Interim rail timetables

[ozbob]

The man in charge of overseeing Queensland Rail's rosters has resigned. #9News pic.twitter.com/lpBA4dggPc

— Nine News Brisbane (@9NewsBrisbane) December 29, 2016

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

30th December 2016

Look in the mirror LNP !

Good Morning,

I see the LNP are still whining and spitting dummies.

Lets remember the performance of former Transport Minister Mr Scott Emerson.

Mr Emerson rolled over on bus reform and is basically responsible for the present bus mess.

Mr Emerson failed to deliver any significant fare reform.  Unable to make the difficult move to properly reform the fare structure which has now been achieved under the present Labor Government.

Mr Emerson contributed to the botched outcomes for Redcliffe Peninsula Line and the New Generation Rollingstock projects.

Calling the present Transport Minister ' gutless and incompetent ' really is very sad and typical knee-jerk political mediocrity so characteristic of the LNP.

What are the LNP transport policies?  Have they any??

Best wishes
Robert

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

[#Metro]

Wow, Kevin Wright PSM is all over the news.

I would like to see Paul Scurrah back. http://www.dpworldaustralia.com.au/who-we-are/leadership/paul-scurrah-md-and-ceo/

He always struck me as someone switched on and active.

It looks like the entire executive leadership will be cleared out. Will have to fill all the positions around the same time I think.

Paul Pluta - the man who put the broom through QR!

[ozbob]

Latest media: ' Look in the mirror @LNPQLD ! '
> https://t.co/r4izYilIxh#qldpol@StirlHinchliffe @scottemerson pic.twitter.com/PRceOaqTj3

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) December 29, 2016

[Stillwater]

It should be noted that Paul Pluta claims that he has 'five or six' more reports about QR's performance that he says will be 'drip-fed to the media' in the New Year.  This issue would seem to have a lot more life in it yet - very damaging to both LNP and ALP and their collective and cumulative lack of oversight of QR.

[ozbob]

Bob's tip for the day #qldpol
When in free-fall a time is reached when one should pull the rip cord ..#youarewelcome pic.twitter.com/9vGtA5Q2Xb

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) December 29, 2016

[#Metro]

It should be noted that Paul Pluta claims that he has 'five or six' more reports about QR's performance that he says will be 'drip-fed to the media' in the New Year.  This issue would seem to have a lot more life in it yet - very damaging to both LNP and ALP and their collective and cumulative lack of oversight of QR.

I have a hunch that quite a lot of this relates back to the days when Blue Team were in administration.

If I were Emerson et al., I would not be crowing about how bad Red Team is.

Methinks it is only a matter of time until Emerson et al. is implicated in something.

[mufreight]

Helen Gruer was Chairperson of the BOARD which raises the question as to why they are seeking a replacement for her position.As the position is vacant instead the search should be on for  Commissioner of Railways who would replace the entire previous board rather than have 7 or 8 people who get paid to do nothing towards the actual operation of the railway holding meetings, calling for reports and generally delaying any real decisions and provide a cast for a series of not me when things go pear shaped.

[#Metro]

Helen Gluer was CEO of Queensland Rail. As such the board would issue instructions to her, she would then go to the Executive and dish out instructions to who needed to do what to get things the board wanted, done.

A commissioner would replace the board with just one person. They would instruct the CEO on what to do.

Indeed, it is theoretically possible to abolish the entire board and have no one. You would just go directly from Transport Minister to CEO.

I tend to think the board is necessary though. Transport minister is more gov't policy. Board is more about organisational (QR) policy.

Decision making is better (at least in theory) when there are many perspectives. A single person could do a lot of good... or harm. It works both ways.

The real issue is the executive leadership team. Those positions need to be declared vacant and replacements found IMHO.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Helen Gluer was CEO of Queensland Rail. As such the board would issue instructions to her, she would then go to the Executive and dish out instructions to who needed to do what to get things the board wanted, done.

A commissioner would replace the board with just one person. They would instruct the CEO on what to do.

Indeed, it is theoretically possible to abolish the entire board and have no one. You would just go directly from Transport Minister to CEO.

I tend to think the board is necessary though. Transport minister is more gov't policy. Board is more about organisational (QR) policy.

Decision making is better (at least in theory) when there are many perspectives. A single person could do a lot of good... or harm. It works both ways.

