Queensland Rail says it is to hire around 86 new graduates, apprentices and trainees in the next 12 months as part of a plan to build a new generation of railway workers.
A recruitment drive is also under way for hundreds of train crew needed for the integration of Cross River Rail into the South-East Queensland network.
Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk described the need for extra staff as part of a “rail revolution”, setting the stage for the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics Games.
Ms Palaszczuk said Queensland Rail was undertaking one of the largest graduate intakes in its history, while the addition of Cross River Rail’s twin tunnels meant more train crew would be needed.
“That’s why Queensland Rail is hiring over 500 train crew (drivers and guards) before the inception of Cross River Rail, and upping the number of trainees, apprentices and graduates working on the rail network,” the Premier said.
Minister for Transport and Main Roads, Mark Bailey said the Cross River Rail project had already clocked more than 1.3 million training hours as the next generation of construction workers, engineers and others were upskilled.
Mr Bailey said Queensland Rail was looking for talented and diverse applicants, whether it be those seeking to change careers later in life, mothers returning to the workforce or young people who were just starting out.
“We know we need 210 new train drivers and 332 train guards to provide a quality public transport service when Cross River Rail comes into operation, which is why we’re starting the training and recruitment work now,” Mr Bailey said.
