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Queensland Rail
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{{Short description|Railway operator in Queensland, Australia}}{{distinguish|QR National}}{{lead too short|date=November 2023}}{{for-multi|an overview of the South East Queensland rail network|Railways in South East Queensland|a general overview of railways in Queensland|Rail transport in Queensland}}{{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}}{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}- the content below is remote from Wikipedia
- it has been imported raw for GetWiki
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History
(File:QR Trains Map.jpg|thumb|280px|{{center|Queensland Rail network}})File:2498 - 060288 - Corinda.jpeg|thumb|2470 class at Corinda in the original diesel livery in February 1998]]Beginnings
Queensland Railways was the first operator in the world to adopt a narrow gauge (in this case {{Track gauge|1067mm|lk=on|disp=or}}) for a main line,Kerr J 'Triumph of Narrow Gauge', Boolarong Publications 1990 and this remains the systemwide gauge within Queensland today.The colony of Queensland separated from New South Wales in 1859, and the new government was keen to facilitate development and immigration. Improved transport to the fertile Darling Downs region situated west of Toowoomba was seen as a priority. As adequate river transport was already established between the capital Brisbane and the then separate settlement of Ipswich, the railway commenced from the latter locality and the initial section, built over the relatively flat, easy country opened to Bigge's Camp, at the eastern base of the Little Liverpool Range, on 31 July 1865. Called the Main Line, the only significant engineering work on that section was the bridge over the Bremer River to North Ipswich.Tunneling excavation through the Little Liverpool Range delayed the opening of the next section to Gatton by 10 months, but the line was opened to Toowoomba in 1867, the ascent of the Main Range being the reason for the adoption of narrow gauge.Built by the Queensland Government to the unusual (for the time) gauge of {{Track gauge|1067mm|lk=on}}, the line largely followed the alignment surveyed by a private company, the Moreton Bay Tramway Company, which had proposed to build a {{Track gauge|1435mm|allk=on}} horse-drawn tramway but had been unable to raise funds to do so beyond an initial start on earthworks.The adoption of a narrow gauge was controversial at the time and was largely predicated by the government's desire for the fastest possible construction timeframe at the least cost.NEWS,weblink PARLIAMENT., The Brisbane Courier, 18 May 1864, 4 March 2014, 2, National Library of Australia, 15 November 2021,weblink live, This resulted in the adoption of sharper curves and a lower axle load than was considered possible using the standard gauge, and an assessment at the time put the cost of a narrow gauge line from Ipswich to Toowoomba at 25% of the cost of a standard gauge line. In a colony with a non-indigenous population of 30,000 when the decision was made, it is understandable.The network evolved as a series of isolated networks. It wasn't until the completion of the North Coast line in December 1924 that all were joined.The North Coast Line {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115232950weblink |date=15 November 2021 }} The Telegraph 9 December 1924 page 8 The exception was the Normanton to Croydon line which always remained isolated. At its peak in 1932, the network totaled {{convert|10500|km|mi|0}}.Changing transport patterns resulted in the closure of many development branch lines from 1948 onwards, but at the same time the main lines were upgraded to provide contemporary services, and from the 1970s an extensive network of new lines was developed, particularly to service export coal mines.Electrification
File:EMU at the opening of Queensland rail electrification.jpg|thumb|EMU01 at Ferny Grove station on the first electric service in BrisbaneBrisbaneFile:QREMU03.jpg|thumb|EMU03 at Sunshine in October 2016]]Commencing in November 1979, the Brisbane suburban network was electrified.In 1978, discussions were commenced on the possible electrification of the Blackwater and Goonyella coal networks. This was due to an expected increase in coal traffic across the networks, an ageing diesel-electric locomotive fleet and the increase in diesel fuel costs. By early 1983, a decision had been made to electrify the networks and by early 1984, contracts were already starting to be let for the new locomotives and other works for the project. The decision was made to electrify with the 25 kV AC railway electrification system as used on the Brisbane suburban network. This would allow future connection of the Brisbane network with the coal networks via the North Coast line.The project was to be carried out in four stages:JOURNAL, Queensland Rail, August 1984, Fact Sheet No.1 August 1984 Everything you should know about Australia's biggest railway project, 1, 1,- Stage 1: Electrification of the main line from Gladstone to Rockhampton, including parts of Rockhampton marshalling yard, then west to Blackwater and the coal mines in the area. This was a total of {{convert|720|km|mi|0}} of the track.
