Queensland Rail

[ozbob]

I have just been advised that the situation may not be as first presented by the Minister. It now appears that Queensland Rail will not be treating the NGRs as the same of the rest of the train fleet with respect to contractual OTR, but setting up a new contractual OTR metric that takes into account impacts caused by NGR technical faults.

However the technical faults will still be considered to be ' force majeure ' for purposes of the contract between Queensland Rail and the State. They continue to claim that because they don't own or maintain the NGRs they can do this. We disagree. The state owns the NGRs and the Queensland Rail trains (ICE EMU SMU IMU). Queensland Rail has used third parties for maintenance for ' their trains ' so that argument is not valid either. This will end up with the contractual being used to assess contract performance being based on only 44% of the train fleet when all NGRs rolled out.  In fact it will be even less than 44% when knock on effects etc. are taken into account.

Hopeless ...

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1063326925689516033

[ozbob]

[#Metro]

What would a private operator do?

What is interesting is that if we accept QR's position, executive bonuses could be paid based on this

info, and that could be very different to what the customer experiences.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Queensland Rail fail: NGRs to be included in punctuality data

UPDATED

TRANSPORT Minister Mark Bailey has been accused of deceiving commuters after claiming he had solved a major headache with Queensland Rail's punctuality rating system.

Mr Bailey took to his Twitter account on Friday to declare the rail operator would begin including any delays caused by the state's controversial New Generation Rollingstock trains in its official on-time performance data linked to lucrative bonuses for QR executives.

It comes after The Courier-Mail revealed last month that delays triggered by NGR trains were being quietly excluded from QR's official on-time-running data, which is also used by the State Government to measure whether it is meeting its contractual obligations.

Mr Bailey also told ABC Radio the NGRs would be included in on-time-running results from January.

He then took to Twitter to declare that from January QR would publish "contractual on-time running data which includes any delays by NGR technical faults."

His office later confirmed NGR would be included in the contractual on-time results.

But by late Friday afternoon, QR had issued a statement contradicting Mr Bailey's statement.

It said it would start publishing punctuality data with NGR delays included, but that the new train fleet would continue to be excluded from its contractual on-time-running results.

It confirmed NGR technical faults would continue to be treated as "force majeure", or outside of QR's control, as it did not technically own or maintain the fleet.

The $4.4 billion NGR trains are owned by the State Government and are being delivered by a public-private consortium led by Canadian train builder Bombardier, with the contract including a 30-year maintenance agreement.

Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mander said accused Mr Bailey of making misleading statements about his "phony on-time-running stats".

"This just goes to show that Mark Bailey has absolutely zero integrity," he said.

"Commuters should be rightly asking who on Earth is running our rail system.

"Once again Mark Bailey is focused on spin, rather than fixing Labor's rail fail."

Rail Back on Track commuter advocate Robert Dow also accused Mr Bailey of "duplicity."

Mr Dow has been pushing for the new trains to be included in on-time running data, pointing out that they will represent 55 per cent of the fleet when fully rolled out.

QR has previously confirmed it had excluded more than 800 late running trains from its official punctuality data between December 2017 and September.

Mr Bailey did not respond to questions.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1063451439735943168

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

17th November 2018

Update: NGR technical fault delays to be included in contractual OTR

Good Morning,

What we thought was a good move by the Minister for Transport Mr Bailey is now uncertain.  The Couriermail has reported that Queensland Rail will still be treating delays with the New Generation Rollingstock (NGR) as ' force majeure ' for contract purposes with the State incredibly.

It now appears that Queensland Rail will not be treating the NGRs as the same of the rest of the train fleet with respect to contractual on-time running (OTR), but setting up a new contractual OTR metric that takes into account impacts caused by NGR technical faults. However the technical faults will still be considered to be ' force majeure ' for purposes of the contract between Queensland Rail and the State. They continue to claim that because they don't own or maintain the NGRs they can do this. We disagree. The state owns the NGRs and the Queensland Rail trains (ICE EMU SMU IMU). Queensland Rail has used third parties for maintenance for ' their trains ' which are included in contractual OTR presently, so that argument is not valid either. This will end up with the contractual OTR metric being used to assess contract performance being based on only 44% of the train fleet when all NGRs rolled out. In fact it will be even less than 44% when knock on effects etc. are taken into account.

