Article: QR chiefs miss $11m boost over rail delays

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail click here!

QR chiefs miss $11m boost over rail delays

QR chiefs miss $11m boost over rail delays

    by: Steven Wardill
    From: The Courier-Mail
    November 22, 2012 12:00AM

QUEENSLAND Rail bosses have been denied almost $11 million in bonuses because of the train network's recent record of poor reliability.

The board of the Government-owned corporation has decided against making any bonus payments after peak on-time performance fell during 2011-12. The decision will mean the average QR executive will be left about $6000 out of pocket, given bonuses were routinely paid in past years.

During the first three months of 2012, 10 per cent of peak-period trains arrived at least four minutes behind schedule.

Transport Minister Scott Emerson said he had made it clear to QR that bonus payments must be linked to performance and he promised the hard line would continue.

"In future bonuses will only be paid when Queensland Rail has made significant improvements in meeting passengers' expectation for trains to turn up on time," Mr Emerson told The Courier-Mail.

He said crackdowns on performance payments had been promised in the past but the money had continued to flow every year. In 2010-11, 1581 QR executives received $9.3 million in bonuses with the $11 million budgeted for the following financial year.

The multimillion-dollar handout came a year after former transport minister Rachel Nolan promised to ensure a section of executives' pay would be linked to service delivery. In 2004, then-premier Peter Beattie promised all future executive bonuses at state-owned corporations would be strictly linked to service performance rather than financial results.

However, the bonuses have continued with little or no relevance to an organisation's customer service or performance results.

Mr Emerson said along with on-time running performance, bonuses would be based on financial measures, customer service and safety.

He said affordability was improving under the LNP following the introduction of free travel after nine weekly journeys.

[ozbob]

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Scott Emerson

Emerson demands rail reliability as bonuses cut to zero

Queensland Rail will not receive any of the almost $11 million in bonuses budgeted under Labor for last financial year after failing to meet network performance targets.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson said the Queensland Rail board has reviewed the targets for staff and decided no performance payments would be given for the 2011/12 year.

"In future bonuses will only be paid when Queensland Rail has made significant improvements in meeting passengers' expectation for trains to turn up on time," Mr Emerson said.

"In the last three months of Labor peak on-time performance fell to 90 per cent – its lowest level in almost three years.

"Under the LNP, Queensland Rail now has a plan to tackle poor reliability and we are starting to see some improvement with peak on-time performance at 94 per cent in July to September.

In July, Minister Emerson spoke to Queensland Rail chair Glen Dawe and made it clear bonuses were only to apply if performance targets were met.

"Labor claimed it would link executive pay to performance, but in 2010/11 there were 1,581 bonuses costing $9.3 million with a plan to pay an additional $11 million in bonuses for 2011/12," Mr Emerson said.

"Former Transport Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk was more interest in paying bonuses than improving public transport.

"Mr Dawe has Queensland Rail refocusing its business on passengers rather than the increases in corporate numbers we saw over the past two years under Labor."

Other key bonus targets for Queensland Rail include financial, customer service and safety.

Mr Emerson said the LNP is also improving affordability from its all-time low under Labor, by introducing free travel after nine weekly journeys.

"Frequency has also improved with 140 additional weekly train services added in October," he said.

"The early signs are promising with an extra 600,000 more public transport trips taken between July and September compared to previous year."

Passengers can now monitor actual and adjusted on-time running performance, on their line at www.queenslandrail.com.au/RailServices/City/Pages/PeakOn-TimeResults.aspx

[ozbob]

--> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=9120.msg113061#msg113061

==========

Sent to all outlets:

22nd November 2012

Don't miss the bus ...

Greetings,

Lets hope that the real bus ontime performance and reliability is actually presented too.  Being and open an accountable Government we would  reasonably expect that too of course.

The present ontime data made available in the TransLink Tracker for bus is fantasy. Reliability for bus stopped being published when I queried why it was always 100% ... lol

See here for why bus ontime performance as reported is nonsense -->  http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=8060.msg94505#msg94505

How about the full  accurate ontime profiles for rail and bus, peak and off peak?  There are a lot of disruptions outside peak that also have significant impacts.

Transperth shows how it should be done -->   http://www.transperth.wa.gov.au/Portals/0/docs/Train%20on%20time%20running%20stats/Transperth%20trains%20on%20time%20running%20Ocober%202012.pdf

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

The anti-rail bias is in full swing.  Obviously the Minister is unable to sort out his mates at BCC .... lol

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

No bonuses for Queensland Rail staff

No bonuses for Queensland Rail staff
November 22, 2012 - 7:13AM
Marissa Calligeros

Queensland Rail bosses will not receive Christmas bonuses this year because trains aren't turning up on time.

The board of the government-owned corporation decided none of the $11 million, stashed away by the previous Labor government for performance bonuses, would be handed-out as a result of the train network's reliability issues.

Under the Labor government, 1581 QR executives received $9.3 million in bonuses for the 2010-11 financial year.

