Queensland Rail

[HappyTrainGuy]

I understand the need for specific and comprehensive training by experienced instructors, but can't the admin side of all of this be outsourced to TAFE?

I hope to god not.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> It could take years to hire 200 new train drivers for Queensland Rail

Since the start of rolling cancellations on Queensland Rail trains shone a light on driver shortages and an unsustainable reliance on overtime, only 66 net new drivers have been recruited.

That is about one new driver every 12 days from October 21, 2016, until February 1 this year, taking into account natural attrition.

Of those, 20 are working as tutors or train operator inspectors, but are available to drive trains when required.

The Strachan inquiry into Queensland Rail's woes recommended 200 new drivers and 200 guards be hired to restore reliability to the timetable.

At the current rate, it would take 1691 days – or until September 19, 2023 – to reach the goal of 200 new drivers on the network.

However, those 200 drivers were supposed to be qualified by June 30, 2019, according to the Strachan report.

In March last year, Queensland Rail chief executive Nick Easy told the ABC he was confident they would reach their driver target by late 2019.

On October 21, more than 100 trains were cancelled across south-east Queensland due to a shortage of train drivers following the opening of the Redcliffe Peninsula Line, with rolling cancellations highlighting serious issues within Queensland Rail.

Queensland Rail introduced a new, reduced timetable to cope, and during last year's estimates hearings, Mr Easy was unable to say when services would be restored.

LNP transport spokesman Steve Minnikin said the current number of new drivers was "woefully short".

"We need 200 drivers to fix rail fail but so far Labor has only managed to recruit 46," he said.

Mr Minnikin said it could take six-and-a-half to seven years to restore the timetable with the current train driver recruitment rate.

Since the driver numbers were revealed following an LNP question on notice, Transport Minister Mark Bailey said there was now a net gain of 69 drivers and 101 guards since October 2016.

Under the Palaszczuk government, 131 drivers and 273 guards had completed their training and were now operating on the Queensland Rail network.

An external recruitment drive from August 2017 had attracted more than 10,000 applications.

Mr Bailey said last year, more guards and drivers were in training than were trained the entire time the LNP was in government.

"It was on the LNP's watch that driver training was cancelled in 2014, and driver recruitment suspended," he said.

"Right now, there are 81 drivers currently in training and a further 35 external offers have been made to commence driver training this year.

"Additionally, training time frames for drivers has decreased from 18 months to an average of 13.45 months."

Meanwhile, commuters have increasingly been left stranded on platforms.

A total of 528 services skipped at least one station in the past seven months, compared with 201 services during the same period in 2017-18.

That was an increase of 163 per cent.

LNP leader Deb Frecklington said station skipping allowed drivers to meet punctuality targets but caused chaos for customers. Services which skip stations can be recorded as on-time.

"This is not a good way to treat the commuters of Queensland," she said.

But Mr Bailey said only a very small number of services skipped one or more stops.

"Just 0.17 per cent of services skipped one or more stops in January 2019," he said.

"These figures represent a tiny fraction of the number of stations trains stop at in the 7828 services delivered by Queensland Rail every week."

Mr Bailey said Queensland Rail generally only ran a service express through some stations if the next service was fewer than five minutes away to minimise disruptions.

"In most cases, changes to stopping patterns only affect one to three stops.

"These decisions are not about meeting on-time running targets but about achieving the best possible outcome for customers and the network overall."

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1108029497364799488

[ozbob]

We really do have a major crisis now.  Recovery is simply far too slow sadly.   There is no way they will make the Strachan or their previous stated deadlines.  The Public Transport portfolio generally is in disarray, they are scared witless to do what must be done.

I have very grave concerns for the future of Queensland Rail. 

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

20th March 2019

Re: 900 days of #railfail, net gain of drivers of only 68 of target 200 ....

Good Morning,

The Brisbanetimes has too now realised that the resolution of #railfail is years away ..

Brisbanetimes --> It could take years to hire 200 new train drivers for Queensland Rail

A real concern is that there are not enough trains or crew in the pipeline to properly service the network when Cross River Rail is completed in 2024, let alone running a proper Citytrain service now or in the foreseeable future.

