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Category: Rail Transport / Public Sector / State Parliament

Christmas Day train cuts due to QR expecting drivers to work overtime: Minister

Thursday, 5 Jan 2017 15:25:53

Queensland Rail logo on a train, spotted at Roma Street station on November 3, 2016. (ABC News: Patrick Williams)

Bad planning by rostering managers who expected train crews to work on rostered days off is what forced Queensland Rail (QR) to cancel 235 trains on Christmas Day, Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe says.

Key points:

  • Rostering problems longstanding at QR, Minister says
  • Managers 'overly reliant' upon train crews working overtime
  • New rostering system proposal to be fast-tracked

He has publicly released a comprehensive report into the cancellation, saying there had been an over-reliance on drivers being asked to work overtime on rostered days off.

"It confirms that unplanned absences were, in fact, lower than previous years and not the cause of the issues on Christmas Day," he said.

"The Christmas Day cancellations demonstrate a problem with the way in which rostering is conducted by Queensland Rail.

"The reality of drivers and guards wanting to spend Christmas Day with their families is not something that would be unexpected and that's something that should have been taken into account in the planning."

Mr Hinchliffe said the rostering problems had been embedded deep in the organisation for many years.

"However, they have come to the surface under my watch and as such I will be doing as the Premier's asked me to do and fixing this issue," he said.

He said QR needed a more dynamic, flexible and responsive rostering system taking account of all the issues that need to be addressed.

"What we need is a dynamic and responsive rostering system that can incorporate the rules and arrangements for local staff and make real-time adjustments and optimisation to the rosters," he said.

"I want to understand further from Queensland Rail the status of this proposal as is flagged in the report and seek its implementation as a matter of urgency.

"As I've repeated on a number of occasions, the fundamental issue here is a lack of the train crew ... not enough drivers and guards to meet the needs. That's what's caused this over-reliance on overtime."

Mr Hinchliffe said the report revealed the cancellations could have been avoided or minimised with better planning.

"The report again demonstrates that the issues on Christmas Day were foreseeable by those managers who had responsibility for rostering of train crew for Christmas Day," he said.

"Frankly these mistakes have no excuse to ever be repeated and I am seeking further information about a proposal to modernised Queensland Rail's rostering system."

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