Sydney Trains frontline staff cut as back office jobs increased

FRONTLINE train station staff numbers have been ­savagely cut at the same time back office Sydney Trains jobs increased by more than 300.

#SnapSydney 2015 CANTERBURY BANKSTOWN EXPRESS. Commuters at Bankstown Station 8:45am

FRONTLINE train station staff numbers have been ­savagely cut at the same time back office Sydney Trains jobs increased by more than 300.

The last Sydney Trains annual report revealed a total of 157 frontline staff — including 29 train operations jobs, 47 train crew jobs and 81 station staff jobs — were axed in the 2014-15 financial year.

Over the same period, ­corporate job numbers rose by 100, professional jobs by 213 and senior services by 54.

Opposition transport spokesman Ryan Park said the figures showed key train ­station jobs axed in favour of bloating the bureaucracy.

“At a time when assaults are increasing on our rail ­network and stations are being stripped of staff, this government has prioritised the back office rather than focusing on improving frontline service for passengers and that is simply not good enough,” Mr Park said. “This government promised to fix the trains but the reality is they are simply more concerned with cutting the staff who are there to protect passengers and make getting around easier and that simply doesn’t make sense.”

A Sydney Trains spokesman said a number of the new corporate positions had been transferred from RailCorp.

“Before Sydney Trains was established, RailCorp was a bloated, ineffective bureaucracy with 981 more middle management and back office positions than exist in Sydney Trains today,” the spokesman said. “Sydney Trains is delivering billions of dollars worth of projects to improve train ­reliability, security and customer service. A small increase in the corporate positions is so we can manage these projects.”