New InterCity Fleet (NIF) NSW Trains Proposed Operating Model

Bulletin: 47/2018

To: All RTBU NSW Trains Members,

Members are advised that correspondence has recently been received from NSW Trains that outlines their “preferred approach” for crewing arrangements on the New InterCity Fleet (NIF).

Obviously the NSW Trains “preferred approach” is not and cannot be agreed by the RTBU who maintain the position as previously advised of rejecting DOO on safety grounds and the retention of the existing Train Guard and Driver Transfer and Roster Placement policies.

In summary, the NSW Trains proposal is as follows:

• NIF driver to be entirely responsible for all safeworking on the train (including train door operation)
• Full Driver Only Operations (DOO) inside Suburban areas of operation
• DOO on all non-revenue trains including outside suburban areas
• Creation of a customer serviced focused position to be rostered on NIF trains outside the suburban area only
• Customer service position created will be a Station Staff graded employee
• Displaced current InterCity guards would be given preference for the customer service position
• Redundancy for those guards that do not want this role
• InterCity guards that wish to become drivers would be trained accordingly and NSW Trains preferred positon is that they be allocated positions as drivers at their current home depot , circumventing existing Driver Transfer and Roster Placement Policy

The RTBU remains committed to retaining the current Driver and Guard crewing on all services, (including revenue and non-revenue) and current station manning levels in both the suburban and outer suburban areas.

The RTBU has arranged a tour of depots and home stations to discuss both the Rail Entities and RTBU positions and how they affect members.