QR Media Releases

QR improves Central Queensland freight services

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:07:00 GMT

QR is expanding freight capacity for customers in Gladstone and Bundaberg by increasing 'Seafreighter' rail services to the Port of Brisbane.

QR's Group General Manager Regional Freight Neil Backer said that from 8 March the number of services from Gladstone to Brisbane would increase from two to five and the number of services from Bundaberg would increase from two to four.

He said the increased frequency of services had been made possible by operational improvements including the replacement of the twice-weekly Seafreighter rail service between Biloela and the Port of Brisbane which also services Gladstone and Bundaberg.

Because of the relatively low rail volume of freight from Biloela and the short haulage distances to major rail and road transport hubs, the rail service could not compete with the faster, more frequent and lower-cost road transport.

"QR has been consulting with affected customers in Biloela about the changes, and they will now be using a combination of both rail and road transport solutions," Mr Backer said.

"From 25 February, freight will be carried by road from Biloela to Rockhampton to link with the six services from Rockhampton to Brisbane each week.

"Our customers have confirmed that they have finalised their preparations to commence the new operations today (25 February)."

Mr Backer said there would be no impact on QR traincrew or staff positions at Biloela as a result of these changes.

"We are changing how we use trains to provide a more efficient and effective solution for our customers," he said.

"Customers, employees, unions and other stakeholders have been consulted about the changes."

QR Reaches Key Milestone In Sale Process

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:37:14 GMT

A major milestone has been reached in the sale process for QR with completion of staff placement for more than 16,000 employees throughout Australia.

QR Chief Executive Officer Lance Hockridge said current staff had either been allocated to the new government owned passenger rail business to be called Queensland Rail or to the freight and coal business which will be called QR National and floated on the stock exchange later this year.

"We are setting both companies up to help drive future growth and success," Mr Hockridge said.

"We believe they need the right assets, the right resources and most importantly the right people.

"While we appreciate change can be difficult, the feedback from staff to date has been positive."

Mr Hockridge said while final numbers were still to be determined at the close of the process on Friday QR National had an employee base of approximately 9,350 and Queensland Rail 6,850.

"Approximately 3,460 staff were offered a transfer to Queensland Rail, which is on target to be established by 1 July this year," Mr Hockridge said.

"As of this morning more than 98% or approximately 3,375 staff had accepted offers for roles in Queensland Rail, with only 19 rejections and about 60 offers still pending.

"This is a positive result and one which we believe will help deliver a dedicated passenger and network business with an enhanced focus on service delivery and customer satisfaction to meet the growing demand for public transport in south east and regional Queensland.

"The balance of QR's 16,000-strong workforce will be employed by QR National, which will be an Australia-wide freight transport and logistics business."

Mr Hockridge said he was pleased with the outstanding rate of acceptances from staff.

"From day one, we've made every reasonable effort to communicate and consult with staff about the changes to this iconic Queensland company," Mr Hockridge said.

"What's happening now is all about positioning the new companies for growth and success in the future.

"Over the past five years, the number of employees at QR has grown from 13,000 to more than 16,000, freight tonnages have grown by approximately 54% and passenger numbers by 34%.

"We are a growing national business and the establishment of these two new companies will help provide the foundation for future expansion and jobs growth."

Mr Hockridge will address staff from across Queensland this week as he visits major rail sites in Brisbane and regional centres, providing an update on progress on the creation of Queensland Rail and QR National. This follows a similar staff roadshow in December.

Central Rail Line Reopens Following CQ Floods

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 10:16:00 GMT

The Central Rail Line has reopened after being closed due to significant damage in the Central Queensland floods on New Year's Eve.

QR Network Acting Executive General Manager Tim Ripper said QR crews had been working around the clock for 16 days to have the rail line open following extensive damage to the rail corridor.

"This is a tremendous show of dedication and hard work to have this vital line reopened," Mr Ripper said.

