Another 13 new Queensland Rail (QR) train drivers have begun their training this week, bringing the total number of trainee drivers to 145 since the start of the operator’s recruitment drive in October 2016.
State transport minister Mark Bailey said it was possible the training process for the recruits will be expedited, as all have previous experience as train drivers for Queensland Rail.
“With all 13 trainees experienced in driving trains for Queensland Rail previously, including in regional areas and with Aurizon, QR will be seeking to fast track their competency-based training wherever possible and see them out on the South East Queensland (SEQ) network as quickly as we can, without compromising quality,” Bailey said.
“Over the coming months, these trainees will be learning the ins and outs of Queensland Rail’s fleet and every inch of the SEQ network, including every point, every signal and every corner of the track.”
The Fixing the Trains December quarterly progress report from the Citytrain Response Unit (CRU) shows that 51 train drivers and 158 train guards have completed their training since October 2016, out of the 200 for each position that the Strachan Inquiry has recommended for QR.
The Strachan inquiry report, released early last year, found that a chronic undersupply of train crew had led to a “systemic reliance” on overtime, and, moreover, that a lack of staff had been a significant cause of the service cancellations that rocked Queensland’s passenger rail lines in late 2016.
The Strachan report recommended maintaining a “structural surplus” of train crew — including guards — to reduce the risk of service cancellation and enable a fully-operational and regularly timetabled system.
The recruitment process for both drivers and guards is expected to be complete this year, with all training to be finalised in 2019.
“Today’s driver school brings the number of trainee drivers currently undergoing training to 80 – a portion of whom are nearing the end of their qualifications and are expected to enter the network in the before the Commonwealth Games,” Bailey said.
The CRU report also reveals that 17 of the 36 recommendations of the Strachan Inquiry have been completed, and 6 of those in the last quarter. These include the development of a set of standard communication tools and processes to provide passengers with timely information and updates regarding timetable changes, the introduction of an “integrated supply and demand model” that provides 5-year forecasts of train crew, rollingstock and train controllers on a rolling monthly basis, and a review of train crew responsibilities, with a view to “validating and refining” processes and accountability.
Three recommendations that the December report marks as “partially complete” include the planning and managing of timetable stress periods in preparation for the Commonwealth Games, the completion of negotiations with unions (expected to be achieved by March 2018), and the consolidation of crewing rules and processes into a central repository, which is expected to be completed in September 2018.
A further 16 items are marked as “in progress”, and include a planned overhaul of QR’s organisational structure, and the development of a frameworks for timetable readiness assessments and for managing accountability for major capital projects and significant timetable changes.
All recommendations are expected to be implemented by 2019.