We really do have a major crisis with our rail network. Recovery is simply far too slow sadly. There is no way they will make the Strachan or their previous stated deadlines. The Public Transport portfolio generally is in disarray, our Government is scared witless to do what must be done.

I have very grave concerns for the future of Queensland Rail..


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

Sent to all outlets:

17th March 2019

900 days of #railfail, net gain of drivers of only 66 of target 200 ....

Good Morning,

Tomorrow, Monday 18th March 2019, it will be 900 days since the first wave of cancellations associated with what is now known as ' railfail ', which occurred on the 30th September 2016.  In answer to a question on notice to the Minister for Transport and Main Roads ( #73 https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/tableOffice/questionsAnswers/2019/73-2019.pdf ) the Minister has indicated that there has been a net gain of only 66 train drivers (target is 200) as of the 15th March 2019.  At this rate it will take another ~1700 days to reach a net gain of 200 drivers!

Not withstanding the slow training gains, a net gain of 66 drivers should allow for some interim timetable improvements now:

Phase 1.  Move to a consistent Monday to Friday timetable, with the peak service gaps on the Shorncliffe and Cleveland line fixed.

Phase 2.  Reintroduction of the October 2016 timetable, with additional services between Brisbane and Nambour, and increased services between Nambour and Gympie North.

The public has been suffering cancellations, delays and reduced service for 900 days of railfail.  It is time action was taken to improve the Citytrain timetable.

Best wishes,

Robert

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

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1108037236086312962

[JimmyP]

Did the report say 200 net drivers or 200 gross drivers (ie: the 200 new drivers number was come to after also looking at the future attrition rate, with the net gain from the 200 recruitments enough to cover the 2016 timetable adquately)?

[ozbob]

Understood to be net.

[JimmyP]

Understood or definite? Might be worth some probing if possible.. and that bit about drivers skipping stations to fudge their on time stats is a laugh! Like they're the ones that choose which stations they feel like stopping at today..

Edit: Considering it takes what, 12 months or so to fully train a driver, if the Strachen report really did mean a net of 200 drivers by mid 2019, the report is quite floored IMO. It's just not that easy to put on so many new people and train them up in such a short space of time. Hence why IMO the report's 200 driver aim was likely not a net 200 drivers by mid 2019, rather 200 new drivers having been trained by that time.

[ozbob]

Definite.  The gain is absolute so that that a proper timetable can be delivered without excess overtime.

The fact is Queensland Rail were slow to respond and have been captured by unions for far too long. 

Frankly I would not be surprised that if there is a change of a state government, one of the first actions will be to franchise the rail operation.

Only rail operator in Australia that has the luxury of two meal breaks per shift.  No wonder timetable recovery is paralysed ...

The skipping stations beat up is just that.  The problem line is the Cleveland line.  It is a consequence largely of the single line out from Manly, and low level platforms prolonging dwells particularly at peak.  The inbound expresses ex Cleveland are arriving at Manly a few minutes adrift.  The Manly starters leave late so control has not much option other than to skip them to bring them back on time to fit into the slots at Park Road.  Other lines have random skips from time to time, but the Cleveland line is the main culprit.  The annoying thing is that the trains that skip are counted as ontime (if they arrive on time).  They should be called as a late.  That would keep all happy I expect but wouldn't make any significant difference in the end to the OTR metrics.

[JimmyP]

But have you actually had that confirmed by Strachin or is that what you're reading in to it? As I said in my late edit, with an ageing workforce (read: higher than normal attrition rate), and a long training timeframe (12 months or so), I honestly do not see how it is remotely possible for them to have a net gain of 200 drivers in such a (relatively) short space of time. And if it really is 200 net, then the report is floored, quite simply.

[ozbob]

Huh?  How can it be flawed.  Strachan determined that QR needed 200 more drivers.  Nothing flawed about that.

It has always been the case that the target is 200 drivers net.  Otherwise what would be the point of specifying what is required

[JimmyP]

As I said, 200 net drivers by July 2019 is simply not possible, when it takes 12 months to train a driver! As I also said beforehand, the report may have meant 200 (gross number) drivers are needed in order to overcome attrition and add enough new drivers to meet the needs of the new timetable.
Looking at guards, I recall a statement recently saying QR have recruited 250 or so new guards, cheering that it was over the 200 number, however I highly doubt that was a net 250-odd addition to the ranks with the current driver training going on (which has been coming from the guards ranks mostly as I understand it).
Thus the 200 number being the number of recruitments needed to simply overcome the attrition rate as well as adding enough new drivers (on top of exisiting ones) to cope with the new timetable, with continued recruitment to then increase services again.