"There was significant damage where parts of the ground had washed away requiring major repair work, and further rains hampered repair efforts during the last fortnight.

"The Spirit of the Outback service from Brisbane will arrive at Emerald tomorrow afternoon, then travel to Longreach, before making its return trip to Brisbane.

"Passenger and freight services have been effected with the closure of the line and we'd like to thank everyone for their patience while we worked to have this line reopened."

QR also advises residents in the Emerald area that the Opal Street level crossing will be blocked on Monday afternoon while the Spirit of the Outback is stationed in Emerald for approximately 30 minutes.

The Spirit of the Outback will arrive in Emerald at around 3.40pm Monday afternoon and connect with a passenger train which has been stranded at Emerald Station since the floods. The level crossing will be blocked until the trains are joined together and leave the station en route to Brisbane.

Local police have been advised and road detours have been established to minimise the impact on local traffic.

QR begins repairs on rail lines affected by flooding

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 13:25:40 GMT

Flooding in the central west and north west of the state continues to have an impact on a number of QR rail lines.

The central line remains closed between Emerald and Longreach and the Mount Isa line was also closed overnight following concerns about rising floodwaters around Julia Creek.

QR Acting CEO Michael Carter says everything is being done to safely attend to the damage and have trains running again as soon as possible, but further rain may hamper efforts.

"We are still investigating the full extent of the damage and there are significant areas where the ground has washed away under the rail line between Emerald and Longreach. These areas will need major repair work.

"We are having difficulty accessing some areas with rain still falling, but hope that some repairs can start today," he said.

The track on the central line is not expected to re-open before the end of next week.

Mr Carter says a limited number of trains are being affected.

"The Spirit of the Outback service is operating as far as Emerald and we are providing a bus beyond Emerald to help customers reach their destinations through to Longreach.

"These alternate services are being assessed on a daily basis and we ask customers to check the Traveltrain website for the latest information.

"A limited number of freight services have been affected", he said.

The Mount Isa line was also closed last night between Hughenden and Mount Isa following safety concerns about rising floodwaters in the northwest, but the line has been re-opened this morning and there has been minimal impact to trains.

The western line between Charleville and Quilpie also remains affected by flooding.

One freight service has been cancelled on the line, but no passenger services have been affected.

For more information - www.traveltrain.com.au

Coroner findings and recommendations - inquest into deaths, 11 March 2006

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Executive General Manager QR Passenger Paul Scurrah says QR will be looking very closely at the Coroner's findings and recommendations, received at midday today.

"This incident at Goodna was a tragedy on so many fronts - for the three children, for their families and also for our driver who suffers ongoing stress as a result of the accident.

QR has gone to great lengths to implement the recommendations of the Queensland Transport investigation following this accident. This is acknowledged in the Inquest findings today by the Coroner.

We will now look at anything further QR is able to act on as a result of today's findings.

Any action needs to be balanced with the consideration given to the trauma suffered by all those involved, including our train driver.

On a daily basis, our drivers are faced with very challenging and sometimes traumatic situations. Unfortunately, many of this incidents result in very tragic endings.

I take this opportunity to remind the whole community of the dangers in the rail corridor and plead with people to stay safe and stay well away from the rail corridor"

Half a second from tradegy

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 15:33:00 GMT

Two families almost had a Christmas tragedy, following two separate near miss incidents at South East Queensland level crossings.

A school student narrowly avoided death from a speeding passenger train, running across a track to catch a bus, while an adult pedestrian was half a second from paying the ultimate price for her impatience, by trying to beat a train at a level crossing at another suburban train station.

QR has today released frightening surveillance camera footage of both incidents, to warn commuters and pedestrians they risk serious injury and death just to save a few seconds.

QR Passenger Executive General Manager, Paul Scurrah, said the actions of the pedestrians involved were extremely disappointing, with every near miss having a devastating impact on train drivers.

"It is unthinkable someone would deliberately endanger their lives, and the lives of others, by running in front of a moving train," Mr Scurrah said.

