Article: Queensland Rail drivers putting commuters at risk

[ozbob]

From Courier Mail click here!

Queensland Rail drivers putting commuters at risk

Queensland Rail drivers putting commuters at risk
Article from: The Courier-Mail

Patrick Lion

September 08, 2008 12:00am

COMMUTERS are being put at risk by train drivers who run red lights while chatting with colleagues, making coffee and even falling asleep at the controls.

A litany of embarrassing bungles, including a supervisor who ignored a trainee driver while restocking a fridge, was responsible for a huge 46 per cent spike in the number of incidents last financial year where Queensland Rail drivers missed red signals.

Drivers also blamed distractions such as looming dinner breaks, doing paperwork while they were supposed to be watching trainees and in one case a failed dashboard light that left a driver unable to read a speedometer.

Six of QR's pool of drivers are currently banned for up to 19 months because of so-called Signals Passed at Danger incidents.

Another 10 have been dumped permanently in the past five years.

The cases were detailed in reports handed to The Courier-Mail after Transport Minister John Mickel overruled a Freedom of Information decision blocking their release.

The revelations were the latest blow for QR after last week's Riverfire affair, which cost taxpayers $25,000 when executives were forced to cancel a plush dinner function.

Mr Mickel yesterday admitted he was alarmed about some of the drivers' behaviour.

"Even one incident where a train passes a signal without stopping is serious," he said.

"QR is working on measures to reduce the number and seriousness of incidents."

The most recent fatal Signals Passed at Danger case was the Trinder Park disaster in Brisbane in 1985 but there have been several non-fatal crashes since.

Some cases echoed the 2004 Bundaberg Tilt Train derailment, which was blamed partly on a co-driver making coffee instead of controlling his train.

The FOI documents detailed one alarming red light breach on January 15 last year in which a passenger train driver travelling on the busy Ipswich line overshot the signal at Oxley by 50m.

"Yeah, mate, I done it. I, um, took me eyes off it and went past it," the driver told the Queensland Rail control room after finally stopping.

"I'm fine. I'm just (expletive) off how . . . simple and how useless I was going past it."

QR said it had renewed its focus on safety since the spike in Signals Passed at Danger.

It had several "levels of protection" to cut the number of SPADs but admitted there were still more than 109 passenger and freight breaches last year, up from 73 previously.

Rail, Tram and Bus Union state secretary Owen Doogan accused QR of intimidating workplace health and safety officers while outsourcing safety to a US consultancy firm.

"QR is painting a picture of safety when it is reducing levels by corporatising the issue and taking it from the workplace to a consultancy firm," Mr Doogan said.

Opposition transport spokeswoman Fiona Simpson said the Minister's claims of a focus on safety were undermined by such incidents and that QR's Riverfire "fireworks fiasco" showed it was concentrating more on lavish corporate hospitality than safety.

From Courier Mail click here!

Queensland Rail report raises disaster alarm

Queensland Rail report raises disaster alarm
Article from: The Courier-Mail

Patrick Lion

September 08, 2008 12:00am

HAD the passengers riding peak-hour train 1856 known what was going on in the driver's cabin, they probably would have thought twice about boarding the Cleveland service.

As the normal load of schoolkids and workers knocking off early sped across Brisbane's eastern suburbs, none suspected the sleepy driver behind the controls considered two or three hours' sleep a decent kip.

Just after 3.46pm on May 26, 2006, as the train departed Thorneside station, the driver's head dropped.

"The driver has succumbed to the apparent effects of sleep deprivation and drifted into a level sleep in which the driver's eyes closed and head dropped for a short period," an internal Queensland Rail report stated.

The train was travelling at 73km/h. The driver, now oblivious to a looming red light, awoke too late and overshot the signal by 40m.

An investigation found there was a risk of collision or derailment because another train was occupying the same section of track, 850m ahead.

Yet the weary driver kept driving through the remaining five stations to Cleveland, although QR insisted that under its policy a guard would have moved into the cabin to keep him awake.

The case is one of several alarming examples of so-called Signals Passed at Danger, or missed red signals, given to The Courier-Mail by Queensland Rail after Transport Minister John Mickel ordered their release.

Red signals are meant to stop trains risking collision or derailment if they enter already occupied sections of track.

Mr Mickel's intervention followed a Freedom of Information battle for documents found within Queensland Transport. They were ruled to be exempt as they were created by QR, a government-owned corporation excluded from FOI laws.

Despite the minister's intervention, QR still went to extraordinary lengths to try to thwart attempts by his office to release the reports.