- Stage 2: Electrification of the coal lines south of Dalrymple Bay and Hay Point, then west through the Goonyella system, southwest to Blair Athol and south to Gregory – linking the Goonyella system to the Blackwater system. This was a total of {{convert|773|km|mi}} of the track.
- Stage 3: Electrification of the main western line from Burngrove to Emerald. This would allow electric freight from Rockhampton to Emerald.
- Stage 4: Electrification of the line from Newlands coal mine to Collinsville and northeast to Abbott Point. This stage never went ahead. In 1986, it was decided to electrify the North Coast line between Brisbane and Gladstone instead and this became known as Stage 4.JOURNAL, RW Dunning & AM Drake, c. 1985, Mainline Electrification, 1, 3, JOURNAL, Queensland Rail, February 1986, Fact Sheet No. 9 Main Line Electrification Project Special Edition, 1, 1,
Interstate expansion
File:42107Somerton.jpg|thumb|Interail 42107 in Somerton, VictoriaSomerton, VictoriaIn September 1999, Queensland Rail was rebranded as QR."Queensland Rail Becomes QR and Looks Beyond its Borders" Railway Digest November 1999 page 9 In March 2002, Queensland Rail purchased Northern Rivers Railroad and rebranded it Interail, fulfilling a long-held ambition of expanding beyond its state borders.WEB,weblink QR moves into NSW with Northern Rivers Railroad buy,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150206065505weblink">weblink 6 February 2015, dead, Rail Express, 12 March 2002, 16 September 2018, WEB,weblink QR National push,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161220063049weblink">weblink 20 December 2016, WorldCargo News, March 2002, 16 September 2018, In March 2003, Queensland Rail entered the Hunter Valley coal market when Interail commenced a contract from Duralie Colliery to Stratford Mine. Another coal contract was won in late 2003 for the haulage of coal from Newstan Colliery, Fassifern to Vales Point Power Station. In 2004, Interail began running Brisbane to Melbourne and Sydney to Melbourne intermodal services. In June 2005, Queensland Rail acquired the CRT Group.Queensland Rail sorts logistics for acquisition {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140324085524weblink |date=24 March 2014 }} The Age 25 June 2005In June 2006, the Western Australian business of the Australian Railroad Group was purchased.Sale of Australian Railroad Group {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140105015135weblink |date=5 January 2014 }} Wesfarmers 14 February 2006ARG on board Queensland Rail {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026135647weblink |date=26 October 2012 }} The Age 31 March 2006weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080722080606weblink">QR closes national rail freight deal QR National 2 June 2006Privatisation and the current era
QR was responsible for all Queensland freight services, and from 2002 operated interstate services under the Australian Railroad Group, Interail and QR National brands. These were all spun out into a separate entity in July 2010, and later privatised as Aurizon.In June 2009, the Queensland Government announced the privatisation of Queensland Rail's freight business.Queensland asset sales to reap $15 billion {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091019142829weblink |date=19 October 2009 }} Brisbane Times 2 June 2009Premier announces QR Privatisation Plan {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160115014937weblink |date=15 January 2016 }} Railway Gazette International 4 June 2009 This resulted in Queensland Rail's freight assets being transferred to QR National (now Aurizon) from 1 July 2010.In April 2013, the Queensland Parliament passed the Queensland Rail Transit Authority Bill 2013 that restructured Queensland Rail.WEB,weblink Bills 54th Parliament, Queensland Parliament, en, 2018-05-25,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180525204917weblink">weblink 25 May 2018, live, dmy-all, The explanatory notes published for the bill outlined that the existing Queensland Rail Limited entity would remain although