[ozbob]

Last update on the numbers from CRU. [ https://www.cru.qld.gov.au/Reports ] As you can note ' 200 '  is net ..

https://www.cru.qld.gov.au/-/media/CRU/Fixing-the-trains_September-Quarter-2018_Final.pdf?la=en

[ozbob]

But I agree JimmyP, the 2018 target for guards and the 2019 for drivers was a tad optimistic ... 

They are not going to make it for many years yet.  This is why I believe they need to start some incremental timetable improvements now.  They have enough slack to do that.  Fix the Shorncliffe AM peak gap, similarly the Cleveland PM Peak.  Give the punters some hope!! 

[JimmyP]

While the graph does show net increase, it doesn't necissarily mean that's the 200 target, may just be an extra bit of information, but either/or! The 253 and 303 selected figures are certainly cause for partial celebration though, shows they are aiming to continue recruitment in to the future.

By rumblings i've heard from the back of trains, improvements may not be too far away hopefully!

Probably making sure the thing with the extra breaks is bedded down properly before committing to incremental service increases.

[ozbob]

Yo.  I have always thought that they would wait till Feb 2019, set up the new jobs etc. and then once settled look to some further improvements.

If they can get rid of the ' Friday timetable ' there would be much rejoicing out in punter land I am sure ..   

[JimmyP]

Indeed. Hopefully they end up combining the Friday and the Mon-Thurs timetable so that Friday only trains will run Mon-Fri and Mon-Thurs only trains run Mon-Fri instead, at least in the interim until the full timetable is reinstated!

[HappyTrainGuy]

Remember a number of guards were converted to driver status too which sidestepped parts of training.

[Extreme]

200 driver net increase required for 2016 population requiring train services... (as part of Strachan inquiry.)

So....... at current rate, 2023 is the year that we'd have the net 200 drivers.

Average population increase of 40-50k/yr over 7yrs (from 2016) in SEQLD, would equate to how many drivers required in 2023???

How many services would be required for an additional 350,000 commuters....let alone drivers needed.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Learner train drivers told to wait for a turn amid influx

LEARNER train drivers are having to "observe" each other at the controls, or sit in the carriage waiting for a turn, after being jammed into overwhelmed training school classes.

A former Queensland Rail training team leader has given The Sunday Mail an account of the internal mayhem that ensued after the "Rail Fail," saying already stretched tutor drivers' workload doubled overnight as the rail body rushed to plug crippling driver shortages.

Wes Appel, who worked at QR from early 2016 to April 2017, said the number of trainee drivers at one point doubled, even though he was already short of tutor drivers.

He said pressure to fix the driver shortage triggered the rush to train as many recruits at once as possible in what QR has called its "largest driver recruitment campaign in (its) history".

Passengers left behind as trains slammed as 'shambles'

QR told to lift its game over cheating claims

But QR did not then have the resources to handle the influx, he said. Despite this, managers ignored advice to stagger training times in their desperation to fix the crisis, according to Mr Appel. "I said you can't do it all in one. We don't have the resources," he said.

"They wouldn't listen, they ignored everything."

It left some tutors training up to four trainees at once, even though only one trainee could practice driving under supervision at a time, he said.

A second trainee could observe. The rest had to sit in the carriage awaiting a turn.

"All that does is it draws out the time frame," he said.

QR chief executive officer Nick Easy defended its training, saying it had boosted tutor drivers by 15 since October 2016 — the date driver shortages spilt over into hundreds of service cancellations — and increased the frequency of its driver schools.

He said 131 trainee drivers had entered supply in that time.

That was a net gain of 69 drivers after natural attrition, but 81 recruits were at "various stages" of training.

Mr Easy said its optimised training allowed up to two trainees in the driver cab with a tutor to "practice, observe and embed route and safety knowledge".

Training had been cut from 18 months to 13.6 months, he said.

Mr Easy did not say when the 81 trainee drivers would graduate and there is no date for the restoration of QR's pared back train timetable.