The correct thing to do is to treat all trains the same in our view.  If a new rail operator took over from Queensland Rail (looking increasingly likely the way rail fail is dragging out ), there is no way they would say " this train counts with on-time running, this one doesn't ".

What an absurd situation that has been created because of bureaucratic bumble and intransigence.   Who is in control?

Best wishes,
Robert

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

Sent to all outlets:

16th November 2018

NGR technical fault delays to be included in contractual OTR

Good Afternoon,

Minister for Transport Mr Bailey has just tweeted that " From 1 January 2019 Queensland Rail and TransLink will publish contractual on-time running data which includes any delays by NGR technical faults "

https://twitter.com/MarkBaileyMP/status/1063272135664123905

Thank you.  As we have argued, this is the correct thing to do.

Best wishes,

Robert

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

=====================================================

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1063283801961320448

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1063458175259566080

[ozbob]

Couriermail 17th November 2018 page 7

Minister's own rail fail

[#Metro]

Reminds me of the terms, conditions*, exemptions^, and exclusions(1,2,3) of a bad mobile phone or insurance contract.

[HappyTrainGuy]

With regards to the Springfield/Cleveland train it sounds like the NGR was delayed prior to Northgate (maybe with the same door problems it experienced at Milton). On weekends in the morning the mains are usually closed off for physical track inspections in the morning. As a result the Springfield train usually departs Northgate ahead of the Cleveland train as they share the same platform island at Northgate. If there is late running sometimes the Cleveland train will use P2 while the Springfield train uses P1 (due to the cross over speed south of Northgate by the time the Cleveland train has completed the cross it can resume full line speed as its not on restricted signaling anymore). If the Springfield train is delayed long enough prior to Northgate it loses its slot and has to sit behind the Cleveland train following it on restricted signalling as it can't access the mains due to persons inspecting the line and stations having signage up telling passengers to use platforms 1/2 for all services.

Current 8.10 shorncliffe-Cleveland train delayed 5 mins due to late running ngr train on its way to Springfield due to mains being closed.

[ozbob]

^ thanks HTG.  Seems a NGR had some issues again.

[ozbob]

From the Minister's tweet:

" From 1 Jan 2019 @QueenslandRail & @TransLinkSEQ will publish contractual on-time running data which includes any delays by NGR technical faults.  "

How can something be contractual if it is not being used for contract purposes?   It is not possible to have two different ' contractual values ' one with NGRs in and one with NGRs out as is being trotted out by Queensland Rail.  This just gets crazier.

The solution is simple.  Just treat the NGRs as for every other bit of rollingstock. End of section.

Or perhaps are there some factors we are not being told about again?  Such as the reliability of the NGRs is a lot worse than being touted and Queensland Rail are worried?

[red dragin]

So the report just needs a few more columns.

NGR fleet faults
QR fleet faults
NGR fleet faults affecting QR
QR Fleet faults affecting NGR

[#Metro]

How can something be contractual if it is not being used for contract purposes?   It is not possible to have two different ' contractual values ' one with NGRs in and one with NGRs out as is being trotted out by Queensland Rail.  This just gets crazier.

Yes. It may not be possible to separate the two because if a NGR fault introduces a delay into the network and that flows on to Non-NGR trains, do you exclude the rest of the delays on the entire network? It starts to look like number could mean anything you want it to.

[ozbob]

How can something be contractual if it is not being used for contract purposes?   It is not possible to have two different ' contractual values ' one with NGRs in and one with NGRs out as is being trotted out by Queensland Rail.  This just gets crazier.

Yes. It may not be possible to separate the two because if a NGR fault introduces a delay into the network and that flows on to Non-NGR trains, do you exclude the rest of the delays on the entire network? It starts to look like number could mean anything you want it to.

This is a very important point you make #Metro.  I don't think it will be possible to separate out two streams of ' contractual ' reliably because of the constant interactions, knock on effects  and impacts that will occur, particularly as NGR numbers continue to increase.

Are they brain dead?

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1063634363542315016

[ozbob]

[#Metro]

How can @QueenslandRail have two contractual OTR metrics ( one with NGRs and one without )?

Maybe... if there are... TWO Queensland Rails! 