no longer be a government-owned corporation and that entity would become a subsidiary of a new Queensland Rail Transit Authority (QRTA), in effect creating a Queensland Rail group. Under the revised arrangements Queensland Rail Limited retained assets and liabilities and staff were transferred to the QRTA.WEB,weblink Queensland Rail Transit Authority Bill 2013 Explanatory Notes, 2013, Queensland Parliament,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180525205015weblink">weblink 25 May 2018, live, 25 May 2018, dmy-all, As a result of transferring the staff to the QRTA, the government moved those employees from the federal industrial relations system to the state-based industrial relations system, giving the state more control over industrial arrangements.NEWS,weblink Queensland Rail subject to Fair Work Act, 2015-04-08, Hall Payne Lawyers, 2018-05-25, en-US,weblink 25 May 2018, live, dmy-all, In November 2013, five labour unions commenced legal proceedings in the High Court of Australia alleging that the QRTA was subject to the federal industrial jurisdiction rather than the state system. In April 2015, the court ruled the QRTA was subject to the Fair Work Act 2009 and the federal industrial relations jurisdiction.WEB,weblink COMMUNICATIONS, ELECTRICAL, ELECTRONIC, ENERGY, INFORMATION, POSTAL, PLUMBING AND ALLIED SERVICES UNION OF AUSTRALIA & ORS v QUEENSLAND RAIL & ANOR [2015] HCA 11, 8 April 2015, High Court of Australia,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180422172002weblink">weblink 22 April 2018, live, 25 May 2018, dmy-all,Company officers
Commissioners
(File:Abram Fitzgibbon circa 1863.JPG|thumb|Abram Fitzgibbon, circa 1863)(File:James Walker Davidson, newly appointed Queensland Railway Commissioner, 1918.jpg|thumb|James Walker Davidson, 1918)The Commissioners of the Queensland Railways were:- 23 December 1863 – October 1864: Abraham FitzgibbonNEWS,weblink THE GAZETTE., 30 December 1863, The Courier (Brisbane), 1825, Queensland, Australia, XVIII, 2, National Library of Australia, 28 December 2016, 15 November 2021,weblink live, NEWS,weblink SUPREME COURT., 17 November 1864, The Brisbane Courier, 2,122, XIX, 5, National Library of Australia, 28 December 2016, 15 November 2021,weblink live,
- 28 October 1864 – 29 April 1869: Arthur Orpen HerbertNEWS,weblink RAILWAY COMMISSIONERS., 28 July 1924, The Brisbane Courier, 22 June 2015, 37 Supplement: Queensland's Centenary, National Library of Australia, 15 November 2021,weblink live, JOURNAL, 1 May 1869, Queensland Government Gazette,weblink 10, 39, 547, 18 August 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180818084114weblink">weblink 18 August 2018, live, dmy-all,
- 15 July 1870 – 12 March 1885: Arthur Orpen Herbert
- 12 March 1885 – 29 July 1889: Francis W. Curnow
- 29 July 1889 – 30 June 1896: John Mathieson (Chief Commissioner)
- 29 July 1889 – September 1895: Robert John Gray (1st Assistant Commissioner)
- 29 July 1889 – 13 December 1894: Andrew Johnston (2nd Assistant Commissioner)
- 1 July 1896 – 30 September 1902: Robert John Gray
- 5 November 1902 – 24 March 1911: James Forsyth Thallon
- 30 March 1911 – 31 May 1911: Thomas Mulhall King
- 1 June 1911 – 31 October 1918: Barnard Charles Evans
- 1 November 1918 – 28 February 1938: James Walker DavidsonBOOK, Weekly Notice No.8/38, 24 February 1938, Queensland Railways, 1,
- 1 March 1938 – 28 February 1941: Curteis Anthony MurtonBOOK, Weekly Notice No.9/41, 27 February 1941, Queensland Railways, 1,
- 9 March 1941 – 27 February 1948: Percy Robert Turner WillsBOOK, Weekly Notice No.7/48, 22 April 1948, Queensland Railways, 1,
- 1 March 1948 – 31 August 1952: Timothy Edward MaloneyBOOK, Weekly Notice No.34/52, 21 August 1952, Queensland Railways, 1,
- 1 September 1952 – 31 August 1962: Gerald Vincent MoriartyBOOK, Weekly Notice No.35/62, 30 August 1962, Queensland Railways, 1,
- September 1962 – 4 July 1976: Alva George LeeBOOK, Weekly Notice No.26/76, 1 July 1976, Queensland Railways, 1,
- 5 July 1976 – 17 December 1982: Percy James GoldstonBOOK, Weekly Notice No.27/76, 8 July 1976, Queensland Railways, 1, BOOK, Weekly Notice No.48/82, 16 December 1982, Queensland Railways, 2,
