V/Line Forced to Cancel Train Services Due to Stress

There has been a spike in people who run across train tracks when a train is passing, which has sent stressed train drivers to be counseled and made V/Line cancel some of their train services in Geelong, according to the transport union. Rail, Trains, and Buses Union says that the incidents of people running across tracks in front of the trains has been escalating for the past months.

Victor Moore, the Secretary of the Rail Operations Division for the union, said that a close call recently forced the cancellation of an afternoon service on a Saturday. Mr. Moore says that a train pulling into the South Geelong Station’s platform nearly hit the person. The driver left on trauma leave, of which they are entitled to do in that type of circumstance, he continued, because the incident traumatized him. The event came extremely close, according to what he was told, he added, and the driver actually thought that he hit the person, so he was very shaken up. Moore also said that V/Line was not able to find a driver for relief, and the bus to replace the service was nearly an hour late.

Brian Hill, the Secretary of the Locomotive Division for the union, said that the close calls have hit a peak for the last 5 years. There have been many more incidents now in comparison to how many there are normally in a year, he added. The increases of the events coincide with the figures V/Line recenlty released, which show an increase in commuters who travel from Geelong to Melbourne by 20%. During the last year, they have recorded over 3 million trips.

Go to www.vline.com.au