"These people are trying to outrun trains which travel quickly and quietly and weigh more than 400 tonnes. It is only luck these incidents didn't result in a more serious and tragic outcome.

"Obviously they leave the train driver shaken and, sadly, they happen all too often.

"Had either of these people slipped or fallen there is no way the train could have avoided hitting them.

"What is it going to take to get pedestrians and motorists to heed the warnings? If you try and beat a train you can't win."

QR recently launched a plea from their drivers via a DVD, urging road users to be patient and wait for trains at level crossings.

Similar patience was needed from pedestrians, Mr Scurrah said.

"Our DVD features confronting and emotional interviews and footage, but we make no apologies for taking whatever measures possible to try and reduce incidents at level crossings.

"Near misses are happening far too often and the message from our drivers is simple: 'We can't swerve, we can't stop, please just be patient'."

QR train driver, Michael Thornes, said he can't understand why anyone would want to run in front of a train, just to save a matter of seconds.

"When I am driving a train at 60 or 80 kilometres an hour, it can take me hundreds of metres to stop," Mr Thornes said.

"The worst part about a near miss is knowing there isn't much I can do but apply the emergency brakes and just wait for the bang.

QR Signs $200 million rail haulage contracts with Xstrata

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:47:00 GMT

QR's specialist bulk freight subsidiary ARG today announced it had signed contracts with Xstrata Mount Isa Mines Limited worth more than $200 million over the next five years.

In agreements effective from 1 December 2009, ARG will transport about 1.4 million tonnes per year of bulk mineral concentrates, metals and mining inputs on the North West rail corridor of Queensland between Mount Isa and Townsville.

ARG Bulk East Group General Manager Chris Gregg said he was pleased to announce the signing of the agreements which continue a relationship dating back to 1929 when QR first began railing freight on this corridor.

"These commercial agreements feature innovative arrangements which achieve better utilisation of resources and improve service reliability," Mr Gregg said.

"We've also improved efficiency by consolidating a number of different contracts and are upgrading our wagon fleet to support the new arrangements.

"These are the first contracts signed by ARG since it took over rail operations between Mount Isa and Townsville in July from QR's Regional Freight business, bringing its expertise and experience in bulk freight and competitive markets to this corridor.

"ARG's presence in this highly prospective region ensures QR is well placed to realise growth opportunities, increase market share and better meet our customers' needs."

Mark Roberts, General Manager Refinery, Port and Logistics, Xstrata Copper, said: "Xstrata Mount Isa Mines looks forward to continuing its relationship with QR, through ARG, for the transport of its products on the Mount Isa to Townsville rail line.

"This line is strategically important to our business for the transport of zinc and copper concentrate, copper anode and lead bullion from our operations in Mount Isa to our Townsville copper refinery and port operations."

QR signs new long term haulage contracts with Xstrata Coal

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:56:00 GMT

National transport and logistics company QR today announced new long term coal haulage contracts with Xstrata Coal worth more than $2 billion.

Click�here to see the Ministerial Media Statement.

Truck Driver Narrowly Avoids Serious Injury after Train Collision

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:50:00 GMT

A truck driver has come close to paying the ultimate price after ignoring a stop sign and colliding with a freight train near Charters Towers.

The collision came despite continuous QR campaigns on the importance of obeying signs and signals at level crossings.

In this latest incident, a freight train clipped the rear of a semi-trailer which failed to stop and give way to the approaching freight train.

The collision had the very real potential to cause serious injury or even death.

It also caused disruption to freight services and the Townsville-bound Inlander.

QR Network Executive General Manager, Mike Carter, said it was hard to believe a professional truck driver would take such a risk following the recent publicity.

"It's difficult to understand why motorists would risk their lives to save a few minutes on their journey," Mr Carter said.

"It's only luck this incident didn't result in a more serious outcome.

"Despite all the publicity surrounding level crossing incidents in the past few months, some people still don't understand the potential danger of failing to obey the road rules. This puts them, train drivers and potentially train passengers at risk.