[ozbob]

Latest net driver gain is 69 in 905 days.

Total days to reach 200 = 200/(69/905) = 2623 days = 7.2 years

So 1718  days (4.7 years, c.2024) from today to reach 200 net gain.   

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1109333317852131328

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1109338299057889284

[SurfRail]

Of course the rate of training should be accelerating as more tutors come on-stream.  That is the figure that we really need to know.

[ozbob]

Of course the rate of training should be accelerating as more tutors come on-stream.  That is the figure that we really need to know.

I used to think that.  But the rate seems to be a slow constant at this time.  I hope it accelerates a bit, but no sign yet ...

[ozbob]

https://www.cru.qld.gov.au/Reports

Last report was September 2018. 

I am assuming the Citytrain Response Unit is still in business?  If so there should be a report soon ...

[HappyTrainGuy]

Of course the rate of training should be accelerating as more tutors come on-stream.  That is the figure that we really need to know.

I used to think that.  But the rate seems to be a slow constant at this time.  I hope it accelerates a bit, but no sign yet ...

And given the size of the network and the amount of different rollingstock available.

[ozbob]

Sunday Mail 24th March 2019 page 28

Train drivers face squeeze

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Trainer says Queensland Rail ignored reports of flawed exams

A FORMER Queensland Rail training team leader says his bosses ignored repeated warnings about its flawed train driver refresher tests before a cheating scandal erupted.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau reported in ­February that QR's mandatory safety tests for qualified drivers — the maintenance of competency test — had "significant limitations".

Its analysis of 50 handwritten tests showed a pattern of drivers giving identical or near-identical answers, with "very few incorrect answers noted".

The Courier-Mail can now reveal QR was warned as early as 2016 that the test questions were so badly phrased that competent drivers were struggling to pass without coaching.

Wes Appel, a training team leader during the notorious Rail Fail, said he repeatedly raised problems with the "poorly worded" test after becoming aware of the coaching.

He quit in frustration in April 2017, saying management failed to examine problems with the 250-question test, and put plans for a new online version on hold.

Mr Appel said he became aware of the test's inadequacies after discovering a tutor had coached a driver in how to word answers to questions, triggering a HR investigation.

"I called the tutor in and said there is an accusation made (that) this is what you've done," he said.

"(The tutor) said: 'Yes, I help them because if (I) don't help them those guys will fail the test'." The tutor was warned and the driver was made to re-sit the test. Mr Appel said he later flagged the problematic test with bosses multiple times, but it had not been reviewed when he left QR.

He said the paper test was also draining scarce tutors, who had to monitor up to 50 drivers being tested on their knowledge each month, one-on-one, for two days.

The test was rarely failed as it would have forced drivers into retraining at a time when they were critically needed to drive trains.

QR has acknowledged that improvements are needed.

A spokeswoman said it was introducing a new theory assessment with updated questions in a group classroom setting.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1110208979550896128

[ozbob]

Waiting ...

https://twitter.com/StirlHinchliffe/status/1102734601158459393

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1111287606812143616

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1111288950222512129

What a sad fuking joke they are ...   

[ozbob]

It is mind bending the Ministers are quite prepared to highlight the Shorncliffe peak gap using innocent consitutents, but do nothing to address it.

Cleveland line also needs immediate action.   Absolute sad circus ...

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Train drivers' year-long wait for training spot

JOBSEEKERS recruited to drive trains at Queensland Rail are waiting almost a year to enter driver school as the state's "rail fail" hangover continues.

QR's board was warned last July that 36 people who had received provisional job offers would not be able to enter driver training until mid-2019 because training schools were full.

Board meeting minutes, released to the State Opposition under Right to Information, also flagged how a union challenge to external recruitment could slow the intake of new recruits.

"While applicants continue to progress through the recruitment process, they cannot be appointed until a decision has been delivered," QR chief executive Nick Easy told the board in April 2018.

The powerful Rail Tram and Bus Union had mounted a challenge at the time in the Fair Work Commission to QR's attempts to fill dozens of driver vacancies with external recruits.

External recruitment was a recommendation of the scathing Strachan inquiry into QR, which found external recruitment restrictions was one of four factors in the October 2016 "rail fail".