The real issue is the executive leadership team. Those positions need to be declared vacant and replacements found IMHO.

Just get in people with experience with working in the railways. Not people that have no clue or have a ex-political background. So much for the blue parties idea of bring QR and Translink close to the public by gutting the hell out of both divisions and changing their legal status hahaha.

[bretto82]

Why would you get rid of the whole Elt though the area of concern is where change needs to happen why change say the egm of network when network don't have a say in staffing or timetables and the like

[ozbob]

Right on Brett!
The QR board is superfluous fluff
Give us real Railway 🚂 folk

[verbatim9]

Do members on here think with fresh people on the board  QR would come up with great ideas and work with Translink closer for a better transport future? I hope so! Well at least for the next 3 to 4 years until a competitive tender process is announced. There are infrastructure improvements coming online late next year. So I guess Sunshine Coast duplication will be next to conincide with contruction of CRR? Then a new timetable again from there with huge travel time improvements and frequency around the network.

[ozbob]

My position is that a QR Board is not needed.

What is a sensible QR ELT ( a few accountants/lawyers but bulk rail experienced) with a true Rail Commissioner, and a Minister for Railways!

[verbatim9]

^^That sounds like a good shake up! There is no board to run BCC buses why should there be one for QR

[ozbob]

^^That sounds like a good shake up! There is no board to run BCC buses why should there be one for QR

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Queensland Rail: Jackie Trad says QR has bad culture

ACTING Premier Jackie Trad has backed the resignation of Queensland Rail's chief operating officer Kevin Wright, saying he made the right choice to quit.

Ms Trad gave her first press conference today following the Christmas Day rail mess that saw one third of services cancelled to again back the performance of under-pressure Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe.

"I think that Mr Wright had made the correct decision today," she said.

"The Minister has said that in relation to the Christmas Day rostering debacle, it was an issue in relation to the management of the rostering system.

"So management needed to take responsibility for that rostering problem and I think that given everything that happened on Christmas Day, the late notification, the spike in cancellations, it was incumbent on the Minister to make some hard calls and I think he made the right call."

Ms Trad would not be drawn on whether QR's explanation that the rostering problems were caused by too many people calling in sick, rather than a problem with the roster itself, constituted a "lie".

However, she later noted there had been "inconsistent" information given to Government over the past year from QR on matters including train crewing resources.

And she said she believed QR and the Department of Transport had a "bad culture", which she blamed on factors including that one in five staff there had been sacked under the Newman Government's purge of the public service.

"I think what's also important is we wait until the full outcome of the review that will be reported on to Government at the end of January," she said.

Mr Hinchliffe is expected to be handed a report today into the Christmas Day problems.

Ms Trad she couldn't predict whether more sackings would follow.

"We know that Queenslanders want to know what went wrong, the Government wants a forensic analysis of what went wrong and how we can avoid this in the future," she said.

Ms Trad also addressed the anonymous call that was made to her office at the end of last year that warned of crewing shortages while she was transport minister.

"The information that was conveyed by that anonymous caller was not consistent with any of the information that I was being provided by Queensland Rail at the time and in fact, less than a month after that call ... Queensland Rail embarked upon the recruitment of 100 train drivers and 100 guards people," she said.

[ozbob]

[Stillwater]

QUOTE from Jackie Trad: "The Government wants a forensic analysis of what went wrong and how we can avoid this in the future."

[#Metro]

^^That sounds like a good shake up! There is no board to run BCC buses why should there be one for QR

BCC has its own (major) issues, and should be legally separated from Brisbane City Council. Someone, for example, had to decide to withdraw staff from the bus review negotiations.

BCC does have a 'board' in the functional sense - The Active and Transport Committee of Council.

And she said she believed QR and the Department of Transport had a "bad culture", which she blamed on factors including that one in five staff there had been sacked under the Newman Government's purge of the public service.

Yes, but that is because politicians pretending to be business directors often do not make good decision makers because they are influenced by factors wholly unrelated to the business they are managing (i.e. wanting to run on a party platform on debt and deficit).

The other issue is the fictional nature of the contract between TransLink and Queensland Rail. It is a contract between the Transport Minister and himself. It is unenforceable (gov't doesn't sue itself) and the penalties regime attached is unenforceable too (gov't just penalising itself). In an environment like that, bad things tend to happen because there is no penalty, no alternative supplier. You are stuck.