QR's media unit even said it had done its own privacy test ? on top of the one carried out by FOI officers ? and claimed the anonymous drivers referred to could be identified due to the nature of the incidents. In the end, Mr Mickel said commuters deserved to know.

"In line with the consistent view of the Premier, I believe openness and accountability leads to better public outcomes," Mr Mickel said.

FOI officers nevertheless appear to have blacked out more information than the basic personal details that could identify drivers. Still, the information eventually released painted a disturbing picture. In Gladstone last October, a tutor driver known for "sleeping and dozing" on the job might have fallen asleep and failed to monitor a trainee in a "safety critical" zone.

The tutor, with only two hours' sleep after being called in late, moved behind a trainee as a freight train entered a tunnel.

The trainee thought the tutor was watching but was actually looking for an electric jug to make some coffee.

"I've got a red here!" the trainee yelled as he passed a red light at 32km/h. He failed to stop for another 89m.

Further details about the tutor's movements the previous day were censored, even though it appeared they were unlikely to include identifying facts.

QR insists it has several levels of protection to help prevent and deal with similar Signals Passed at Danger (SPAD) incidents, including alarms on Brisbane rail services which activate brakes if not acknowledged.

Statistics showed the number of rail incidents had been on a downward trend for the past decade until a 46 per cent spike last financial year.

"We need to reinforce that going through a red signal does not mean a collision is going to happen," a QR spokesman said.

However the drivers' union claimed the measures were inadequate, saying Brisbane was exposed as there were no Automatic Train Protection (ATP) systems like those used in other parts of the state.

Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Employees state secretary Greg Smith blamed underfunding from QR for the lack of ATPs in Brisbane.

"QR do talk safety but when safety involves an injection of money to address, safety suddenly seems to come second," he said.

The last fatal SPAD collision was the Trinder Park disaster in Brisbane in 1985, in which two people died and 30 others were injured, but other collisions have happened since.

Many of the breaches detailed in the release involved trains overshooting red lights by only a few metres. However, some were more serious.

Some involved overruns of several hundred metres and, in one freight train case at Hay Point near Mackay last year, more than 1km. The coal train driver blamed misleading "route cards" for the breach by 1.1km, putting it on a section of track occupied by another train.

Some breaches were blamed on basic lapses of attention, including admiring scenery instead of concentrating on the track ahead.

Others were due to technical problems with brakes or drivers battling "greasy rails".

Worryingly, some of the antics outlined in the reports echoed recent cases such as the Bundaberg Tilt Train derailment in 2004, which was partly blamed on a co-driver making coffee when he should have been at the controls.

On November 26, 2006, a Tilt Train overshot a red signal at Northgate by 50m after departing Roma St.

"The basic cause was that the train crew were talking and this distracted them from maintaining observance of the signal," a report stated.

And on September 27 last year a freight train overshot a red signal by 20m at Dingo, near Emerald in cental Queensland, after a tutor driver failed to monitor his trainee.

The tutor began restocking a fridge with drinks but noticed an unexpected surge in power.

"Red! Red!" the tutor told the trainee as the brakes were applied. "Give it the lot!"

A few weeks later, a high-speed passenger train being driven by a trainee from Robina to Bowen Hills overshot a red signal at Helensvale by 95m.

The supervising driver claimed he was distracted by paperwork and failed to notice the trainee, who had taken the train up to 138km/h, had misread a speedometer and failed to reduce speed.

On one night of the Ekka last year, a train driver ran a red signal after the light extinguished on his console near the Campbell St level crossing at Bowen Hills.

"This meant the driver was unable to see the speedometer, the AWS sundial or the brake gauge," the report states. "The train driver did not hear the emergency broadcast."

But other breaches were unavoidable, including a peak-hour passenger train involved in a "near-miss" with a delivery van at the Nudgee Rd level crossing, near Doomben, last March. The driver blamed the sun in his eyes, causing him to fail to see the red signal and just miss the van as it cleared the tracks.

A week later, another driver was distracted by QR staff cleaning graffiti in a "hazardous manner".

The train broke the red by 25m, stopping 200m from another at Eagle Junction.

"(It was a) serious incident which could have caused significant property damage, serious injury or death," the report states.

And just after 8pm on November 5 last year, a service exited Brunswick St for the final stop at Bowen Hills.

Feeling weary, the driver lost concentration, missed two warning signals and overshot a red by 10m.

He was too busy thinking about his dinner break.

