Stable Rostering Code upheld

A Dubbo organiser has moved quickly to ensure that CountryLink follows the Stable Rostering Code as track work starts affecting train arrival times on the Western Line.

Due to the track work, Dubbo XPT trains are tabled to arrive into Sydney later than usual for the next 9 weeks.

This means that Dubbo drivers will not be able to bring their train in from the Meeks Road XPT centre as usual. Taking into account the later arrival, drivers won’t have time to return their train and have the 7 hour period in barracks required under the Rail Safety Act.

CountryLink were informed of this issue months before the work started but had failed to amend the Dubbo depot’s diagrams to take the later arrival time into account. The diagrams required a change to drivers’ sign on time, but drivers instead had their rosters marked as “sign on to be advised”.

This would have been a clear breach of the Stable Rostering Code and a step back into the dark days of “pencil rostering”.

Thanks to the diligence of the Dubbo organiser, this process was stopped, correct sign on times were displayed on the roster and appropriate changes were made.