Queensland Rail

[ozbob]

I will say one thing,  if there are any more service cuts the AP Government may as well start packing up now!

This is a deplorable situation, no amount of spin and hope can disguise that ...

[#Metro]

Some interesting comments from our friend Chris Hale

www.linkedin.com/hp/update/6236693809468710912

I agree. "Communication" is a rubbish non-reason that I hear get trotted out all the time.

Bad communication is an effect, not a cause. When someone buries a report, that's not "bad communication" that's deception and

poor working practices. Then there is incompetence etc.

[#Metro]

It is still too early to be sure about Andy Byford.

Paul Pluta broke the news, it popped up here, Brisbane Times picked it up then no doubt CM saw it on the BT website and appended

it. This is an echo chamber effect - we just have to wait and see.


Andy Byford would be excellent to run PTQ. The Toronto Transit Commission is an excellent model - I cannot think of any better

choice to pick from.  Indeed, the TTC model was what was used as the basis for creating the New Bus Network Proposal for

Brisbane. http://tiny.cc/newnetwork


With the reforms in QR - the Travel Train, Kuranda, and perhaps track ownership/access etc should be split off from Queensland Rail

as it is in Melbourne and Sydney. Queensland Rail needs to focus on running trains to the exclusion of anything else that is non-

core.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Andy Byford likely to be named new QR boss

Queensland may have poached a Pom who does not own a car and who has re-shaped Toronto's rail network over the past five years, to reinvigorate Queensland Rail as its new chief executive officer.

In Toronto, Andy Byford is responsible for getting good rail service for 540 million customers a year with a salary of over $340,000.

Queensland Rail's new chief executive officer is set to be announced in state parliament this week.

Sources close to the search for a new QR boss believe Mr Byford is likely to win the job.

Since 2011, Englishman Andy Byford, 51, has been the chief executive officer of the Toronto Transit Commission.

Before that he was New South Wales RailCorp's chief operating officer.

In March 2012 Mr Byford launched a five-year corporate plan to completely modernise TTC's operation.

This is similar to the call contained in Phillip Strachan's report into the QR's management failings released last week after a series of driver shortages and falling customer confidence in south-east Queensland's rail network.

Mr Strachan called for management overhaul of QR.

Mr Strachan's report praises the Transport for London model.

Before working at RailCorp in New South Wales, Mr Byford worked in management at Transport for London, which runs the London Underground, it's suburban rail network and its trams, buses and taxis.

"Transport for London is frequently regarded as a best practice model by public transport organisations around the world," Mr Strachan's report said.

"Under its model, Transport for London is accountable for delivering and integrating most metropolitan transportation services in Greater London.

"It has a separate entity dedicated to managing long-distance, inter-city rail services."

A spokeswoman for Transport Minister Jackie Trad's office on Monday said the selection process was "still ongoing" and QR's board had not finalised a decision.

Mr Byford has told the Toronto Sun he was lured to Toronto partly by his Canadian wife Alison, and partly to turn around a rail team that was "clearly stuck in the 1970s".

"I saw a golden opportunity to modernise a transit organisation from top to bottom," Mr Byford told the Toronto Sun in October 2016.

He told the Toronto Sun he didn't own a car and was renowned for making meticulous reports to his management team each week.

"He visits many TTC locations and meets with front-line staff every week. His monthly reports and performance scorecards to the board are detailed. October's (report) was 67 pages long," the Toronto Sun reported in October 2016.

Mr Byford won praise in 2014 after he negotiated a four-year deal with Toronto's rail unions, which was within the Toronto Rail board's approved "cost guidelines" and didn't need to go to arbitration.

Mr Byford's Linked-In page shows he runs Toronto's large bus, subway and rail fleet, its maintenance and the safe operation of plant, track, signals and station assets.

"We have reorganised to put the customer at the centre of everything we do, developed a five-year strategic plan to deliver our vision and introduced a Customer Charter to provide early service improvements."

Queensland Rail Chairman, Phillip Strachan, said no decision had yet been made.

"The recruitment of the Chief Executive Officer is in its final stages and remains confidential."

[Stillwater]

Please, no more comparisons in media statements that compare the performance of this government with the last .... along the lines of:

the figure is x % better than in the last y months of the LNP government.

this performance figure is z % better than the average of the three years that the other crowd was in power

expenditure is up by xx % than the annual spend by the last lot

it is all meaningless.  Governments have spend cycles, down some year, up next, and there is inflation and conflicting priorities etc.

What this type of media release is showing is that the party in power still wants to play a political game and its precisely that which is turning the voters away.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Queensland Rail wants new train drivers, but there's a catch

[HappyTrainGuy]

It is still too early to be sure about Andy Byford.

Paul Pluta broke the news, it popped up here, Brisbane Times picked it up then no doubt CM saw it on the BT website and appended

it. This is an echo chamber effect - we just have to wait and see.