- 13 January 1983 – April 1986: Douglas Vernon MendozaBOOK, Weekly Notice No.3/83, 20 January 1983, Queensland Railways, 1, BOOK, Weekly Notice No.17/86, 24 April 1986, Queensland Railways, 1,
- 20 May 1986 – 31 July 1989: Ralph T. SheehyBOOK, Weekly Notice No.22/86, 29 May 1986, Queensland Railways, 1, BOOK, Weekly Notice No.30/89, 27 July 1989, Queensland Railways, 1,
- 1 August 1989 – December 1989: Ross William DunningBOOK, Weekly Notice No.31/89, 3 August 1989, Queensland Railways, 6, BOOK, Weekly Notice No.51/89, 21 December 1989, Queensland Railways, 1,
- December 1989 – 7 October 1990: Robin G. Read (Acting Commissioner)BOOK, Weekly Notice No.37/90, 13 September 1990, Queensland Railways, 1,
- 8 October 1990 – 30 June 1991: Vincent John O'Rourke
Chief Executive Officers {| class"wikitable"|+
!Name!Tenure!NotesServices
South East Queensland rail
{{See also|Rail transport in South East Queensland}}QR operates urban and interurban rail and bus services throughout South East Queensland as part of the Translink network. Rail services operate on twelve lines; Beenleigh, Caboolture, Cleveland, Doomben, Exhibition, Ferny Grove, Gold Coast, Ipswich-Rosewood, Redcliffe Peninsula, Shorncliffe, Springfield and Sunshine Coast. QR operate these with the Electric Multiple Units (EMU), Suburban Multiple Units (SMU), Interurban Multiple Units (IMU) and New Generation Rollingstock (NGR) class electric multiple units.Citytrain fleet {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180909124832weblink |date=9 September 2018 }} Queensland RailDue to low patronage, the Corinda to Yeerongpilly and Doomben to Pinkenba lines have had their services replaced by buses, while due to track capacity constraints, services on the Sunshine Coast between Caboolture and Nambour are supplemented by a bus service. However, track duplication is currently underway, to improve the efficiency of the Sunshine Coast Line.Long-distance trains
Queensland Rail operate long-distance passenger rail services, under the brand name Queensland Rail Travel:Network Map {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904042839weblink |date=4 September 2018 }} Queensland Rail Travel- Tilt Train: Brisbane to Rockhampton
- Spirit of Queensland: Brisbane to Cairns
- Spirit of the Outback: Brisbane to Longreach
- Westlander: Brisbane to Charleville
- Inlander: Townsville to Mount Isa
Tourist trains
Queensland Rail also operate these tourist trains:Former services
Queensland Rail operated many named trains including:- Capricornian: Brisbane to Rockhampton, operated from 1970 until 1993 when replaced by the Spirit of the Outback
- Great South Pacific Express: Kuranda to Sydney luxury train operated from 1999 until 2003Luxury train stuck in limbo {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161030051914weblink |date=30 October 2016 }} ABC News 3 October 2010
- The Midlander: Rockhampton to Winton, operated from 1954 until 1993 when replaced by the Spirit of the Outback (3 May 1954) On the way north - Midlander's first run {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115232952weblink |date=15 November 2021 }}, The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- Savannahlander: Cairns to Forsayth, operated from 1995 until 2004 when contracted out to a private operatorSavannahlander {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180927125234weblink |date=27 September 2018 }} Department of Transport & Main Roads
- Spirit of Capricorn: Brisbane to Rockhampton, operated from 1988 until 2003
- The Sunlander: Brisbane to Cairns, operated from 1953 until 2014 when replaced by the Spirit of QueenslandSunlander Farewell: Brisbane to Cairns service makes final journey after 61 years and 3.5 million passenger journeys {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161101053152weblink |date=1 November 2016 }} ABC News 30 December 2014
Rolling stock