[ozbob]

This not quite what it seems.  SPAD (signals passed at danger) is a world wide phenomenon on railways.  The majority of these incidents are simply incorrect judgements of braking at low speed and in fact represent no real danger at all.  Additionally there are other occasions where signals may suddenly change.  I was on a rail motor (the last Saturday rail motor to Gatton actually) and as the rail motor approached the signal protecting a road crossing near Rosewood the signal changed to red. The driver immediately braked the rail motor but over shot the signal.  This was recorded as a SPAD.  It turned out the crossing circuits where faulty and the rail motor eventually proceeded on written authority.

Other causes of SPADs may include badly designed signal layouts, inattention and being distracted, signal lights dim or dirty or lamp failures. The Southern Aurora accident at Violet Town in the late 60's was associated with a SPAD.  The driver had died of a heart attack and the fireman had hit the vigilance control against the signal at danger.

Sometimes weather conditions fog or heavy rain, may be a factor too.  Train protection and warning systems are now additional safety factors should a SPAD occur and Control also detects a breach and can act.

There is no doubt that over the years accidents have been associated with SPADS, but the multilayer protection now in place helps protect against system and human errors.  The fact that the incidents are recorded and clearly handled in a proactive manner is a credit to all.

For those interested here is a paper on SPADs in Norway.  Click here!  PDF

Cheers
Bob

[ozbob]

ABC Radio 612 Brisbane, Spencer Howson conducted a short interview on this item.  I was able to highlight the wider view and also we got onto the possibility of commuter rail services from Helidon and Toowoomba.

Thanks for the opportunity Spencer.

Regards
Bob

[ozbob]

From Courier Mail click here!

Railway safety record defended

Railway safety record defended
Article from: AAP

September 08, 2008 10:42am

QUEENSLAND rail authority and the train drivers' union have defended the railway safety record following media reports of unsafe practices.

Documents obtained by The Courier-Mail showed there were more than 109 incidents of Signals Passed at Danger (SPADs) in the past financial year, up from 73 in the previous year.

The incidents included drivers running red lights and falling asleep at the controls.

But Queensland Rail's chief executive officer Lance Hockridge said today passengers could have the utmost confidence in QR's safety.

"Every day QR carries 170,000 people to their destinations safely right across Queensland, including the fast growing south-east corner of the state," Mr Hockridge said.

"Passengers take more than 60 million journeys on the QR network each year and with the continuing influx of people into the state and the increasing popularity of rail travel, this figure is growing.

"The fact there has not been a fatality from a collision of QR trains for more than 20 years demonstrates that our safety system is working."

Mr Hockridge said the SPAD figures could be misinterpreted.

"A SPAD occurs when train passes a red signal without permission," Mr Hockridge said.

"It is not the same as driving through a red traffic light because QR has multiple layers of protection before and after red signals to prevent collisions.

"In the vast majority of circumstances our drivers are 100 per cent focused on the job.

"While it's disappointing that distractions occur very occasionally it is a human reality and that's precisely why we have multiple levels of safety protection."

The Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Employees (AFULE) said the overwhelming majority of SPADs are small errors and pose no risk.

"Safety is the No.1 priority for train drivers," said union state secretary Greg Smith.
"No driver goes to work to run a red light.

"Running a red is an extremely stressful and demoralising experience for any driver."

Mr Smith said QR could install a "train stop" system on its Citytrain network which would intervene to stop the train before a red signal.

[ozbob]

Safety breaches: case histories
From Courier Mail click here!

Article from: The Courier-Mail

September 08, 2008 12:00am

CASE histories of safety breaches by Queensland trains have included trains overshooting red lights near busy stations.

PASSENGER TRAINS

When: 8.20am, February 9, 2007
Service: Ferny Grove to Cleveland
Where: Brunswick Street
Reason: Driver developed a "mind set" that the signal was not red after noticing it was yellow at previous station.
Result: Overshot red signal by 12 metres, leaving the cab 317 metres from another train on the same section. Services delayed.

When: 5.45pm, March 15, 2007
Service: Doomben to Pinkenba
Where: Nudgee Rd Level Crossing
Reason: Driver blamed sun obstructing view of red signal before he just missed a delivery van crossing the road.
Result: Delivery van clears track just in time after train overshot red signal. Incident declared a "near miss".


When: 6.44am, August 9, 2007
Service: Robina to Bowen Hills
Where: Beenleigh
Reason: Driver was distracted while reporting a track defect at Bethania station, forcing control room to issue emergency call to stop.
Result: Overshot red signal by up to 10 metres.


