Maintenance Centre Crewing Reform

Recently the Division has been advised by RailCorp that the Operations Support and Rollingstock divisions have conducted a review of crew requirements for fault finding shifts, exchange car shifts and mechanical control shifts.

The following changes have been proposed as a result of the review.

1. The removal of the 5 days per week fault finding shifts at Mortdale and Hornsby.
2. The removal of the 5pm shed shifts Monday to Friday at Flemington as they are not required by RSD.
3. The exchange car shifts at Mortdale, Hornsby and Flemington to work revenue service’s until crib and then to use the remaining 4 hours after crib for exchange car working rather than whole shifts being rostered for exchange cars. This is because the shifts currently start during peak hours and empty train movements are not possible during peak hours.
4. It is proposed to rename the ‘wash shifts’ and ‘shed shifts’ at all three maintenance centres ‘Shed/Wash shifts’. This is for flexibility and better use of driver time when only 5 hours of washes are programmed. RSD Operations Planners will allocate work to drivers on these shifts according to business needs.
5. It is also proposed to make some of the Shed/Wash shifts available to Drivers from that depot who are unable to assume main line work. Allocation of these shifts will be done at the period roster posting stage.

RailCorp has advised that it is now ready to begin consultation on these proposals, and as such we will be providing RailCorp with the names of our maintenance centre delegates for the consultative process.

A copy of the proposal will be given to delegates at the meeting, but has already been sent to Maintenance Centre Delegates.