QR sourced steam locomotives from many manufacturers including Armstrong Whitworth, Avonside Engine Company, Beyer, Peacock & Company, Dübs & Co, Kitson & Co, Nasmyth, Wilson & Co, Neilson and Company, North British Locomotive Company, Vulcan Foundry and Yorkshire Engine Company all of the United Kingdom, Baldwin Locomotive Works of the United States, as well as Australian manufacturers Clyde Engineering, Evans, Anderson, Phelan & Co, Islington Railway Workshops, Newport Workshops, Phoenix Engine Company, Toowoomba Foundry and Walkers Limited. It also built some in-house at North Ipswich Railway Workshops.BOOK, Armstrong, John, Locomotives in the Tropics Volume 1, 1985, Australian Railway Historical Society, Brisbane, 0-909937-13-3, 32, 97, In 1936, the company owned 750 locomotives, 67 railcars, 998 coaches, 94 mail cars, 177 brake vans and 18.699 goods wagons.BOOK, World Survey of Foreign Railways,weblink 1936, Transportation Division, Bureau of foreign and domestic commerce, Washington D.C., English, 19, 24 November 2022, 22 October 2022,weblink live, Dieselisation commenced in 1952 with early purchases being imported from GE Transportation and English Electric, before standardising on locally made products from A Goninan & Co, Clyde Engineering, English Electric and Walkers Limited. Electric locomotives were purchased from Clyde Engineering, Walkers Limited and Siemens. Electric multiple units have been purchased from Walkers Limited, Downer Rail and Bombardier Transportation, the latter of two which are still present in Queensland to this day.With the closure of many rural branch lines in the 1990s there was excess motive power on the QR and it was chosen to standardise by using Clyde based diesel locomotives. Most, if not all of the English Electric locomotives were withdrawn by 2000.In June 2021 QR announced that it had shortlisted 3 applicants (Alstom, CAF and Downer Rail) to manufacture 20 (later expanded to 65) new electric multiple units.WEB, Rollingstock Expansion Program,weblink 2021-10-29, sc-tmrwcmgr-cd.azurewebsites.net, en, {{Dead link|date=February 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} These will allow for expansion of the fleet and retiring of the remaining EMU and ICE units.{| class="wikitable sortable"! Class! Image (if applicable)! Type! Top speed (km/h)! Built! Number of units! Routes operated! Notes- Locomotives in Kuranda Scenic Railway livery
Workshops
From its inception, QR's primary workshops were the North Ipswich Railway Workshops. It was replaced by the Redbank Railway Workshops in the 1960s. The Mayne Yard rail precinct is now the forefront for the repairs and maintenance of the fleet.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}Incidents
Notable incidents involving Queensland Rail include:- On 9 June 1925, 9 people were killed in an Accident near Traveston, atop a timber trestle bridge aboard the Rockhampton Mail service. The train was reported to have derailed, causing 2 cars (1 Passenger Car, and 1 Baggage Car) to fall into the Traveston Creek. The incident overall caused 9 Fatalities and over 50 Injuries.WEB, 2015-06-09, FRIGHTFUL RAILWAY ACCIDENT {{!, State Library Of Queensland|url=https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/frightful-railway-accident|access-date=14 August 2021|website=www.slq.qld.gov.au|language=en|archive-date=31 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210331140559weblink|url-status=live}}
- On 5 May 1947, a crowded charter train de-railed and crashed near Camp Mountain due to excessive speeds down a hill and a bend with 16 deaths.Camp Mountain Train Smash {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115232955weblink |date=15 November 2021 }} The Morning Bulletin 2 July 1947 page 1
- On 25 February 1960, the East Bound Midlander Derailed and Crashed 1.5 km away from Bogantungan (Located Between Emerald and Barcaldine) on the now called Spirit of the Outback Service. Floodwaters, had washed away a tree which hit some pylons holding the Medway Creek Bridge up. The East bound Train hauled by two C17 locomotives, at the time had 120 passengers on-board. When the service arrived at the bridge at 2:32am, it plunged 7 – 1/2M into the creek bed after the bridge gave way. Floodwater quickly filled carriages. Both locomotives ended up in the water, as well as three passenger cars. Overall, 7 People lost their lives and 43 people injured. The Medway Creek disaster is seen as the worst in QR's History.WEB, Gall, Sally, 2020-02-26, Medway train crash remembered,weblink 2021-04-04, Queensland Country Life, en-AU, 3 April 2020,weblink live,