When: 8.29am, September 17, 2007
Service: Robina to Bowen Hills
Where: Sunnybank
Reason: Driver was distracted by a number of construction workers and a Bob Cat carrying out tasks on the nearby Salisbury to Kuraby railway line near the vicinity of the red light.
Result: Overshot red signal by two carriage lengths


When: 3.44pm, October 3, 2007
Service: Airport to Roma Street
Where: Eagle Junction
Reason: Emergency radio broadcast used to stop the train after the attention of the driver was momentarily diverted toward a cloud of smoke or dust from an adjacent train passing him.
Result: Overshot signal by half a carriage length. Another train was on same section but not close enough for a collision.


When: 8.44am, December 27, 2007
Service: Domestic Airport to Bowen Hills
Where: Bowen Hills
Reason: Driver didn't realise the headlight switch had moved and, while looking for the new position, did not realise he was approaching a red signal.
Result: Overshot red signal by only 2 metres.


FREIGHT TRAINS


When: 10.26pm, May 19, 2007
Service: Rolleston to Callemondah
Where: Bluff, near Rockhampton
Reason: Driver suffered a "lapse of attention" and was going too fast while he noted the scenery around him to his fellow driver.
Result: Overshot red signal by 236 metres.


When: 11.14am, July 26, 2007
Service: Minerva to Golding
Where: Rocklands
Reason: The driver failed to notice earlier warning light but had earlier noted problems with the dynamic brake. It was also suspected they were distracted communicating with another crew. Second, less-experienced driver noticed the approaching red but did not raise the issue as his partner was in charge.
Result. Overshot red signal by 131.5 metres into section occupied by another train.


When: 9.43am, September 21, 2007
Service: Rolleston to Callemondah
Where: Boonal
Reason: Driver going too fast while crew was busy conversing with other crews. Train passed red signal at 37km/hr.
Result: Overshot red signal by 308 metres. One coal service delayed for 79 minutes.


When: 5.33am, October 5, 2007
Service: Jillian to Hay Point Coal Terminal
Where: Hatfield
Reason: Driver, suffering fatigue, told to stop by control room after failing to see red signal early enough due to thick fog.
Result: Overshot red signal by 50 metres.

[ButFli]

I liked the one about the moving headlight switch. Sneaky little bugger.

[Dean Quick]

Typical Courier Mail sensationalist tripe!!
I have just visited the CM website and let them know exactly what I thought about this latest beat-up.

[yobborobbo21]

Everyday there's car and truck accidents that causes death yet a train goes 50 metres past a red light it front page news, obviously CM don't like the railways, oh hang on, News Ltd don't like rail because the Daily Telegraph and Herald Sun constantly bag rail in NSW and Vic.

Go card users being constantly ripped off should be front page news!!

[ozbob]

From Courier Mail click here!

Queensland Rail looks at new train safety system

Queensland Rail looks at new train safety system
Article from: The Courier-Mail

By Steven Wardill

September 09, 2008 12:00am

QUEENSLAND Rail has admitted it is investigating a new safety system amid an alarming increase in the number of distracted drivers running red lights.

QR is in the preliminary stages of assessing the effectiveness and cost of a so-called Automatic Train Protection system for the Citytrain network.

The system halts trains automatically before they run red lights as opposed to the current system that only stops them if the driver neglects to push a button.

It comes after QR spent yesterday attempting to hose down concerns over its safety after the The Courier-Mail revealed a 46 per cent spike in "signals passed at danger" incidents.

Documents released by QR at the behest of Transport Minister John Mickel showed there were 109 SPAD incidents in the last financial year compared to 73 the previous year.

Passenger and freight drivers missed the stop signals for an array of reasons, including restocking the fridge and fetching coffee.

But QR bosses attempted to allay fears by repeating the company's "safety is our number one priority" slogan at a press conference.

However, asked if the current safety system was foolproof, QR network executive manager Michael Carter said: "What do we mean by this word?".

Mr Carter said QR's Citytrain network had a multi-layered safety system, including an automatic warning system that applied the brakes if the driver failed to acknowledge a warning signal.

"Our aim of having all of these safety systems in place is to avoid the accidents," he said.

However, he confirmed the more advanced Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system was under consideration.

A similar system is used on the coastal Tilt Train railway as well as the Perth metropolitan system and is being backed by the driver's union as necessary for the Citytrain network. However, the shared use of the southeast Queensland track with freight trains makes the introduction of ATP expensive and problematic.

[ozbob]

As I passed through Roma St Station this morning I was handed a flyer from QRPassenger staff.