And to hear Jackie Trad talk about "bad culture", well. The problems go even higher. The QLD Gov itself is a problem. What about the three business cases for CRR1, CRR2, CRR3?? Sunshine Coast line? Pushing projects into the never-never? The gov't itself does not function properly either. It doesn't respond when concerning issues are submitted to it (as Paul Pluta e-mails demonstrate) because there is such a public relations barrier.

If you don't want something like this to happen in the future, start saying NO to contract renewals for operators. Penalise! Show bad operators The Door. If you have standards, ENFORCE THEM. And don't make 'super portfolios' where you have 1 portfolio area for each day of the week.

[Stillwater]

There is a strong case for a stand-alone Minister for Public Transport.

[Ace]

QR is a statutory authority via the QR Transit Authority Act.  The Act (part 2) enforces the Board requirements (in a similar way to the former TTA Act) -> https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/ACTS/2013/13AC019.pdf

That's why they have a Board - not by choice or crazy bureaucracy - but as an instrument of legislation. 

[Stillwater]

Interesting .....

Role of board
(1) The board is responsible for the way the Authority performs its functions and exercises its powers.

(2) The board's role includes—

(a) deciding the strategies and the operational, administrative and financial policies to be followed by the Authority; and
(b) ensuring the Authority performs its functions and exercises its powers in a proper, effective and efficient way; and
(c) ensuring that, so far as practicable, the Authority acts under, and achieves the objects in, its strategic and operational plans; and
(d) accounting to the responsible Ministers, as required by an Act, for the Authority's performance; and
(e) reviewing annually the performance of the chief executive officer.

The QR board members (but not the new ones) have not met their legislative obligations.  They should resign or be sacked by the Minister.

[BrizCommuter]

The board had some places unfilled until recently. Not much point sacking people new to the role!

There needs to be an everyday commuter, knowledgeable about public transport on the board.

[ozbob]

The board had some places unfilled until recently. Not much point sacking people new to the role!

There needs to be an everyday commuter, knowledgeable about public transport on the board.

crap

The QR Board is sh%t ..   

[ozbob]

Hello

I am the VR and NSW railways punter ,,,

Do you want a blue?

#askingforafriend

[#Metro]

Although there are problems at all levels (as outlined by myself earlier) the MAIN problem appears to be the Executive Leadership Team (ELT).

So that is Priority #1. Get a new ELT!

Focusing on the board or its composition is to focus on a related, but not main, area. People need to look more at the ELT.

[ozbob]

Oh ...

>

[BrizCommuter]

The board had some places unfilled until recently. Not much point sacking people new to the role!

There needs to be an everyday commuter, knowledgeable about public transport on the board.

crap

The QR Board is sh%t ..

I trust you know more about them than the rest of us!

[bretto82]

Although there are problems at all levels (as outlined by myself earlier) the MAIN problem appears to be the Executive Leadership Team (ELT).

So that is Priority #1. Get a new ELT!

Focusing on the board or its composition is to focus on a related, but not main, area. People need to look more at the ELT.

You don't need a whole new elt metro as I said before why change the egm for network when networks performance has been going awesome even with lake of staff until recently and the track signals and overheads bridges and the like work is some of the best in the country and they have been wise with the $$ as well as I know a set of points were to be upgraded they asked why not remove all together reply from operations said we need it they said report on how often it's used info back only by the track protection officers on weekend closures they asked them can they work around with out it as always they said they could bang remove and straight track it

[ozbob]

Right on Brett!
The QR board is superfluous fluff
Give us real Railway 🚂 folk

[ozbob]

The board had some places unfilled until recently. Not much point sacking people new to the role!

There needs to be an everyday commuter, knowledgeable about public transport on the board.

crap

Maybe ..
The QR Board is sh%t ..

I trust you know more about them than the rest of us!

Maybe ..

BUT

[bretto82]

Right on Brett!
The QR board is superfluous fluff
Give us real Railway 🚂 folk

Sorry bob it was more said towards metro as I don't see how changing the whole elt when the main problem areas they have now left as for the board all I know is most of them have walked into this sh%t storm and doubt any have experience in rail probably just leagal and cash that's it.

[ozbob]

Yo!