Andy Byford would be excellent to run PTQ. The Toronto Transit Commission is an excellent model - I cannot think of any better

choice to pick from.  Indeed, the TTC model was what was used as the basis for creating the New Bus Network Proposal for

Brisbane. http://tiny.cc/newnetwork


With the reforms in QR - the Travel Train, Kuranda, and perhaps track ownership/access etc should be split off from Queensland Rail

as it is in Melbourne and Sydney. Queensland Rail needs to focus on running trains to the exclusion of anything else that is non-

core.

Can't split traveltrain from QR and you can not compare it to other states.

[#Metro]

Why not?

We just split off an entire freight division from QR and privatised it, so this small change should be easy.

[Stillwater]

Thanks HTG, always informed comment.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Why not?

We just split off an entire freight division from QR and privatised it, so this small change should be easy.

Well because TravelTrain rollingstock are maintained at Mayne - excluding the KSR - which is the same depot that looks after the CityTrain rollingstock. Its the only facility in the state that does (you can't palm it off to Aurizon to do mtce on as they have cancelled all passenger contracts although they were overhaul contracts and not general mtce contracts so it doesn't even matter). The freight side is by far totally different. They have multiple depots across the state/nation... some of which are now closed or closing as they shuffle their rollingstock around. You are basically going down the same stupid slope when people keep bringing up that DMUs should be running on the Beaudesert/interstate or whatever line. If you mash up a cow outside of Cooroy heading north the damage only gets repaired when back in Brisbane. A Tilt breaks down then it gets towed back to Mayne.

"But other states...." is a load. NSW has different depots. The same with Victoria as Metro has its depot and VLine have theirs. Perth has 2 different rollingstock depots (each depot can only service that particular rollingstock) just for different types of rollingstock running on the transperth network. And then their long distance trains have a further depot.

It's a lot of trouble to go through for a public perception that they are only focused on servicing and catering for the CityTrain network. And for what really? And splitting the track access??? Aurizon's queensland track budget is more than the ARTC's national budget so I'm not going to be one of the first people to roll out the welcome mat for someone else to take over the network - which is already generating income to QR in the form of track access fees from freight operators. But yeah lets just privitise that too so some stupid shareholder can make a few bucks.

[ozbob]

QR targets ex-staff with job ads - https://t.co/kdyYjy2iVb pic.twitter.com/KFVpW2z5Z0

— Rail Express (@RailExpressNews) February 13, 2017

[ozbob]

.@QueenslandRail has started advertising externally for more train drivers. @maxfutcher https://t.co/gFE8UxhTgg https://t.co/2wIqWy7Auq

— 7 News Queensland (@7NewsQueensland) February 13, 2017

[ozbob]

@Robert_Dow https://t.co/DNf2tNRuCy

— Daniel Bowen (@danielbowen) February 13, 2017

^

Andy Byford tells me it's not true that he's taking this job. Says he was approached but declinedhttps://t.co/6PCrX8U2f1

— Oliver Moore (@moore_oliver) February 13, 2017

Might have been a Paul Pluta inspired beat-up ?

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

14th February 2017

Queensland a transport failure ..

Good Morning,

Some doubt has been raised about the new CEO Queensland Rail being Andy Byford.

There is this tweet:  https://twitter.com/moore_oliver/status/831113145116655617

[ Oliver Moore ‏@moore_oliver 4 hours ago

Andy Byford tells me it's not true that he's taking this job. Says he was approached but declined ]

Frankly, I would be surprised if Mr Byford did accept the position of CEO Queensland Rail.   Mr Byford is the type of person who could well be the CEO of Public Transport Queensland should that occur though.  My Byford understands the need for proper integration of the public transport network.  In Queensland we have silos of mediocrity, replication, competition and inefficiency.

Transport is a mess in Queensland.  It needs proper restructuring.   Not more of the same band-aids and pathetic spin and bluster and poor planning and action.

Consider this:

Couriermail --> #GoQld: Sunshine Coast 'choked' by inadequate road, rail infrastructure

Just further evidence of the transport shambles.

Best wishes
Robert

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

[ Attached: https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=12341.msg187856#msg187856 ]

[#Metro]

Andy Byford turned it down - officially? How could he! It's QLD!!

They should just increase the $$ offer. Maybe headhunt him for PTQ. Pay him with the money that would otherwise go into bonuses!

Well because TravelTrain rollingstock are maintained at Mayne - excluding the KSR - which is the same depot that looks after the CityTrain rollingstock. Its the only facility in the state that does (you can't palm it off to Aurizon to do mtce on as they have cancelled all passenger contracts although they were overhaul contracts and not general mtce contracts so it doesn't even matter). The freight side is by far totally different. They have multiple depots across the state/nation... some of which are now closed or closing as they shuffle their rollingstock around. You are basically going down the same stupid slope when people keep bringing up that DMUs should be running on the Beaudesert/interstate or whatever line. If you mash up a cow outside of Cooroy heading north the damage only gets repaired when back in Brisbane. A Tilt breaks down then it gets towed back to Mayne.

Thanks for the info HTG. But have you considered that Airtrain isn't Queensland Rail? Where do AirTrain rollingstock get maintained or have dings repaired? Another example: Queensland Rail's NGRs will be maintained by a non-QR organisation.