Queensland Rail (QR) - operates old trains

and Queensland Rail NGR (QRNGR) - operates new trains

#MindBlown #SeeingDouble

[ozbob]

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Queensland Rail train drivers clock up $31 million in overtime since 2016 'rail fail'

TAXPAYERS have shelled out more than $31 million in overtime to Queensland Rail train drivers since the notorious ­October 2016 "rail fail", new Government data reveals.

And drivers are still being paid an average $1.2 million a month in overtime payments just to make QR's heavily pared-back timetable hold up amid the ongoing train crew shortage.

Analysis by The Sunday Mail of newly released data by Government after a Question on Notice from the State Opposition shows little improvement in cutting the hefty overtime bill.

The data covers up to September this year, giving a 23 month snapshot since the rail crisis hit.

Train driver overtime cost taxpayers $11.4 million between January and September of 2017, or $1.26 million a month on average.

That was almost level with $11 million overtime in the same period this year, or $1.22 million a month.

And overtime payments at the height of the rail crisis, when a serious driver shortage led to rolling cancellations of hundreds of services, has been cut by just 15 per cent, the data shows.

Drivers were paid about $2 million in overtime payments when the timetable collapsed in October 2016 compared to $1.7 million in the most recent data for September 2018.

Overtime is on top of drivers' base annual pay of $95,351.

Train guards are also fattening their pay packets, earning a combined $20.5 million in overtime since the timetable collapse – about $900,000 a month.

It comes as QR struggles to fulfil a recommendation to achieve a train crew surplus.

A recruitment campaign has seen 109 new drivers trained, and another 92 in the pipeline. But it equates to an overall net gain of 53 drivers when factoring in drivers retiring or leaving.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey defended the overtime, saying it was "not unusual for operational workforces, such as traincrew, to operate with a certain level of overtime."

"This enables required flexibility in the workforce to meet demand changes associated with special events that occur periodically," he said. "However, QR is actively focused on reducing the amount of overtime worked by traincrew."

He also said driver overtime had been cut by 20 per cent since the "rail fail".

The Strachan inquiry into the rail meltdown in 2016 found QR was deliberately operating with a train crew shortage to ramp up overtime. It recommended delivering a driver surplus.

State Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington yesterday said the overtime bill was "staggering".

"Queenslanders are picking up a huge bill every fortnight yet Labor Transport Minister Mark Bailey can't say when the 472 weekly rail services that were cut will be restored and can't manage to hire enough drivers," she said.

"The Strachan Report recommended services be restored by the end of 2018, but here we are and there is no end in sight to Labor's Rail Fail."

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1063813701168332800

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

18th November 2018

Rail fail is costly, real costly ...

Good Morning,

Massive overtime bill continues at Queensland Rail.

Couriermail --> Queensland Rail train drivers clock up $31 million in overtime since 2016 'rail fail'

No surprise when you consider these basic facts. Minister Bailey said the other day they were 48 train drivers short when recovery started.  A gain of only 54 drivers (net) means that Queensland Rail is really only better off to the tune of 6 train drivers.  It is day 780 of rail today, this simple analysis is alarming is it not?  When Queensland Rail train crew go from one meal break to two meal breaks per shift in February 2019 this means in essence that footplate time will have to be reduced from the present ~ 33%.  Will Queensland Rail be able to deliver the present reduced service timetables let alone any improvements? We doubt it.  No wonder the Minister and Queensland Rail are vague about any restoration of normal services. Fasten your seat belts, rail fail 2 is on the way!

Maybe it is time that a broom went through the over-bloated Queensland Rail Executive Leadership Team and the ineffective Queensland Rail Board.  Transport and Main Roads and TransLink are equally incompetent and need sorting. They have all presided over the ruination of our Citytrain rail network.  More cash bonuses?

Best wishes,

Robert

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

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1063818721024606208

[ozbob]

 

[achiruel]

Something about the Minister's figures doesn't add up. If QR were 48 drivers short when #railfail began, and they've now had a net increase of 54 drivers, that means they've actually got 6 spare drivers. So why haven't services been restored, and why is overtime still so high? I understand the need for overtime for special events etc., but events the size of Riverfire and NYE don't happen every month. I'd suggest the actual shortage when #railfail commenced was greater than 48.

Also, with regard to footplate time, that seems awfully inefficient. Anyone know how it compares with other jurisdictions?