- On 23 March 1985, two passenger trains collided head-on near Trinder Park station on the Beenleigh line. Two people died (one of whom was the driver of the south-bound train), and 31 people sustained injuries. Affected units EMU11 and EMU27 were both travelling concurrently on the single track section of the line, despite several "fail-safe" measures and the use of RCS (remote control signalling).WEB,weblink Electric Train Collision, Beenleigh Line, 10 April 1985,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160305200008weblink">weblink 5 March 2016, live, 24 January 2019, dmy-all, NEWS,weblink Two dead in head-on Brisbane train smash, 1985-03-24, Canberra Times (ACT: 1926–1995), 24 January 2019, 3, 15 November 2021,weblink live,
- On 21 September 2001, EMU units 05 and 60 collided with a cattle train near Petrie, causing two carriages of Unit 05 and one carriage of Unit 60 to be scrapped, with the three remaining carriages merged to form EMU 60.WEB,weblink Walkers/Adtranz Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) « qrig.org – queensland railway's interest group, en, 24 January 2019,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180623170216weblink">weblink 23 June 2018, live, dmy-all,
- On 15 November 2004, a Diesel Tilt Train VCQ5 derailed at Berajondo on the North Coast Line due to excessive speed resulting in injuries to over 100 people.WEB,weblink Investigation: 2004007 – Derailment of Cairns Tilt Train VCQ5, Berajondo, Qld, 15 November 2004, Australian Transport Safety Bureau, en,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180523011301weblink">weblink 23 May 2018, live, 22 May 2018, dmy-all,
- On 14 September 2012, EMU41 collided with a heavy vehicle that became grounded on the level crossing at St Vincent's Road, Banyo, on the Shorncliffe line. The train driver performed all necessary braking measures, however they were not alerted in time and the train collided with the vehicle, causing extensive damage to the vehicle and the train (along with another train that was in the stationary near the crash). Injuries were sustained by both drivers.WEB,weblink Serious Injury Collision, St Vincents Road, Banyo 14 September 2012, April 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150924064508weblink">weblink 24 September 2015, live, 24 January 2019, dmy-all,
- On 31 January 2013, IMU173 failed to stop at Cleveland station and collided with the station toilet block resulting in major damage to the train and minor injuries to several commuters and staff.WEB,weblink Investigation: RO-2013-005 – Collision of passenger train T842 with station platform Cleveland, Qld, 31 January 2013, Australian Transport Safety Bureau, en,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180523011722weblink">weblink 23 May 2018, live, 22 May 2018, dmy-all,
- On 18 June 2021, A Queensland Rail operated Train – at the time being used for Driver Training Collided with a Loaded Aurizon Coal Train, at Westwood, West of Rockhampton. The Incident Occurred at 11:26am on an Aurizon operated trainline, the locomotive was travelling to Bluff. The Queensland Rail Locomotive had 3 Drivers onboard, 2 of which Suffered injuries. There was 1 Fatality. The QR locomotive 2471 sustained severe damage, with the Aurizon Locomotive sustaining less Substantial damage. A report of the incident is due in Q2 2022.WEB, Investigation: RO-2021-007 – Collision between a light engine and a coal train at Westwood, Queensland, on 18 June 2021,weblink 14 August 2021, www.atsb.gov.au, 14 August 2021,weblink live,
Criticism and controversy
Sunlander 14