But then-transport minister Rachel Nolan promised to ensure executives' pay would be linked to service delivery.
Advertisement

Transport Minister Scott Emerson said he had made it clear earlier this year bonuses would not be handed out unless performance targets were met.

"In the last three months of Labor peak on-time performance fell to 90 per cent – its lowest level in almost three years," Mr Emerson said.

"In future bonuses will only be paid when Queensland Rail has made significant improvements in meeting passengers' expectation for trains to turn up on time."

Mr Emerson said bonuses would also be based on financial measures, customer service and safety.

He said affordability and frequency had improved under the LNP government, with 140 extra weekly train services added to the timetable in October.

However, commuter lobby group Rail Back on Track spokesman Robert Dow said the fare structure needed an urgent overhaul.

"We have the world's worst fare system and one of the most expensive nationally and globally in terms of base fares," he said.

"The fare system is in total disarray."

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/no-bonuses-for-queensland-rail-staff-20121122-29r53.html

[ozbob]

Big issue looming is the age of the EMUs ....  new generation rolling stock will be years away.  I doubt if reasonable reliability of the fleet can be maintained for much longer.  Already a steady string of mechanical issues.  These happen more frequently after wet weather as well.  Just watch what happens during the wet this year, getting harder and harder for the operator.

[Stillwater]

Jeff Addison, spokesperson for the Sunshine Coast Line, interviewed on ABC Coast FM's Annie Gaffney morning radio show about non-payment of bonuses to QR executives.  He said Sunshine Coast commuters would applaud the move, particularly as late running of peak trains meant that cumulative delays of six hours a month could affect some long-distance customers.  He spoke about the single track bottleneck, the use of 'bus-trains' and persistent signal/points failures around Petrie ... need for better maintenance to ensure reliability.

[ozbob]

Jeff Addison, spokesperson for the Sunshine Coast Line, interviewed on ABC Coast FM's Annie Gaffney morning radio show about non-payment of bonuses to QR executives.  He said Sunshine Coast commuters would applaud the move, particularly as late running of peak trains meant that cumulative delays of six hours a month could affect some long-distance customers.  He spoke about the single track bottleneck, the use of 'bus-trains' and persistent signal/points failures around Petrie ... need for better maintenance to ensure reliability.

Report of some surveyors north of Beerburrum ...   

Sunshine Coast Line =  major failure .. lol

QR are not without excuse but the root issue is TMR and their abysmal transport planning.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Big issue looming is the age of the EMUs ....  new generation rolling stock will be years away.  I doubt if reasonable reliability of the fleet can be maintained for much longer.  Already a steady string of mechanical issues.  These happen more frequently after wet weather as well.  Just watch what happens during the wet this year, getting harder and harder for the operator.

Also depends on what the fault might be and the crews knowledge/control to find a solution. It's harder to fault check EMUs compared to the newer generation of trains that have advanced computer systems in them that can tell drivers what the issue is compared to a lot of manual work in the older sets. When the 260s were introduced it was pretty easy to find out why they kept breaking down. Rain isn't a real issue for EMUs but it can cause some faults that the crew might have to manually fix or override compared to a computer.

[DayboroStation]

"1581 QR executives" - is that a misprint? Seems like a lot of "executives" for one organisation.

Also, what will now happen to the $11 million? Will it be reinvested back into improving rail services/infrastructure?

[HappyTrainGuy]

Probs not 

[Fares_Fair]

Jeff Addison, spokesperson for the Sunshine Coast Line, interviewed on ABC Coast FM's Annie Gaffney morning radio show about non-payment of bonuses to QR executives.  He said Sunshine Coast commuters would applaud the move, particularly as late running of peak trains meant that cumulative delays of six hours a month could affect some long-distance customers.  He spoke about the single track bottleneck, the use of 'bus-trains' and persistent signal/points failures around Petrie ... need for better maintenance to ensure reliability.

Report of some surveyors north of Beerburrum ...   

Sunshine Coast Line =  major failure .. lol

QR are not without excuse but the root issue is TMR and their abysmal transport planning.

He also described Glen Dawe, Chairman of Queensland Rail as a railwayman's railwayman, thus expressing confidence in his ability to guide QR,
and that his father was Station Master at Glass House Mountains many years ago.
He said that on that basis he (Glen) would be familiar with the Sunshine Coast line.

He was also asked whether Transport Minister Scott Emerson should get a bonus for withholding the bonuses from QR executives... & heard a bit of a laugh.
His reply was along the lines of "that would be premature given the situation on the Sunshine Coast."
END

Incidently, enquiries today revealed that QR front line staff are not eligible for these bonuses, only the executives were.

[#Metro]

"In future bonuses will only be paid when Queensland Rail has made significant improvements in meeting passengers' expectation for trains to turn up on time."

Oh dear. At high frequency, on time running can be relaxed.
That, and it also encourages extra 'fat' to be piled on to timetables as well