[achiruel]

To (partially) answer my own question above, in 2010-11, Sydney train drivers were spending ~28% of their shift on the footplate. Suddenly QR looks not so bad.

http://www.audit.nsw.gov.au/ArticleDocuments/247/06_Report_one_RailCorp_Supporting_Findings.pdf.aspx%3FEmbed%3DY&ved=2ahUKEwj9s77ov9zeAhXFV30KHaeTAxMQFjAQegQIBxAB&usg=AOvVaw02NwR-grdrmzq_Xl_VhuHl

[ozbob]

I am trying to get footplate time figures from the other states, and more recent figures for Sydney Trains.  In 2014 Sydney Trains were still around 30%.  What will be very interesting is the footplate times for Melbourne Metro and Transperth particularly if I can get them.  I have found that in Europe and America footplate times are in the order of 50% to 55%.

I have heard it said that when the two meal breaks come in footplate time for Queensland Rail is expected to fall (no surprise), probably will be less than 30%. Not good ...

[achiruel]

Well in that case, QR looks terrible. Do you know ozbob if those 50-55% figure jurisdictions the drivers have to do their own safety checks, or does someone at the depot do it for them? I believe in NY MTA the train is checked by a technician at the depot before the driver collects it.

[ozbob]

Well in that case, QR looks terrible. Do you know ozbob if those 50-55% figure jurisdictions the drivers have to do their own safety checks, or does someone at the depot do it for them? I believe in NY MTA the train is checked by a technician at the depot before the driver collects it.

Not sure.  The figure comes from a TTF document that was using it to justify improvements in footplate times for Australian rail operations.

I think there a lot of variables between nations to be more than just a rough comparison,  however if we can get the figures for the other states that should give us a good understanding where QR is sitting.  I reckon Transperth would be very interesting.

[JimmyP]

I imagine any 'footplate time'average would be a fairly difficult metric to use to get a real picture of the situation if it is anything like the Airline (and other transport) industry where there are standby crews also taken in to account. Just one standby shift would likely skew the average quite a bit I imagine. Can make things very misleading!
Presumably qr crews also check their own trains before departing a holding yard as well which would take up a fair amount of time, especially at the start of the day and before each peak. Similar sort of thing to what a pilot's stick hours are, which only count when the park brakes are released (and some airlines don't even pay the pilots on long haul while on a rest break). On short sectors, the stick hours per shift can be fairly low even though the actual working hours are a lot higher. I imagine it is a similar situation in the railways.

[ozbob]

Queensland Rail does monitor footplate time internally closely, as do all the rail operators. They don't normally publish it though.

I am think of putting in simple requests to all the rail operators for their figures.  I don't think it would be necessary to go to RTI.  The only one I know accurately at present is Queensland Rail.  It is 33.4% ( informed sources ).  We know that Sydney Trains was around 30% in 2014  ( https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/idle-train-drivers-do-nothing-for-hours-while-waiting-to-start-their-shifts-report-shows/news-story/103ff9fdb5e5699b267dd031552b930e ). I think Metro Melbourne would be a bit higher, probably Transperth too.  Adelaide would be around the 30% too I would expect.

The reason why it is good to know the figure in the case of Queensland Rail we ( and others ) will see what the effect of the extra meal break will be when implemented on footplate time.  This is a decrease in productivity and will mean more train crew will be needed to deliver the same services.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Well in that case, QR looks terrible. Do you know ozbob if those 50-55% figure jurisdictions the drivers have to do their own safety checks, or does someone at the depot do it for them? I believe in NY MTA the train is checked by a technician at the depot before the driver collects it.

Drivers and guards. If there's a fault on an EMU its usually sorted out very quickly with a 2 man crew due to the limitations from the drivers cab at teh front. Crews at Mayne only work on issues with the rollingstock and planned mtce.

[ozbob]

Letter to the Editor Queensland Times 19th November 2018 page 13

Start rail audit now

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1064236094286290944

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Queensland Rail train drivers pocket tens of thousands in overtime

The best paid Queensland Rail driver made more than $210,000 last year after working more than 918 hours of overtime.

That is the equivalent of the 17 extra hours worked every week of the year.

The top five best-paid Queensland Rail train drivers earned between $179,711 and $210,316 last year, by working between 560.81 and 918.4 hours of overtime.

However, Transport Minister Mark Bailey said the latest figures showed a focus on recruitment had reduced overtime claims from the rail operator's hardest working drivers and guards.

