Locolines Edition 51
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
RT&BU LOCOMOTIVE DIVISION THE OLDEST RAILWAY UNION IN THE WORLD LLOCOOCO LLINESINES Newsletter for Locomotive Enginemen of the Rail, Tram & Bus Union – Victoria EDITION 51 F EBRUARY 2011 DIVISIONAL EXECUTIVE DIVISIONAL SECRETARY: Brian Hill 0404 044 183 DIVISIONAL PRESIDENT: Terry Sheedy 0417 310 400 DIVISIONAL ASSIST. SECRETARY: Paul Carr 0404 044 026 DIVISIONAL VICE PRESIDENT: Darren Lamont 0404 044 789 DIVISIONAL DELEGATES Metropolitan Sub-division: Jim Chrysostomou 0404 814 141 Richard Orme 0404 814 207 Pacific National Sub-division: Peter Laux 0417 526 544 Pacific National (ex Freight) Sub-division: James Styles 0427 018 963 Passenger Sub-division: Gary Jordon 0413 900 343 FEBRUARY 2011 LOCO LINES LLOCOOCO LLINESINES CContenonten ttss EDITION 51 FEBRUARY 2011 Brian Hill — Locomotive Divisional Secretary 3 Loco Lines is published by the Darren Lamont — Locomotive Division of the Divisional Vice President 4 Australian Rail, Tram & Bus Letters 5 Industry Union – Victorian Branch. See the bottom of this Obituaries 6 page for the Locomotive Division’s business address, An open letter to the greater railway community. 7 telephone, e-mail and website details. Central Sub-division Report 7 Loco Lines is distributed free to On the Soap Box 8 all financial members of the Election Statement 8 Locomotive Division. Retired Enginemen also receive the OH&S: Passenger Sub-division 9 magazine for free. It is made available to non-members at a Locomotive Division Scholarships 12 cost of $20.00 per year. Letter of Scholarship Appreciation 13 Advertisements offering a Loco Liveries 14 specific benefit to Locomotive Talkback from Hinch 16 Division members are published free of charge. Heritage groups Back on the Footplate 18 are generally not charged for advertising or tour information. Changes at Hamilton From The Victorian Railways News Letter 19 Views or opinions expressed in Asciano Dumps Controversial Boss 21 published contributions to Loco Lines are not necessarily those of Where Is It …? 22 the Union Office. We also reserve the right to alter or QR National to Slash Jobs — Voluntarily 26 delete text for legal or other Stopping All Stations purposes. Contributions are Book Offer 27 printed at the discretion of the publisher. Loco Division Membership Application 28 Loco Lines, or any part thereof, cannot be reproduced or distributed without the written RT&BU-LD Address: Level 14, 222 Kings Way, consent of the Victorian South Melbourne Victoria 3205 Locomotive Division. Tel: 9682 1122 Fax: 9682 3344 Toll Free: 1800 134 095 E-mail: [email protected] RTBU LOCOMOTIVE DIVISION WEBSITE Publisher www.rtbuvicloco.com.au Brian Hill FRONT COVER: Veteran diesel-electric locomotive B80, which began its railway career in October 1953, stands at the back of South Dynon Loco in the livery of Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia (CFCLA). It is currently leased to Metro. PHOTO COURTESY WAYNE HICKS 2 LOCO LINES EDITION 51 issues of safe train operations including SPAD Brian Hill — mitigation, overlaps and rough track are not their Locomotive responsibility and the network provided is fit for purpose. Divisional Recent advice to this office is that the Crew on the latest in-cab rough track inspection from Secretary Melbourne to Albury were informed by an ARTC track supervisor that ARTC only had funding for remedial works for ten more days on the North East Victorian corridor, with no hope of more AM not surprised to be informing members funding forthcoming until next financial year. I that this office has been advised the remedial If this situation is not successfully addressed measures ARTC supposedly recently undertook to before the onset of winter by ARTC and the repair the damaged track on the Sydney to Federal Government, the rail industry will again be Melbourne rail corridor, due to mud holes, has seriously affected on the Sydney to Melbourne failed to fix the damaged trackbed. The amount of corridor. mud holes has grown over recent months This will result in substantial speed and In Victoria the amount of track damage between operational restrictions being imposed by various Tottenham Loop and Seymour has not been parties and operators to ensure the health and satisfactorily addressed by ARTC, with similar safety of employees is addressed, and result in significant damage starting to develop on the newly delays to services. commissioned west line from Seymour to Benalla The Division has concerns with the safety and Loop. livelihood of RTBU members and will take As raised previously I am advised the damage whatever steps are necessary to ensure the high continues to develop because of the cheap and standard of safety and operational ability that the nasty work practice underpinning the upgrade. The industry requires is maintained, and not lack of regular maintenance, such as drainage and compromised by ARTC’s negligence. the fouled ballast, is a direct result of penny I am