Good to see staff out there reaffirming rail safety and keeping communication channels open.
Well done QR!

[O_128]

yeah i got one of these this morning at central

[ozbob]

From Courier Mail click here!

Secret report exposes Queensland Rail safety concerns

Secret report exposes Queensland Rail safety concerns
Article from: The Courier-Mail

By Steven Wardill

September 10, 2008 12:00am

QUEENSLAND Rail vows its train services are safe while a scathing secret report warns that poor practices are putting passengers and staff at risk.
A flyer currently being distributed on Citytrains by QR insists passengers need not be concerned about drivers running red lights and should tell their family and friends about the company's "excellent safety record".

However, an internal report leaked by concerned QR staff has exposed a litany of serious safety issues, prompting calls for an independent inquiry.

Obtained by The Courier-Mail, the report marked "strictly commercial in confidence" reveals QR drivers were running red lights at a rate more than 9 per cent above the national average.

The report also reveals a "macho culture" prevented the reporting of near-misses, staff were not trained in emergency evacuation procedures and there were concerns cost-cutting was impeding proper procedures.

The April 2008 report said that when severe accidents did occur, investigations were "minimal", and the implications were neither recognised nor reflected in improved internal systems.

"The array of deficiencies suggest that there is a comprehensive breakdown of basic good housekeeping in terms of safety requirements," the report states.

QR chief executive officer Lance Hockridge last night admitted the State Government-owned corporation's safety procedures were not good enough and an investigation was under way into the "substantial issues" raised in the report.

"This is about leadership and it starts with me," he said. "I am committed to having not just the best safety processes in the world but to also transform QR into an organisation with a passionate safety culture."

Liberal National Party transport spokeswoman Fiona Simpson said an inquiry was essential because the leaked report revealed basic safety was not being followed.

"QR's management must provide more than lip service and slick advertisements," she said. "They have a duty to back up their promises and ensure the day-to-day safety procedures are being followed."

The Courier-Mail revealed this week a 46 per cent spike in so-called "signals passed at danger" incidents in just one year, with drivers distracted while making coffee, restocking fridges and watching construction workers.

QR argued passengers were not at risk because of its multi-layered safety system but the report described the jump as "particularly disappointing when you consider the previous CEO's commitment to reducing this".

The report also highlights safety concerns across QR's different divisions, including a "laissez faire" attitude to safety by workers and management, "tardiness" addressing issues, a poor safety culture and missing emergency plans.

One in five QR staff was injured each year at an average cost of $18,207 an injury.

"In an average work group of 10 personnel, that is $36,414 of hidden corporate costs being generated concurrently with cost savings due to the non-investment in safety equipment," the report said.

Mr Hockridge said considerable progress had been made since the report,  however Ms Simpson said this was only being undertaken now after the Labor Government had allowed the culture to degenerate after a decade in power.

My comment on the CM Blog.  Some interesting posts on that blog too.

QR is a huge railway even by global standards. There are ongoing safety issues with all organisations not only QR. QR is addressing safety and personally I have no problems at all travelling by rail. Goodness, how much safer than the basket case that is Brisbane roads. The major issue is being jammed in like a no frills can of sardines on commuter services. (And this is a direct consequence of under-resourcing by Government).

I think the opposition spokesperson has nailed it this time. QR has been used as cash cow by the George St mob, not much of it has been reinvested in other areas of operations such as passenger services and safety management systems. QR train crew, control staff, station staff and management are no doubt sick and tired of being constantly attacked in the media. I am grateful for the commitment by all our rail (and other public transport) staff. The government has much to answer for ....

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail 6th February 2009 page 23

Fewer trains run red lights

Fewer trains run red lights

QUEENSLAND Rail has reduced the number of trains running red lights following damning revelations of drivers increasingly missing signals because they were asleep or making coffee.

New figures show passenger and freight trains breached socalled "signals passed at danger" 53 times in the six months to December 31, down 12 per cent for the same period previously.

The Courier-Mail last year revealed that red light breaches had jumped 46 per cent in the 2007-08 year to a total of 109. A QR spokesman welcomed the improvement, saying the goal was to have no breaches. Patrick Lion

[Matt]

This seems like a classic example of crew worked past a safe amount of overtime, to compensate for QR's refusal to employ the right amount of crew.
I used to work in the oil industry and the bosses reckoned it was cheaper to work us on overtime on longer shifts, on days off, etc, instead of hiring more workers.
A recipe for disaster particularly with moving vehicles, a moments distraction or lack of concentration due to tiredness, could cause lives to be lost.