Article: Union slams plan for lone train drivers

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Union slams plan for lone train drivers

Union slams plan for lone train drivers

Posted Sat May 9, 2009 3:10pm AEST

A rail union says the Queensland Government should reject a proposal to allow trains to operate with just one driver between Townsville and Cairns.

Freight company Pacific National has received approval by the Rail Safety Regulator to trial single driver trains from Townsville to Cairns.

The company says it completed an 18-month risk assessment and has used single drivers between Brisbane and Townsville since 2005.

Owen Doogen from the Rail Tram and Bus Union says the move would put lives at risk.

"It's a disgrace that they would even consider reducing the safety levels," he said.

"Our drivers come to work and they want to go home with their limbs and their life intact.'

He says trains in the state's north are not fitted with automatic stopping technology, and there would be no way to stop a train if something happened to the driver.

"We would really seek the Queensland Government to pull their regulator into line and say unless there's automatic train stop and unless those level crossing issues have been fixed, then there shouldn't be any 'driver only' operation in that corridor," he said.

Two drivers were killed on the line near Cardwell late last year when the tilt train collided with a truck at a level-crossing.