In December 2014 the Queensland Audit Office published a report about QR's Sunlander 14 project. The Sunlander 14 project had a scope to acquire a total of 25 carriages to replace The Sunlander passenger train with a new Diesel Tilt Train, purchase additional luxury cars, for the two existing Diesel Tilt Trains and refurbish their existing carriages.The project was initially costed at $195 million and allowed for the operation of five services a week. However, costs had risen by 2012, and the Queensland Auditor-General reported that the eventual cost would be from $358 to $404 million, because QR had failed to take into account the requirement for upgraded maintenance facilities, as well as en route provisioning.WEB, Queensland Audit Office,weblink Traveltrain renewal: Sunlander 14. Report 8: 2014-15,weblink 16 March 2015, 28 December 2014, The Auditor-General also believed, due to issues with the business case that QR had overestimated how popular the new service would be, and had a mistaken belief that the 'luxury' component of the train would attract more high-paying customers.Chris O'Brien and Kym Agius (9 December 2014). "Auditor-General delivers scathing report on project to replace the Sunlander train" {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161101022911weblink |date=1 November 2016 }}. ABC News. Retrieved 28 December 2014.In 2013 the project was scaled back, with the train length being reduced to nine cars by removing the luxury sleepers and restaurant cars. That resulted in a revised project cost of $204 million. The Auditor-General's report in particular highlighted that due to the fixed-price construction contract the cost per train car increased and that opportunities were missed to pursue broader long distance train fleet renewal.Redcliffe Peninsula railway line and subsequent driver shortages
{{overly detailed|date=September 2018}}The Redcliffe Peninsula railway line opened on 4 October 2016 and created a revised timetable that resulted in a 9% increase in services across the network.WEB,weblink Queensland Rail Train Crewing Practices Commission of Inquiry Final Report, 2017, Queensland Rail Train Crewing Practices Commission of Inquiry, 2–9,weblink 18 March 2018, live, 22 May 2018, dmy-all, Queensland Rail did not have sufficient traincrew to operate the increased services. On 21 October a substantial interruption of service occurred involving the cancellation without notice of 167 services (12% of the scheduled services for the day) due to compulsory rest periods required for the train crew (a break of at least 32 hours required when a crew member has worked 11 consecutive days or 14 consecutive shifts).Following the service interruptions the head of the train service delivery unit was stood downWEB,weblink Brisbane trains: Queensland Rail executive sacked as inquiry begins, 25 October 2016, Brisbane Times,weblink 22 May 2018, live, 22 May 2018, dmy-all, and an interim timetable implemented that reversed the increase in services and demand for traincrew. Several weeks after the service interruptions Queensland Rail CEO Helen Gluer announced her resignation from the company, along with chairman Michael Klug.NEWS,weblink Queensland Rail boss, chairman resign over driver crisis, 27 October 2016, ABC News, 27 October 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161028020142weblink">weblink 28 October 2016, live, en-AU, dmy-all, It was announced on 27 October 2016, that the Director-General of the Department of Transport and Main Roads, Neil Scales, would replace Helen Gluer and that an inquiry known as the Queensland Rail Train Crewing Practices Investigation would be led by Phillip Strachan into the events.NEWS,weblink Acting CEO for Queensland Rail and investigation terms of reference released, 27 October 2016, Queensland Government Media Statements, 21 May 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180522042543weblink">weblink 22 May 2018, live, dmy-all, On 25 December 2016 another substantial service cancellation event occurred due to a lack of available traincrew to operate the services.NEWS,weblink Queensland Rail cancels Christmas Day train services across south east, Casey, Briggs, 26 December 2016, ABC News, 21 May 