Queensland Rail executives went on European business trip before train chaos

EX-RAIL chief Helen Gluer and another key executive took a European business trip just weeks before the bungled opening of the new Redcliffe rail line plunged the Brisbane train network into chaos.

Ex-Queensland Rail CEO Helen Gluer and current chief operating officer Kevin Wright. Image digitally altered.

EX-RAIL chief Helen Gluer and another key executive took a European business trip just weeks before the bungled opening of the new Redcliffe rail line plunged the Brisbane train network into chaos.

The Sunday Mail can reveal Queensland Rail’s chief operating officer, Kevin Wright, joined Ms Gluer on a two-week trip, leaving on September 2 as the crisis was looming.

They visited rail operators and manufacturers in the UK, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland.

Ms Gluer returned the day before the shutdown of the Caboolture line — closed to prepare for the upcoming new Redcliffe line opening — which caused days of pain for commuters.

But Mr Wright stayed on holiday after the trip, only returning to work on October 13.

He received a $77,000 performance bonus that month.

By then, commuters had faced weeks of hell due to mass train cancellations caused by the driver shortage and brought to a head by the Redcliffe line opening on October 3.

Former Queensland Rail CEO Helen Gluer and Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe. Picture: Mark Cranitch

A QR manager in charge of train service delivery was sacked on October 25, with Ms Gluer and board chairman Michael Klug handing in their resignations soon after.

Mr Wright has kept his job, despite involvement in a review warning of the driver shortage. He was one of 26 QR staff members interviewed by consultants Indec for the review, which warned of a “critical shortage” of drivers that would worsen with the opening of the new line.

The damning review found there were not enough drivers to meet the needs of the Redcliffe line opening and detailed planning was needed to manage QR’s new train timetable.

The Indec report was prepared for a senior manager who reports directly to Mr Wright.

A QR spokeswoman said the QR Board approved the $37,524 trip to “gain valuable operating experience in the European Train Control System” ahead of its implementation in Queensland.

She said Ms Gluer approved Mr Wright’s request to take a month of leave after the trip.

It is understood he was still in Europe at the height of the driver shortage crisis.

QR has refused to say whether Mr Wright received the final Indec report and what action he took, saying it was a “matter for the independent review”.

It has defended Mr Wright’s $77,000 bonus, saying it related to the 2015-16 year and was a board decision. The payment was the highest allowed under QR’s bonus scheme and on top of his $637,000 annual salary package, according to QR’s annual report.