Nicole Vaughan
June 23, 2026

Finalists ARA Rail Industry Awards

Spatial Media and KiwiRail have been named finalists in two categories at the 2026 Rail Industry Awards, hosted by the Australasian Railway Association (ARA).

Spatial Media and KiwiRail have been named finalists in not one but two categories at the 2026 Rail Industry Awards, hosted by the Australasian Railway Association (ARA). The nominations recognise Arahina, a driver training and competency platform developed by the Spatial Media team which converts existing driver-perspective footage and simulates future rail environments into an interactive, competency-based assessment system that scales.

The two categories: Rail Innovation of the Year, which honours the platform's technical ambition and transformative approach to operator training; and the Safety Excellence Award, which recognises the real-world safety outcomes Arahina has made possible.

Those outcomes speak for themselves. Since Arahina launched, KiwiRail has recorded zero Signal Passed at Danger (SPAD) incidents — a result that reflects not just what the technology can do, but the depth of commitment that brought it to life. None of this would be possible without the exceptional team at KiwiRail, led by John Gousmett, whose deep knowledge, trust in the collaboration, and unwavering commitment to safety outcomes are what turn great work into meaningful results.

"This is a huge honour for our product to be recognised for innovation and safety and is something we're really proud of but more importantly it's making a difference to our clients and their operations" said James Noble, Rail Training Lead at Spatial Media.

Winners will be announced at the ARA Rail Industry Awards ceremony on 1 September 2026.

Spatial Media and KiwiRail are honoured to be recognised alongside the outstanding organisations and teams driving the future of rail across Australasia. In the meantime, please join us in congratulating them and check out the other finalists on ARA's website: https://ara.net.au/events/rail-industry-awards/.

from our clients

Spatial are my go-to for solutions

Spatial are my go-to for solutions nobody has dreamt up yet! They have an incredible knack for combining tomorrows tech solutions with creativity, intuitive UX and analytics. The results are engaging interfaces that are impactful and ultimately bridge the gap between project and stakeholders.
66
99
Kate kernaghan, company director, factotum communications

It is a delight working with their team

Their cutting-edge technology has allowed us to bring stakeholders of all backgrounds onboard with the future of renewable energy with a suite of digital engagement tools - stunning visual outputs and explainer videos, interactive 3D modelling, customised mapping and innovative web solutions. It is a delight working with their team and I would not hesitate in recommending their services.
66
99
Andy Evans, Co-Founder, Star of the South

They were committed to accuracy and no ask was too hard

Spatial Media understood our brief to a tee and delivered a high quality animation and renders to bring our project to life for the community. Despite a short timeframe, we were given multiple opportunities to provide feedback and suggest changes, all of which were easily understood and promptly actioned. Isaac and the team were flexible, responsive and hit every deadline. They were committed to accuracy and no ask was too hard. The end product will be a centrepiece for communicating our project to the public.
66
99
Emily Hou and Juliana Yu, Landcom

Their can-do attitude was unreal

From the start, it was clear that Spatial Media shared our vision to create a portal that was eye-catching, simple but packed with info! There was nothing that was ever a problem, and their can-do attitude was unreal. Every request we made was met with a “yep, we can do that - we can even do it this other way also (which was generally better that what we had imagined)”. I have been telling everyone who will listen that these guys are just are the real deal - and they can turn stuff around in no time. Can highly recommend working with the Spatial Media team!
66
99
Joel Rosendahl

They’re responsive, innovative, and easy to work with

The team at Spatial Media were great to work with. They workshopped ideas quickly, resolved issues efficiently, and maintained clear, consistent communication throughout the project. Their collaborative approach made the entire process easier. They’re responsive, innovative, and easy to work with.
66
99
Suzanne Hall, Communications & Marketing Manager, Visy Recycling

Their responsiveness and flexibility was very well received.

Spatial Media delivered visualisation services brought the concept design to life. Their work was instrumental in communicating the complex design elements to stakeholders and ultimately the broader community. From the outset, Spatial Media demonstrated a deep understanding of infrastructure visualisation requirements, proactively engaging with our engineers and project managers to refine inputs and ensure accuracy. The teams ability to incorporate feedback quickly and collaborative approach made the process seamless and efficient.
66
99
Ross Hall, Project Manager, Aurecon

It was a pleasure to work with everyone

Spatial Media masterfully brought our CETO wave energy technology to life and provided a glimpse into how we're harnessing the immense power of the ocean to create clean, renewable electricity. Thank you to Spatial Media - Visual Engagement Solutions for their incredible work on this animation!
66
99
Brighid Jay, Chief Commercial Officer, Carnegie Clean Energy