So perhaps a new organisation (TravelTrain QLD?) could simply contract QR to do the maintenance etc on its specialised rollingstock.

It's a lot of trouble to go through for a public perception that they are only focused on servicing and catering for the CityTrain network. And for what really? And splitting the track access??? Aurizon's queensland track budget is more than the ARTC's national budget so I'm not going to be one of the first people to roll out the welcome mat for someone else to take over the network - which is already generating income to QR in the form of track access fees from freight operators. But yeah lets just privitise that too so some stupid shareholder can make a few bucks.

Well, TravelTrain Queensland could well be publicly owned by the Queensland Government. I am not sure why you conflated separation with privatisation. For example, RailCorp was separated into NSW Trains and Sydney Trains and both are of government-owned character. So one does not imply the other.

I think there would be very little money to be made in regional QLD train services as there are so few services run, it may well be public and I would accept that.

Happy to be corrected, but my understanding is the in Victoria rail access and tracks etc are owned by VicTrack, an infrastructure and asset holding company that is Victorian Government owned. It sells access on a commercial basis to its communications and so forth. Similarly, in NSW that function is done by RailCorp NSW. Both organisations are government owned, so again I am not sure why separation is being conflated with privatisation.

Just because something is government owned does not mean that services are free or that there is no profit being made - government owned Energex and Australia Post routinely make profits.

[Gazza]

Where do AirTrain rollingstock get maintained or have dings repaired?

Airtrain don't own any rollingstock.

[BrizCommuter]

Sent to all outlets:

14th February 2017

Queensland a transport failure ..

Good Morning,

Some doubt has been raised about the new CEO Queensland Rail being Andy Byford.

There is this tweet:  https://twitter.com/moore_oliver/status/831113145116655617

[ Oliver Moore ‏@moore_oliver 4 hours ago

Andy Byford tells me it's not true that he's taking this job. Says he was approached but declined ]

Frankly, I would be surprised if Mr Byford did accept the position of CEO Queensland Rail.   Mr Byford is the type of person who could well be the CEO of Public Transport Queensland should that occur though.  My Byford understands the need for proper integration of the public transport network.  In Queensland we have silos of mediocrity, replication, competition and inefficiency.

Transport is a mess in Queensland.  It needs proper restructuring.   Not more of the same band-aids and pathetic spin and bluster and poor planning and action.

Consider this:

Couriermail --> #GoQld: Sunshine Coast 'choked' by inadequate road, rail infrastructure

Just further evidence of the transport shambles.

Best wishes
Robert

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

[ Attached: https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=12341.msg187856#msg187856 ]

Mr Byford would be crazy to get involved with the mess that is SEQ's public transport system. Interesting where some blog views are coming from...

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Speculation mounts over who will be appointed Queensland Rail CEO

SPECULATION is swirling around who will take on the top job at Queensland Rail as questions emerge over the frontrunner for the role.

UK-born head of Canada's Toronto Transit Commission Andy Byford is understood to be the top pick for the job after the recruitment search was narrowed down to two international contenders.

Mr Byford would tick many of the boxes as a new leader for QR, coming highly experienced and regarded by rail industry sources as an ambitious trouble-shooter capable of tackling QR's many problems.

An international search has been underway since the sudden resignation of former CEO Helen Gluer last October amid hundreds of rail service cancellations sparked by train driver shortages.

However, the Toronto public transport body has released a statement denying Mr Byford would take on the job.

Commission spokesman Brad Ross told The Star "he does not plan to leave TTC for Queensland Rail" and had been "approached by them but declined."

The article, though, states it is Mr Byford's final year in the five-year modernisation plan he took on at the transport organisation in 2012 and he has no fixed-term contract.

Mr Byford has previously worked for Sydney's rail authority where he was in charge of operations.

[ozbob]

I expect there are more than a few qualified train drivers in Queensland that have not actually worked for Queensland Rail.

They are still excluded from applying for positions with Queensland Rail.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Thanks for the info HTG. But have you considered that Airtrain isn't Queensland Rail? Where do AirTrain rollingstock get maintained or have dings repaired? Another example: Queensland Rail's NGRs will be maintained by a non-QR organisation.

Depends how much information you actually know. As Gazza has mention. AirTrain do not own any rollingstock. All rollingstock that runs on the Airport line is owned by QR. AirTrain only owns the spur section (which was completely privately funded) under a BOOT scheme. Since AirTrain has no rollingstock they have a commercial agreement with Queensland Rail for infrastructure mtce and for trains to run on it. Airtrain has very minimal duties outside of its name. Since they don't have all these other factors to account for they can charge whatever they like and in return it runs at a profit (early on they almost went into administration due to low patronage). As its operated under a BOOT scheme the infrastructure will be transferred to QR in about 15 years or something.

Well, TravelTrain Queensland could well be publicly owned by the Queensland Government. I am not sure why you conflated separation with privatisation. For example, RailCorp was separated into NSW Trains and Sydney Trains and both are of government-owned character. So one does not imply the other.

