Rail staff cuts leave commuters at risk

Rail commuters will be placed at risk by massive State Government cuts that will effectively leave a third of NSW train stations unmanned after 6pm and on weekends, according to the Opposition and Rail Union.

Central Station will lose up to 100 frontline staff and nearby Redfern Station will lose 41 positions under cuts to 700 positions proposed by the State Government.

The NSW Rail Tram and Bus union (RTB) warned that commuters were being put at risk, with some stations effectively running unstaffed on weekends and in the evenings.

“If you don’t have staff there it can be a very unsafe situation,” RTB spokesman Phillip Kessey said.

“Redfern, where they are cutting 41 of 67 overall positions, is one of the most dangerous stations in the system. Less staff increases the risks to passengers and puts pressure on the remaining staff.”

Some stations will lose all staff outside normal business hours and on weekends. Erskineville Station, which has a current staff of four, will lose two staff, leaving the station unattended on weekends.

“Some stations are essentially being closed down almost completely,” said Mr Kessey.

Mr Kessey said the cuts would also mean longer queues for tickets and more delays to trains.

“Disabled people will be affected, there will be no one to help them with wheelchairs, the guards on the train will have to do that, meaning trains will be delayed. The less staff manning the ticket turnstiles means there will be more fare evasion as well,” he said.

Opposition spokeswoman for Transport Glady’s Berejiklin said the government was risking safety and service to save money.

“The impacts are huge. First and foremost, commuters’ safety will be at risk, with a third of stations without staff after 6pm when most people get home from work,” Ms Berejiklin told Central.

“Getting off at a station without any staff in the dark is not a good prospect. People won’t be able to get tickets if machines are broken and it will be longer to get tickets or receive information about cancellations. It’s a long list of problems for commuters,” she said.

A spokesman for Transport Minister David Campbell said the cuts were part of a review of station staffing.

“The review aims to create better station staffing arrangements, which matches staffing levels with commuter passenger movements,” he said.

“No jobs will be lost as part of the review, and opportunities will be found to retrain and transition any affected staff to other roles.”

Source: http://sydney-central.whereilive.com.au/news/story/rail-staff-cuts-leave-commuters-at-risk/