[#Metro]

bretto82,

If you want the justification, just see Mr Pluta's videos. Goes into length about the issues. He seems to suggest that QR hires all sorts of people who were fired from their previous jobs after disasters.

Mr. Pluta has been publishing about the ELT, not that much about the QR board.

Content Warning: Strong language. I do not endorse the content.

Uploaded by Mr. Pluta today.

"ADVICE FOR QR AND STIRLING HINCHCLIFFE - Who needs to go next (After Kevin Wright)?"

[bretto82]

Your missing the point not every person on the elt needs to go is what I'm saying network is fine and dandy and has no major issues as such to be causing any issues for running trains so why try and fix something that is not broken they have the track knowledge and have there finger on the work underneath them. It's just more cash to hire another person for no real gain and in saying that the elt takes what the CEO tells them they want done from the board

[#Metro]

Is there no limit to how crazy this can get? 

Handing in a two-page non-explanation to the Transport Minister is just unthinkable!

State Government angered by Queensland Rail's two-page 'report' on Christmas Day cancellations
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/state-government-angered-by-queensland-rails-twopage-report-on-christmas-day-cancellations/news-story/70422757bc7051c208fdbf5c932622c2

QUEENSLAND Rail has further riled the Palaszczuk Government, handing in a flimsy, two-page "report" into the Christmas Day rail fail that gives no answers as to how it happened.

An incredulous Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe, who is holding off Opposition calls for his own sacking, last night demanded the organisation try again to clearly explain why it unexpectedly cancelled a third of its Christmas Day services with little to no notice to commuters.

Can the minister now please publicly release the report QR handed him today? We need to see this for ourselves!

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> State Government angered by Queensland Rail's two-page 'report' on Christmas Day cancellations

QUEENSLAND Rail has further riled the Palaszczuk Government, handing in a flimsy, two-page "report" into the Christmas Day rail fail that gives no answers as to how it happened.

An incredulous Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe, who is holding off Opposition calls for his own sacking, last night demanded the organisation try again to clearly explain why it unexpectedly cancelled a third of its Christmas Day services with little to no notice to commuters.

The Courier-Mail also can reveal the person with responsibility for actioning the shelved Indec report – which warned of "significant risks" to the timetable and other projects due to crew shortages – is the son-in-law of sacked chief operating officer Kevin Wright.

It's understood Mr Wright's team was responsible for drafting yesterday's scant document, which does not explain how the stuff-up happened or solutions to prevent a repeat.

The report does not address the use or cost of taxis for stranded passengers.

"Frankly, it does not address the matters that I sought in nearly enough detail," Mr Hinchliffe said.

"Key issues that have been raised as a concern by me have not been covered in this report. I have demanded that Queensland Rail come back to me with a thorough and clear explanation of the events that lead to and caused the cancellations on Christmas Day."

Mr Wright has already been forced to resign over the Christmas Day fiasco.

It can now be revealed his son-in-law, Jay Kronenberg, also had a key role in the lead up to October's timetable chaos when he acted as General Manager Citytrains from July 4 to December 19.

The Courier-Mail has been told Mr Kronenberg had responsibility for the Indec report but only assigned it a "medium risk" profile despite the dire warnings contained within.

QR last night confirmed Mr Kronenberg had worked in three general management positions since 2015 – all under his father-in-law.

Acting Premier Jackie Trad said QR had a "bad culture", but blamed it on Newman era cuts.

[ozbob]

Oh dear ... 

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Queensland Rail spent more than $250,000 on staff junkets

QUEENSLAND Rail has spent more than $250,000 in the past three years sending its staff around the globe to study rail systems and attend study trips.

A look at QR's overseas travel since 2013-14 reveals a spend of more than $251,675 travelling to the likes of Singapore, the UK, China, India, Italy and the US.

Overseas travel costs hit a four-year high last financial year with a bill of $95,398. The travel involved trips linked to the New Generation Rollingstock train building project in India, examining European train control systems and attending a rail safety forum.

Destinations during the period included New York, Washington and Boston as well as European cities including Berlin, Germany; Genoa, Italy; and Turgi, Switzerland.

Newly departed chief operating officer Kevin Wright and ex chief executive Helen Gluer were travelling Europe on a $37,500 trip in September during ill-fated preparations to open the Redcliffe rail line.

When the CM is on a roll they are on a roll ...