Hahahahaha. You do know that NSW has been trying to privitise their railways and PT??? (I think Newcastle had their buses privitised a couple years back just as the railway was shut down?). They split it up and now the Government is trying to hide over 100 privitisation documents by citing that they are cabinet-in-confidence. It doesn't happen over night. Back in the early/mid 2000's QR split up into 5 divisions. Passenger (traveltrain/citytrain), Network Services, Network Operations, Freight (national intermodal) and Coal (Queensland and Hunter Valley). At the time everyone was assured that they were splitting it up to make it easier to manage and not to privitise. Since QR has branched out nationally we have to make divisions but we aren't going to privitise it. It will create more jobs however. A couple years later its been privitised and about 2300 jobs have been cut from both organisations. Pollies used the same tactics for gutting QR during the Newman era. It doesn't need to be a GOC because there is no freight and its to bring it back closer to the government and we are doing it for the public. Not long after their is an employment freeze, lots were made redundant and there will be no forced cuts to frontline staff however if you wish to go here's a nice payout and no one to take your spot of the foreseeable future.

In regards to Victoria. VicTrack owns the track but they are not responsible for mtce on it. Metro is. All track work is conducted by Metro either by their own employees or outsourcing mtce works such as Speno for railgrinding. One thing Connex and Metro have done to maximise profits for its shareholders has been to reduce the mtce budget. Its why Melbourne has some of the worst track infrastructure in the nation. Aurizon has the same deal for Queensland. Some tracks are maintained better than others but the bulk is by far well looked after purely because they are freight lines and they also get money for track fees from other major operators.

[ozbob]

14th February 2017

Media Release
Deputy Premier, Minister for Transport and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning
The Honourable Jackie Trad

Fixing the Trains

Deputy Premier and Minister for Transport Jackie Trad has pledged to fix the trains in her first speech to Queensland Parliament this year. 

"Last week the Premier released the Strachan Commission of Inquiry Report into train crewing practices at Queensland Rail," Ms Trad said.   

"The report lays bare the problems at the heart of Queensland Rail and exposes critical management failures.

"While the report is a damning indictment on management practices at Queensland Rail, it also serves as a blueprint to rebuild for the future.

"The problems that led to driver shortages were many years in the making, but as Transport Minister I am absolutely committed to fixing the trains.

"That's why we have accepted all 36 recommendations made by the Commission of Inquiry in full.

"We are 100% committed to boosting train crew numbers – including through external recruitment – and restoring services for the travelling public.

"From Gympie North to the Gold Coast, our CityTrain service is the backbone of our transport network for thousands of Queenslanders.

"Commuters deserve better, which is why I plan to get on with the job of implementing each and every one of the recommendations from the Strachan Inquiry – driving Queensland Rail to deliver a better passenger service.

"Queensland Rail has been instructed to provide the Government with a high level response plan within 30 days.

"We have also appointed a new Chair, Mr Phillip Strachan, and Queensland Rail is in the final stages of appointing a new CEO.

"I want to thank all of the frontline staff at Queensland Rail who have been working diligently behind the scenes to deliver services in challenging times.

"We will fix the trains. It will take time and it will be difficult but we will do it."

ENDS

[#Metro]

Since AirTrain has no rollingstock they have a commercial agreement with Queensland Rail for infrastructure mtce and for trains to run on it.

Right. And therefore the fact that regional Queensland Trains are serviced and maintained at Mayne doesn't seem to be an obstacle to separating regional services and TravelTrain functions from Queensland Rail and placing that with another organisation dedicated to that.

Back in the early/mid 2000's QR split up into 5 divisions. Passenger (traveltrain/citytrain), Network Services, Network Operations, Freight (national intermodal) and Coal (Queensland and Hunter Valley).

One doesn't imply the other. NSW Trains and Sydney Trains are both public. This is a result of RailCorp being a disaster to manage and the desire to reduce the span of management and make things simpler. It's like every change you see HTG is a privatisation or a potential privatisation. Time to put the bogeyman away IMHO.

Highly likely TravelTrain QLD would be publicly owned for size/scale reasons. We need to reduce what QR is doing to so that the CEO focuses on its core business - running trains in SEQ.

[red dragin]

Traveltrain would be what, 6 to 10 train sets?

Cheaper for the state government to hold onto it and absorb costs, than subsidise another operator who would probably subcontract QR for maintenance as looking after so few trains would not justify building a new depot.

All that would happen is the government (the taxpayer) would be paying the mark up put on the service by the private operator.

[#Metro]

Cheaper for the state government to hold onto it and absorb costs, than subsidise another operator who would probably subcontract QR for maintenance as looking after so few trains would not justify building a new depot.

QR needs to focus on SEQ. CEO doing too much and reporting split 5 ways covered in the Strachan Inquiry.

All that would happen is the government (the taxpayer) would be paying the mark up put on the service by the private operator.

Well, as I wrote earlier in the thread:

I think there would be very little money to be made in regional QLD train services as there are so few services run, it may well be public and I would accept that.

Separation does not imply privatisation.