of the belief that urgent discussion with the pinching after a less than transparent tender stakeholders must be arranged, facilitated by the process. In my opinion, from the onset of the Department of Transport, to address this situation project it would appear ARTC have done very little with the intention to improve and ensure the to ensure contractors are doing the work as performance and efficiency of interstate rail tendered and are still not requiring that the infrastructure with the objective to not only contractor doing the remedial work in those worse increase capacity, but listen to understand and affected areas is addressing the drainage and lifting respond to the market. the track off the bed. The ARTC company profile and mission Negotiations are ongoing between this Division statement identifies its commitment to a strong, and V/Line Passenger on several matters of efficient, sustainable national rail link through interpretation, such as the time allowance for needs innovation and in collaboration with customers and breaks which resulted in an agreed review stakeholders. As a network provider ARTC asserts concluded some time ago identifying 256 shifts to deliver safe, reliable and competitive rail currently rostered without sufficient time. Another transport to improve reliability and reduce transit matter was Travelling and Incidental (T&I) times on key corridors. expenses for Trainee Drivers training at country Consistent with past practice ARTC as the locations. network provider achieve this by providing and The only outstanding issues now are some claim maintaining a network that is less safe than rail anomalies and management’s intention to address operators should expect. They are extremely the entitlement at the next EA negotiation. reluctant to apply temporary speed restrictions to As members are aware there has been a claim put reduce the impact on Train Crews and operators on V/Line Passenger in regard to the application of because of the political sensitivity and financial overtime payment under the current agreement, penalty. which may require to be dealt with under the ARTC regularly demonstrate a disinterest in dispute resolution process. LL problems raised by train operators and insist that all FEBRUARY 2011 LOCO LINES 3 decision when being instructed by supervisors to Darren breach a procedure. Some of the very helpful and informative publications are the Rail Safety Act, Lamont — Legislation and Regulations and the Occupational Health and Safety Act. While most of it is very heavy Divisional going you will be surprised by what your responsibility might be under law and as I have learnt Vice over the last few years, the answer is in the detail of President their own documents. I guarantee you will come away with something learnt. Please take the time to have a browse around the WorkSafe, Transport Safety Victoria, Australian ET another year rolls past and while some Transport Safety Bureau and the Department of Y might sit back and reminisce on what was, I Transport websites. Even venture into your suggest now is not the time. company’s intranet (only if you have been trained by The industrial climate regularly impose on the your company to operate a computer) and keep an Union and its members due to the public and eye on what they’re up to. government scrutiny of the rail industry, continues to manipulate outcomes of agreements attached to Technology is moving faster than ever before and public transport with regular accusations from experts it is quickly forgotten that there are trains with that the Union is holding back change that public modems and GPS tracking which allow the remote transport needs. We the Union must take every download of live and recorded data. Remote control opportunity now to prepare for the future challenges shunting with locomotives has been around overseas the Division and its membership will face if this line for a long time. of thought continues, or is considered a legitimate The technology that has been developed for remote threat to the direction public transport is intended to monitoring of infrastructure to reduce manpower be taken. costs to companies has resulted in unintentional methods of monitoring trains and Train Crews, such Reliable information and gathering a background to as level crossings with remote monitoring that warn make an educated, informed decision has always been of short ring times. essential to officials and representatives for members Other states are currently dealing with proposals by of a Union. It is with the correct current information, rail operators to install in-cab video and voice and where necessary professional advice, that recording and even external cameras on the front of decisions should be made on every issue being trains as an excuse to assist with level crossing negotiated by the Union for its members. The accident investigation, that will identify whistle and information highway is open to all those who wish to headlight usage by the Driver.