Queensland Rail’s new chief executive could be appointed next week

UPDATE: A new chief executive for Queensland Rail could be appointed as early as next week.

Acting Transport Minister Jackie Trad says reforming QR’s management culture is a key focus for the Government. Picture: Tara Croser

• Years of train woes ahead
• No surprise Minister kept in dark
• Unions won’t accept responsibility

A NEW chief executive for Queensland Rail could be appointed as early as next week.

The Courier-Mail understands the short-list for the role has been pared back to two leading candidates.

One of the candidates is from North America and the other is from Australia.

Newly appointed QR board chairman Phillip Strachan will sit in on interviews for the first time on Friday.

On Monday, Mr Strachan said selecting a new CEO for QR was one of his top priorities in the role.

“I think it’s important for that new chief executive to be recruited, get in place and that provides a new leadership of the business going forward,” he said.

Former chief executive Helen Gluer resigned from the role in October, after presiding over hundreds of cancelled services due to a train driver shortage exacerbated by the opening of the Redcliffe Peninsula Line earlier in the month.

She had a salary of $665,000 and a total remuneration package — including superannuation — of $734,000.

It’s unclear how much the new chief executive will be paid.

Opposition Transport spokesman Andrew Powell said it was crucial the right candidate was selected for the position.

“The priority needs to be getting the best person for the job in there as quickly as possible,” he said.

Mr Powell said the State Government and QR board should let commuters know how the recruitment process was progressing and when an appointment would be made.

“It’s a matter of being open and transparent to restore public confidence in Queensland Rail,” he said.

Rail advocate Paul Pluta, who predicted the October and Christmas Day rail fails, said further reforms to the QR’s management were needed to ensure better outcomes for commuters.

“While the broom has been put through QR, much more needs to be done to improve the culture,” he said.

Meanwhile, several senior Queensland Rail managers are facing disciplinary action in the wake of the scathing review into the timetable crisis.

A QR spokeswoman said: “In line with the recommendations in the Strachan Inquiry relating to assessing the capabilities and addressing any identified inadequacies of the executive and senior leadership teams, Queensland Rail is currently undertaking a disciplinary process with several employees,” she said.

“We will continue to carefully scrutinise staffing arrangements.”

The Commission report laid the blame for the fiasco at the feet of QR management and recommended assessing “the capabilities” of the senior management team.

The Courier-Mail understands one of the people currently under disciplinary action is Shannon Iwanow, who was mentioned in the Commission report in her role as General Manager Citytrain.

The QR spokeswoman refused to answer questions about Ms Iwanow but confirmed someone else was acting in the role

Ms Iwanow commissioned the Indec report which warned there would be a significant risk to train services — particularly after the Redcliffe Peninsula Line became operational — because of a driver shortage but she did not circulate the findings.

It’s understood she has been given a show cause notice.

The latest disciplinary actions against the rail operator’s management staff come after the resignations of chief executive Helen Gluer and board chairman Michael Klug last October, and chief operating officer Kevin Wright just days after the Christmas service cancellations which created chaos.

Acting Transport Minister Jackie Trad said reforming QR’s management culture was a key focus for the Government.

“The Strachan inquiry report clearly demonstrated cultural issues were a major contributor to service cancellations late last year,” she said.

“We want to ensure we get the right leadership in place to reform Queensland Rail and improve service delivery.”

But Opposition Transport spokesman Andrew Powell said the State Government was ultimately responsible for the rail fail.

“QR management issues are one thing but the buck stops with the shareholding ministers,” he said.