[ozbob]

Queensland Parliament Hansard 14th February 2017

https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/hansard/2017/2017_02_14_DAILY.pdf

Questions Without Notice

Queensland Rail

Mr KING: My question is to the Deputy Premier. Will the Deputy Premier update the House on
train crew training within Queensland Rail?

Ms TRAD: I am very appreciative that I have got a question about the train recruitment process
in the House today. I had expected one from those opposite but I do not think they have written it down
yet. Yesterday I was pleased to personally welcome the first batch of new recruits into Queensland Rail:
40 guards and 25 trainee drivers. Sixty-five new people turned up to start their training to make sure
that we can fix the trains. That was fantastic. We have also advertised for former drivers to come back
to Queensland Rail, a common-sense first step given their experience on the railway. This is part of our
comprehensive recruitment campaign that will include external recruitment. We are determined to fix
the trains, and training more drivers and guards is a critical part of our strategy going forward.
The Strachan inquiry report is the line in the sand. It is the blueprint for reform. We have looked
at the organisation root and branch. We are the only government to have done this. We have looked at
Queensland Rail and we have sought independent eyes to analyse the problems, and we have got the
way forward. It is this government that is determined to fix the mess that those opposite presided over
in their time but refuse to talk about. The Strachan inquiry report revealed that as early as 2013 the
organisation knew the risk of a train crew shortfall, and that was identified in 2013. Critically, we know
that these forecasts were not acted upon at that time. Whose job was it at the time to make sure there
was a ministerial—

An honourable member interjected.

Ms TRAD: Yes, it was the member for Indooroopilly. He knew this when he talked to the ABC on
22 February. When he said he wanted to move train crews from North Queensland down to the
metropolitan network, he said, 'We need train crews down south because we have an excess in the
north and we need more in the south.' However, what did he do? Nothing! No, he actually did more. He
presided over eight tutor drivers going—gone—10 driver-operators gone and a freeze on recruitment.
Why was that? It was because he was more interested in segways than he was in the railways. He took
his eyes off the ball.

(Time expired)

Mr SPEAKER: Before I call the member for Indooroopilly for his question, I am informed that we
have legal studies students from the Earnshaw State College in the electorate of Nudgee observing our
proceedings from the gallery. Welcome.

Queensland Rail

Mr EMERSON: My question is to the Treasurer. What direction, formal or otherwise, did the
Treasurer give to Queensland Rail regarding the 2016 enterprise agreement?

Mr PITT: I thank the honourable member for the question. I can safely say that there is no informal
direction; either you are issuing a direction or you are not. Apart from that, what we have done—both
myself and the former minister Stirling Hinchliffe—is put very clearly our views of what should be
happening in this space on the record and to the board for their consideration. We did not issue a
direction. As the Strachan report very clearly details, what we have seen is an enterprise agreement
that has been signed off by—

Mr Emerson: Bypassed.

Mr PITT: No, that is not correct. Be very careful, member for Indooroopilly. What we are seeing
is an enterprise agreement which has been signed off and recommended by the board to the

14 Feb 2017 Questions Without Notice 31

government. That has gone to a ballot and is expected to be ratified in the coming weeks. Those
opposite are going to continue to try to rewrite history. As honourable members have just heard the
Deputy Premier outline, when in office those opposite oversaw a significant funding cut to Queensland
Rail. We saw that their hand-picked CEO, Glen Dawe, actually suspended driver recruitment. In 2014
it was a critical element—

Mr Nicholls: It made no difference; did you read that part of the report as well?

Mr PITT: I take that interjection from the member for Clayfield, the Leader of the Opposition
because we know that the report said that it was a critical piece to the recruiting. We know that when it
came to delivering the timetables that we were expected to look at, there was a critical juncture and
that was what happened—and you can see outlined in the report on page 34 the period in which no
driver training schools were occurring. Over the past week those opposite have tried to conflate issues.
What we cannot ignore here are the facts. The member for Indooroopilly was the transport
minister of the day and the member for Clayfield was the Treasurer. They had very different roles and
I am not going to suggest that the member for Clayfield as Treasurer of the day in his role as a
responsible minister should have been seeing to day-to-day operational matters because that is not my
role; it is a role for the Minister for Transport. What did he do in his role? The Treasurer of the day, Tim
Nicholls, imposed savings targets on QR of more than $773 million. We have talked about the job losses
that were there between 2012 and 2014. We saw 140 train crew, or 13 per cent, gone; 18 staff in tutor
or inspector roles were actively cut and as far as back as 2014 the QR workforce and resources plan
forecast a deficit in drivers. We know all this, but we also know the Strachan report said—

... reductions in training programs and tutors was a contributing factor to the undersupply of train crew. Had training not been
suspended—


by Glen Dawe—
Queensland Rail would have had up to 30 more drivers in October 2016.
(Time expired)