The RTBU appeal argued an earlier Fair Work decision approving external recruitment involved "manifest errors which give rise to an injustice for the members of the RTBU".

Former transport minister Jackie Trad at the time hosed down concerns of union delays to recruitment.

The RTBU, which refused to comment yesterday, lost the appeal last year.

But a Question on Notice this week from the State Opposition showed just 35 external recruits have been hired since its September 2017 job campaign targeting 200 extra drivers.

That is despite the campaign attracting 10,000 applications.

Another 20 ex-QR staff have been hired. But just nine external recruits are out driving trains.

When including internal recruits, 132 drivers have been trained since the rail fail.

That is a net gain of just 70 qualified drivers when factoring in natural attrition.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey blamed slow progress on the LNP making "no attempt" to recruit externally when in power.

But LNP transport spokesman Steve Minnikin predicted the "rail fail" would "roll on for a decade" at the rate drivers were being hired under Labor.

"To only have nine external drivers actually driving in two years reeks of both union interference and Government incompetency," he said.

"It's crazy to think that successful applicants have to wait over a year before they even start training, let alone start driving trains."

Meanwhile, QR has appointed existing board member David Marchant as chairman.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1111647908850331648

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

30th March 2019

SEQ headlong into Cross River Rail Fail ...

Good Morning,

The latest revelation in the Couriermail today:

Couriermail --> Train drivers' year-long wait for training spot

Reports a net gain of 70 train drivers.  Today is day 912 of railfail.  At this rate it will take another ~1700 days (4 years 8 months) to reach a net gain of 200, the target. This is 2024!  And what about the additional drivers and trains that will be needed for Cross River Rail, due to open in 2024?  I think we are heading to a complete collapse of our rail network under the present training regimes and weak Government leadership.

A net gain of 70 drivers should now allow some incremental timetable improvements.  We are going backwards sadly.  Start by fixing up the peak gap in the Monday to Thursday timetable with the Shorncliffe line AM peak for a start.  Similarly put some extra services in the Cleveland line PM Peak.  And then introduce a consistent Monday to Friday timetable.

Peak On-time running for March 2019 has been very poor ( https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=13475.0 ).  We would have hoped that as NGR train numbers increased, and aged EMUs retired, there would have been improved performance.  There hasn't, it is getting worse.  We might have to put in a RTI for details of the NGR performance.

The Minister for Transport has to snap out of the general complacency that surrounds the non-performance of Queensland Rail.

Frankly, we have had enough of the mediocrity.  It is now time for decisive action!

Best wishes,

Robert

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

[ozbob]

Facebook ..

BrizCommuter: Will QR's Rail Fail impact Cross River Rail's opening?

> https://brizcommuter.blogspot.com/2018/03/will-qrs-rail-fail-impact-cross-river.html

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1111659648816312321

[ozbob]

Living on borrowed time ...   

[ozbob]

A lot of interest on FB

https://www.facebook.com/RAILBackOnTrack/posts/2538398662840972?comment_id=2538821416132030&reply_comment_id=2538954242785414

RAIL - Back On Track Yes John, we all are disappointed. If the October 2016 timetable is finally restored, say 2021 if they manage to increase the rate of net train driver gain, we would have lost 5 years. We should be looking at improved services in 2021, not a 2016 timetable. For example 15 minute off peak frequency between Kippa-Ring and Springfield Central, this would then allow full time express pattern on the Ipswich line. It is hard to be confident for CRR and the proposed timetables, when the operator could not deliver the October 2016 timetable without a 5 year service reduction. There is also the lead time for new trains. They need around another 50 six car sets to make CRR and the rest of the network reach the expected service levels. It takes around 5 years to set up a new train order and delivery. There is no apparent move to do this. There are a lot more hidden costs with CRR to make it work, such as further infrastructure upgrades on the network and ETCS L2 (ATP) signalling. We are disappointed and very concerned. Robert

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Jeffrey_Addison/status/1111776379069038593

Current timetable there are 1,263 services daily Mondays <> Thursdays, Fridays 1,186. 
So Friday has an overall service reduction of 6.1% cf. to Monday <> Thursday. 

[ozbob]

 

https://twitter.com/MarkBaileyMP/status/1111827178134503424