In 2017-18, QR's top five drivers collectively worked 261 fewer overtime hours, a 6 per cent decrease compared with the top five driver overtime claims the previous year.

Mr Bailey said the decrease was better again for train guards, with the overtime claimed by the top five best-remunerated guards dropping by 456 hours in 2017/18, or almost 13 per cent.

"All QR staff are required to work weekends and public holidays and are paid appropriately for this time away from their families," he said.

Mr Bailey said the drop in overtime hours was good news but more drivers and guards were needed to come into the system to bring Queensland Rail's overtime bills down.

Tackling an unsustainable over-reliance on overtime was a key recommendation from the Strachan inquiry, which was sparked following hundreds of cancellations beginning in October 2016 which revealed a shortage of drivers at Queensland Rail.

The inquiry recommended hiring 200 drivers and 200 guards to reduce the reliance on overtime.

Mr Bailey said Queensland Rail ran eight training schools this year to increase the number of drivers.

"Training new drivers and guards is very involved because of the high-pressure situations they have to be ready to face," he said.

"QR has managed to get the average training time for recruits down from 18 months to 13 months.

"Drivers and guards are responsible for the safety and well-being of up to 1000 people at any one time and need to be resilient, with a high ability to problem solve during emergency situations."

Since October 2016, there has been a net increase of 53 drivers and 95 guards.

There are another 92 drivers and 26 drivers  guards in training.

" There are another 92 drivers and 26 drivers in training. "  I think they mean 26 guards.  I have alerted them to the typo.

Ed: Now corrected at source.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1064433242411982848

[Stillwater]

We have seen through the banking royal commission the scandalous circumstances in which senior people at the major banks chase fat bonuses and commissions at the expense of their customers best interests. I ask: In what way is the leadership team at QR any different?  In order to meet KPIs that are linked directly to their paid bonuses, they are excluding NGR trains from on time running scrutiny and are directing that trains skips stations to ensure trains arrive at their destinations within target parameters.  Isn't that a case of giving the finger to the customer while pursuing an artificial performance construct that shows them in the best possible light?  Bugger the customer/passenger.  What would happen if the QR bosses' bonuses were linked to the measure of customer satisfaction?  After all, QR is always telling us that it has a 'customer first' philosophy. Let them be paid accordingly.

[verbatim9]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1064433242411982848

So amazing that QR Drivers and Guards have won the lottery. We have unsustainable train operations here! The only way forward is moving towards a Driver Only Operation model with at least one line running  Driver Only by 2021. Even if the train operation went to tender and contracts negotiated with staff would be good, but a Driver Only Operation is a likely outcome as other solutions are so controversial.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Queensland Rail driver earns $210k in a year

A QUEENSLAND Rail driver has taken home an annual pay packet of more than $210,000 after accruing 918 hours in overtime in one year.

The earnings last financial year set a new high for the state's top money-making Citytrain drivers, with the biggest earner taking $76,000 in overtime payments.

That was an increase on the top earner for 2016-17, whose annual pay packet was bumped up to $193,500 by working 952 hours overtime – more than 19 hours a week.

Overall, the top five earning drivers worked slightly less overtime last financial year, but still managed to outstrip the previous year's big earners thanks to a 3 per cent pay rise and special Commonwealth Games incentives.

As revealed by The Courier-Mail in late 2017, drivers were paid a $1250 bonus for turning up during the Commonwealth Games amid the ongoing driver shortage that forced QR to scale back services.

Figures released by the State Government in response to a Question on Notice by the State Opposition last night show the top five Citytrain drivers in 2017-18 earned between $179,700 and $210,316.

The highest earner more than doubled the base pay of $95,351 under the 2017 train crew enterprise agreement, which delivered a 12 per cent pay rise over four years.

The five cashed-up train drivers earned a combined $964,000 and worked a total of 3799 hours overtime.

That compared with a total of $936,000 and 4061 hours overtime by the top five earning drivers in 2016-17.

It shows the huge cost of the driver shortages that spawned the October 2016 train timetable collapse continue amid sluggish recruitment.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey said QR was working to "increase the number of train crew to reduce the reliance on overtime". He said the average overtime hours by drivers in 2017-18 was 289 hours and total median pay for drivers was $136,737.

State Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington said taxpayers continued to pay with no end in sight to the "Rail Fail".