Queensland Rail, Board

Mr POWELL: My question without notice is also to the Treasurer. Given the Treasurer's previous
answer, will the Treasurer tell the House the views he expressed to the Queensland Rail board?
Mr PITT: I am very pleased to express those views. What I would say is that when we spoke with
the board and when we wrote to the board, we clearly outlined that we are experiencing significant
driver shortages, the train crewing issues were having a significant impact on the network and it was
important to see the speedy resolution of the enterprise bargaining process which had been ongoing
for some time. In order to respond to the member appropriately, I will go back a little to talk about just
how this has been set up and how we worked through this process as a government.
At that stage the member for South Brisbane, the Deputy Premier, was the transport minister.
she wrote to the then chair to let them know that we would be applying the government owned
corporations wages framework over Queensland Rail, although it was no longer a GOC; it was now a
statutory authority. We did that. The details of that settlement framework included applying a wage
increase of three per cent per annum and backdating wage increases to no further than 1 March 2015.
There is an important component here and that was to look to see if we could achieve up to a maximum
of 1.5 per cent of the three per cent in productivity gains. That was not always necessarily going to be
achievable, but it was our aspiration.

We know in that time we had many different backwards and forwards conversations with the
organisation dealing directly with the workforce and unions, and on 25 August QR tabled an offer of
settlement with the relevant rail unions for a new train crew agreement. As we go further through this
process, importantly the former CEO of Queensland Rail came back to the government saying that they
had reached an in-principle agreement and asked the government, through CBRC, to provide some
certainty to that process, which we did. When that decision was made it was communicated back
through the CEO to Queensland Rail to enact that decision.
Going forward, there have been a lot of suggestions about what roles people have had and what
parts they have played. The CEO of that organisation, who is paid more than $700,000, is responsible
for their abilities under the Queensland Rail Transit Authority Act, and that includes keeping
shareholding ministers and responsible ministers up to date on what is happening and ensuring that
those processes are followed. It is not my role as the Treasurer and it is not the role of the former
minister or the current minister to do her job for her, and that is a very important point. We expect that
they are following the necessary steps set out in the business plan and the operational and strategic
plans. As I said earlier, an agreement has now been reached. What the former minister and myself said
to the board through our correspondence was that we expect this to be a speedy resolution because
the unions and the workforce have bargained in good faith with Queensland Rail, and we expect that
this process can be finalised so that we can get on with the job of fixing the trains.

[HappyTrainGuy]

One doesn't imply the other. NSW Trains and Sydney Trains are both public. This is a result of RailCorp being a disaster to manage and the desire to reduce the span of management and make things simpler. It's like every change you see HTG is a privatisation or a potential privatisation. Time to put the bogeyman away IMHO.

Hahahaha. What's there to imply? Mate, you obviously have no clue about the real things out there. So very blissfully unaware. Even bob here knows how close QR came to being privitised again.

It's privitisation by stealth. NSW did it with the electricity grid and they've done it to Newscastles PT network. I suggest you take a couple hours and read up on few things like Mike Baird and and look into detail about how pt (such as Newcastle where part of the line was ripped up for private housing and the government saying it wasn't privitising anything before privitising it all) has changed down there. Do you think he retired because he was to popular??? Shouldn't be hard to google last years articles about the government refusing to release documents about privitisation plans.

I'll get you started.
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/end-of-the-line-for-newcastle-rail-after-government-wins-key-vote-20151015-gk9nqy.html

And also what does QR mean to you?

[#Metro]

Hahahaha. What's there to imply? Mate, you obviously have no clue about the real things out there. So very blissfully unaware. Even bob here knows how close QR came to being privitised again.

It's privitisation by stealth. NSW did it with the electricity grid and they've done it to Newscastles PT network. I suggest you take a couple hours and read up on few things like Mike Baird and and look into detail about how pt (such as Newcastle where part of the line was ripped up for private housing and the government saying it wasn't privitising anything before privitising it all) has changed down there. Do you think he retired because he was to popular??? Shouldn't be hard to google last years articles about the government refusing to release documents about privitisation plans.

I'll get you started.
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/end-of-the-line-for-newcastle-rail-after-government-wins-key-vote-20151015-gk9nqy.html

And also what does QR mean to you?

Six privatisations and counting hey?

So if Queensland Rail and TravelTrain holidays are separated... that will cause a privatisation to happen? Really??

But if TravelTrain holidays aren't separated... that will somehow "protect" QR from privatisation? How??

Or maybe that's wrong and secretly QR will be privatised anyway... and because it wasn't separated BOTH SEQ Trains and Regional trains get privatised together??

So separating causes privatisation, and NOT separating causes privatisation too?

[Stillwater]

I prefer to contemplate how many angels can fit on the head of a pin -- it is easier to follow the argument.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Oh grow up you little whinge bag. You are the one that constantly wants to privatise everything be it buses, trains or whatever. I only pointed out that there is no point in splitting traveltrain from qr because its only handful of services and what's it going to achieve? Nothing. You still have to maintain the rollingstock and the infrastructure is still being maintained by queensland rail. Why waste millions forming a new government department for what?

You are the one that keeps harping on about Queensland Rail (not seq rail) should only be looking after the seq area. Its not worth going through all the hassle of splitting it up. What's the point? Public perception? Give me a break.