"QR pleads with all road users to take care at crossings and obey the road rules not only for their own safety but for the effect an accident would have on their friends, neighbours and the wider community.

"Mr Carter said QR had stepped up its efforts to improve awareness of level crossing safety, including rolling out additional community education campaigns.

"QR takes every opportunity to reinforce the crucial safety message to prevent more tragedies occurring," he said.

"QR and the State and Federal Governments are investing more than $60 million in upgrading level crossings with improved signage and active protection such as flashing lights and boom gates.

"However, boom gates aren't the silver bullet solution to level crossing safety. Even where we have them we have seen near misses and collisions with our trains.

"In this instance the level crossing has a stop sign; motorists and truck drivers need to do just that.

QR CHAIR AND CEO WELCOME SALE DECISION

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:25:18 GMT

QR Chair John Prescott and CEO Lance Hockridge welcomed the announcement today by the Queensland Government on the future sale structure of QR.

Premier Bligh announced that the State Government will retain ownership of the passenger service business and assets, including ownership of the metropolitan rail networks. They will also retain regional freight networks and associated operations. A new Government Owned Corporation (GOC) to manage this part of the business will be established - called Queensland Rail.

Ms Bligh also announced that all aspects of QR's current commercial operations including coal, freight, services and parts of network will be sold via an IPO on the Australian Stock Exchange as a vertically integrated, multi-freight transport logistics enterprise - called QR National. Full details of announcement available at http://www.qld.gov.au/assetssale/

"This is a decision for Government but one that makes sense," Mr Prescott said.

"We have a growing national footprint in freight operations with businesses in Queensland, Western Australia, New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria.

"We are no longer restricted by the State border and to operate against our national and international competitors we need to be able to compete on a level playing field without the restrictions of government ownership."

Mr Prescott said he expected the sale process would generate many new exciting expansion opportunities for staff and the various businesses in freight operations.

"Unfortunately there may be some initial uncertainty and confusion for our staff over the sale process, but I am extremely confident that it is their talent and capability that will be most attractive to potential investors," he said.

"Our freight operations are a strong and expanding business and I expect the sale to create more avenues for growth and opportunities for new jobs."

Mr Prescott said at the point of listing expected in the last quarter of 2010, he expected strong market interest.

"We are Australia's largest rail operator with high quality assets and world class talent and expertise," he said.

"In the past 18 months we have put a world class management team in place, building our capabilities in each of the businesses in areas such as capital productivity, sales and marketing, procurement and operations.

"We have mapped a clearly defined strategy to become a truly great Australian company - a world leader in rail and transport."

Mr Hockridge said QR now had the opportunity to truly deliver on the extraordinary potential of the organisation in terms of business growth, financial success and job security for employees.

"The reality is that around the world, the most vibrant and successful freight railways are private owned and vertically integrated," he said.

"Competition on these railways is strong and driven by market forces with access facilitated and regulated by legislated access regimes.

"The outcome is good for employees, good for customers, good for shareholders and good for economies."

Mr Hockridge said the company was vital part of the social and community fabric of Queensland.

"We have been operating in Queensland for more than 140 years and we will continue to play a vital role in shaping the future growth and development of this State."

Mr Hockridge said he would consult closely with stakeholders during the sale process.

"While the Government has indicated different futures for different parts of our organisation they share a common mission - to operate safely, to grow and to provide the best possible service for new and existing customers," he said.

"We have already identified a clear path for growth and I am excited about delivering on that for the benefit of our employees, our customers and our new owners."

John Prescott AC has been Chairman of QR since July, 2006. He served BHP (now BHP Billiton) for more than 40 years, and was the company's Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer between 1991 and 1998.

Lance Hockridge has been CEO of QR since November 2007. He most recently served as President North America of BlueScope Steel and has held various senior transport, operational, manufacturing and human resource roles. He has played a key role in building the management capability of QR.