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180605192437weblink">weblink 5 June 2018, live, dmy-all, NEWS,weblink QR chief operating officer, roster boss Kevin Wright quits, Burke, Gail, 30 December 2016, ABC News, 21 May 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180510215853weblink">weblink 10 May 2018, live, dmy-all, On that day 261 services, or 36% of scheduled services did not operate. The underlying reason for the cancellations was a lack of available drivers to operate services. Queensland Rail's Chief Operating Officer resigned several days later.The inquiry into Queensland Rail's train crewing conducted by Phillip Strachan was completed in February 2017. The report made a number of findings and provided 36 recommendations that the Queensland Government accepted. The findings included that Queensland Rail had experienced a 9% increase in demand for traincrew due to the revised timetable while also experiencing a 7% decrease in traincrew productivity as a result of revised industrial arrangements, had intentionally operated for a number of years with an under-supply of traincrew and utilised the shortfall to provide paid overtime opportunities, had reduced train crew intake during 2014–15 in the lead-up to the opening of the new line, had restrictions on external recruitment and had a longer driver training period than like organisations. The report also highlighted unclear governance arrangements and a short term focus within the operations section that relied on intuition rather than accurate forecasting and a reluctance to share bad news as contributing factors.NEWS,weblink Queensland Rail Strachan inquiry: What went wrong, who is to blame and what's next, Caldwell, Felicity, 6 February 2017, Brisbane Times, 12 February 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170213013418weblink">weblink 13 February 2017, live, dmy-all, The recommendations from the report centred around demand management, supply management, people and process management and governance arrangements.Following the completion of the Strachan inquiry Philip Strachan was appointed as Chair of the Queensland Rail Board replacing Acting Chair Nicole Hollows,WEB,weblink Phillip Strachan to be new Queensland Rail Chairman, 6 February 2017, Queensland Government Media Statements,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180331233445weblink">weblink 31 March 2018, live, 21 May 2018, dmy-all, who had been appointed following the resignation Michael Klug.NEWS,weblink Queensland Rail CEO, chair decouple as Transport DG takes controls, Bajkowski, Julian, 28 October 2016, The Mandarin, 21 May 2018,weblink 22 May 2018, live, dmy-all, A Citytrain Response Unit was established within the Department of Transport and Main Roads to oversee the implementation of the recommendations from the Strachan inquiry.WEB,weblink Shakeup coming for Queensland Rail on the path back to better services, 6 February 2017, Queensland Government Media Statements,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180331233438weblink">weblink 31 March 2018, live, 21 May 2018, dmy-all, The Citytrain Response Unit subsequently commissioned a whole of business review into the organisation that was conducted by Deutsche Bahn and delivered in July 2017WEB,weblink Whole of Business Review of Queensland Rail, DB Engineering & Consulting, July 2017, Citytrain Response Unit,weblink 15 March 2018, live, 21 May 2018, dmy-all, and published reports tracking the progress of the implementation of the recommendations.WEB,weblink Citytrain Response Unit Reports, Citytrain Response Unit,weblink 15 March 2018, live, 21 May 2018, dmy-all, Executive bonus payments were also suspended for 2017.NEWS,weblink Trad axes rail boss bonuses, Probert, Oliver, 10 October 2017, Rail Express, 21 May 2018,weblink 22 May 2018, live, dmy-all,See also
References
{{Reflist|2}}External links
- {{Commons category-inline}}
- {{librivox author|Railways,+Queensland|title=Queensland Railways}}
- Strachan Commission of Inquiry Report on Queensland Rail train crewing practices
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