I only pointed out the ways that state governments have attempted to privatise railway assets by sketchy backdoor plans. You mention that the railways in nsw were split up and are still both public. I only rebutted with what the government has actually done since it was spilt. NSW has gone down the same route that QR did when it came to splitting. All nice and packaged up and when someone wants to make a quick buck its gone in an instant. Hence me making the reference. And trust me I have left a lot of sh%t out.

There was a lobbiest that kept donating funds to the LNP who was in favor of privatising the states pt assets who just so happened to be part/spokesperson for the same independent group that recommend that nsw should split its railway assets up for privatising (this just prior to the LNP government releasing their study into railcorp). Then came the split. Then the following night the end of the Newcastle line suddenly had been proposed to be closed again much to the annoyance to the locals that lived there and the proposal was just rushed through. The line was closed and it was only due to the public getting an injunction on the state government to not remove any infrastructure that it was still in operating condition despite trains terminating a few km down the line. Then a new bill was passed and the courts ruled against them and the line was ripped up a few days later. The government spruced plans for a new bling light rail network and big interchange hub. Some report recommend against it saying travel times would increase and a number of other things etc etc etc (think if the MBRL was built in the 1940's to the redcliffe jetty and the Newman government decided to shorten the line back to Kippa Ring and replace it with buses and a different light rail route via the Dolphins footy club). After the line was torn up the nsw governments planning group (forget what their called) tried to push through rezoning changes to build/allow other developers to build multistory buildings on the railway corridor to which the Newcastle council recently denied. The electricity network in NSW was privatised under a 100 year lease. Once more people started diving into the background more shady stuff came out. Baird's approval rating dropped to the lowest its ever been for a premier. Plans for privatising all the pt except the railway in Newcastle was released. Even more shady stuff surfaces in regards to westconnex and still does. Documents regarding future privatisation for the railways and states buses were made public but their details weren't released. STA was on the chopping block but the stage government announced that the STA won't be privatised in Sydney however 200 jobs would be cut. Then it was formally announced that buses, ferries, light rail and infrastructure was now privatised in Newscastle.

I really can't be assed arguing when you no or minimal understanding of what actually goes on.

[ozbob]

Let's keep this thread back on the topic.  Discussions on ' Privatisation ' can be carried on elsewhere if desired.

>> https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=12563.0

Thanks for your cooperation.

[ozbob]

A question was asked in Parliament this afternoon about any further service cuts to the rail fail timetable.

Answer was along the lines will not know for a month or so.

Hansard not yet available but will check it out later.   Any more service cuts is simply not acceptable. 

It is already the worst timetable for any rail operator in Australia.  Hopeless connections, plagued by constant mechanical and other issues. 

And to think these pr%%ks pocketed cash bonuses for years to deliver this crap.

No wonder the roads are a festering basket case as well.  People are really struggling to use the pt network at times.

It might be time to start contemplating ripping up some lines and replacing with electric bi-artic buses.  The rail corridor would be good for those vehicles.

At least they might be able to run every few minutes.

[ozbob]

Premier @AnnastaciaMP just failed to give a rail guarantee to commuters - two more years of pain, lost trains and no trains #qldpol

— Tim Nicholls MP (@TimNichollsMP) February 15, 2017

[ozbob]

@AndrewPowellMP says @AnnastaciaMP mislead the House on train passnger patronage answer - will write #qldpol

— Fair 4 All (@Qldfairgo) February 15, 2017

[ozbob]

Queensland Parliament Hansard

https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/hansard/2017/2017_02_15_DAILY.pdf

Questions without notice

Queensland Rail, Train Cancellations

Mr POWELL: My question without notice is to the Premier. Will the Premier give Queensland
commuters a guarantee that there will be no more cuts to the current Queensland Rail timetable, which
has already lost 472 weekly services?

Ms PALASZCZUK: I thank the member for Glass House for the question. If he had bothered to
read the Strachan report, he would have seen that it is very clear that the new chair of the board said
that he wanted to stress test that timetable and report back within one month. That is exactly what is
happening. There is the report if the member wants to read it. If he opens it up and reads through the
pages, he will actually see it there in black and white. The Deputy Premier is focused on implementing
the recommendations of the Strachan report. She is absolutely committed. She was welcoming the new
recruits at the train driving centre on Monday.

124 Questions Without Notice 15 Feb 2017

Ms Trad: Sixty-five.

Ms PALASZCZUK: There were 65 there ready, willing and able to get trained. That is exactly
what my government is doing. I want to publicly put on the record my thanks to Phillip Strachan for the
work that he did in relation to this issue. As I have said—and let me say it once again—there is going
to be a stress test and a report back within one month. It is in black and white there. It cannot be clearer.

Mr SPEAKER: Member for Albert, you are warned under 253A. If you persist, I will take the
appropriate action.

Queensland Rail

Mr MANDER: My question is of the Premier. Will the Premier confirm that the real reason behind
her government's refusal to release the Citytrain patronage data from last year is because the RACQ
is correct that more and more Queenslanders are giving up on Queensland Rail and getting back in
their cars because of Labor's rail fail?

Ms PALASZCZUK: I thank the member for Everton for the question. My recollection is that under
your previous LNP government it was not released, but I stand to be corrected. I will have a look. If
there is—

Opposition members interjected.

