a rolling stock operator or proposed rolling stock. They must have as a minimum:

• A Safety Management Plan/System,
• A Security Management Plan,
• An Emergency Management Plan,
• A Health and Fitness Program,
• A Drug and Alcohol Management Program, and
• A Fatigue Management Program