Ms PALASZCZUK: So rude, so arrogant and out of touch. My recollection is that when I was
Minister for Transport it came out through TransLink. I am happy to look into the matter and the transport
minister is more than happy to get back to those opposite.

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

16th February 2017

RAIL Back on Track 8 Point Recovery Plan - Updated

Greetings,

RAIL Back on Track wishes to comment on the Strachan Inquiry Report and proposes the following recovery plan.  It is essential that Queensland Rail return to a full timetable not later than January 2018.  If Queensland Rail is not able to achieve that deadline consideration should be given to replacing Queensland Rail with an operator that will.

1. New ministers - a single minister and one assistant minister to be given the sole responsibility of the transport portfolio. This will guarantee single focus, and an experienced successor for the minister. [ Achieved, thank you! ]

2. Public Transport Authority of Queensland (PTQ) set up - a statutory authority based on the Western Australian model. Get someone like Western Australia's ex-Transport Minister Alannah MacTiernan to head it. Remove Public Transport from Main Roads, merge TransLink and the Cross River Rail Authority into PTQ.

3. Rail services on the Redcliffe Peninsula Line (RPL) should be shuttle services during the off peak with some through peak services. This was the approach that was used by Queensland Rail when the then Richlands branch line opened in January 2011.  A full timetable was only implemented in June 2011, as part of the wider sector one changes. The Queensland Rail rail network ran to timetable before the RPL opened, in fact was touted as the best ontime running in the nation!

Waiting two years to get back to timetable is completely unacceptable and we reject it in the strongest terms. The suggestion that 'there are no quick fixes' is unsubstantiated and we question why RPL line shuttles have not been considered whilst more crew are trained.

4. Abolish "internal favouritism" hiring provisions as soon as possible. Such practices create extra recruitment costs for Queensland Rail and appear to favour men over women (due to guard demographics) in train crew roles.

5. Get driver training down to 9 months, like other operators. [ Achieved? ]

6. Empower the new PTQ Authority to enforce its contracts through fines and contract termination. The current setup is a monopoly - both public and private - and that is overriding all other aspects of service quality and delivery as operators cannot be fired no matter what. Without choice of operator, there can be no meaningful enforcement.

7. The Queensland Rail board and Queensland Rail executive leadership team should be fired. Do not replace the board - Mr Strachan can be a single commissioner for railways under PTQ like Sydney Trains.

8. Tackle Brisbane City Council - there is a parallel mess happening with the Brisbane Bus Network which has been left to fester since 2013. Get buses running to trains and fix the bus network so that it connects with rail. We have shown how to do it here --> http://tiny.cc/newnetwork

Best wishes
Robert

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

[ Attached: https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=12341.msg187726#msg187726 ]

Note: DP Minister for Transport Ms. Trad has handed responsibility for personal transport (Uber taxis etc.) to Minister Bailey.

[ozbob]

RAIL Back on Track 8 Point Recovery Plan - Updated
> https://t.co/qy3KybWW4h#qldpol@jackietrad @AnnastaciaMP @AndrewPowellMP pic.twitter.com/xNTkodiQKX

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) February 15, 2017

[ozbob]

Queensland Parliament Hansard

https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/hansard/2017/2017_02_16_DAILY.pdf

Queensland Rail, Overtime

Mr MANDER: My question is to the Premier. In October 2016 it was revealed at the peak of
Labor's rail fail that Citytrain drivers alone were being paid almost half a million dollars per fortnight in
overtime. Will the Premier tell Queenslanders how much overtime has been paid to Citytrain crews
since the opening of the Moreton Bay rail link and the start of Labor's rail fail?

Mr SPEAKER: Premier, you have two minutes.

Ms PALASZCZUK: As we know, this was one of the issues that was canvassed as part of the
Strachan review. We are working through those recommendations. We also know that overtime had to
be paid because under the former LNP government there was a freeze on training. Overtime actually
operated under their period of government as well. What we do know is that when we get more drivers
there will be less overtime.

My main focus is to ensure that we have a reliable and sustainable timetable. That timetable is
getting stress tested at the moment. I know that Deputy Premier, now Minister for Transport, will ensure
that all of those recommendations are endorsed.

Mr SPEAKER: The time for questions has expired.

[ozbob]

The notion of ' stress testing the timetable ' is really very concerning.

Are the internal systems within QR that bad they don't know if the timetable will work?

So what next?  More service cuts until a point is reached where the system becomes even more unusable for many?

Bizarre stuff this, even for Queensland .. 

[#Metro]

Doesn't the timetable modeling company do that already?

Maybe they are modeling extra scenarios like Easter or what would happen during flu season?

In any case, they have extra drivers coming online and a reduced timetable for two years, so plenty of time.

[ozbob]

I refuse to accept that a full timetable has to wait two years.  Utter bullsh%t and incompetence.

If QR cannot deliver a full timetable by January 2018 then an operator that can should be engaged IMHO.

Utter frogsh%t.  Why hasn't the board and ELT been booted by now?