Former Helensvale train station master Andy Rewell suing Queensland Rail after assault ended his career

A former Gold Coast train station master coward punched by a passenger is suing Queensland Rail after the unprovoked attack left him traumatised and ended his career.

A former Helensvale train station master who was king hit by a passenger is suing Queensland Rail for more than $1.1 million after the violent assault ended his career.

Andy Rewell said while the assailant was convicted of grievous bodily harm after attacking him while he was working alone at midnight, Queensland Rail still owed him for breaching its duty of care.

Andy Rewell and his wife Kyla at their Maudsland home. Picture: Glenn Hampson

The now-61-year-old father of two, who sustained a severe concussion from the assault and still suffers from extreme PTSD, said he hoped his lawsuit would force Queensland Rail to provide better protection for its employees.

Despite the horrific details of Mr Rewell’s assault, he said station employees were still forced to work alone in the most dangerous hours of the night and early morning, despite repeated pleas from staff for back-up and better security.

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A Queensland Rail spokesman said while the company cannot comment on the specific case, the safety of staff and customers was its highest priority and criminal or anti-social behaviour was not tolerated on the network.

Mr Rewell said while he was lucky not to be killed in the station attack, he feared Queensland Rail would be left with blood on their hands if they did not improve security measures.

In a statement of claim filed at the Supreme Court of Queensland, Mr Rewell said he was working alone on the night of November 8, 2018 when a passenger missed the last train and launched the unprovoked attack.

“I was lucky I wasn’t knocked out completely, there was no one to witness the attack and no one to help. I would have been left for dead,” said Mr Rewell.

“I’ve always considered myself a strong person inside and out, but this attack just destroyed me. I can’t explain how profoundly it has devastated my life. The anxiety is unlike anything you can imagine. Some days I’m just on my hands and knees, throwing up.

“I don’t want anyone else going through this. I’ve lost all my self-worth and confidence … you can’t buy that.

“Queensland Rail knew this danger existed, myself and other staff members warned them so many times, but nothing ever changed. Even after all this, nothing has changed. They have security measures and police checks and the Railway Squad, but that’s all intermittent, there is no permanent security. So when you’re on your own, you’re really on your own.

“Some Saturday nights when there are footy matches on, you’ve got 500-plus people getting on and off every train with just one person working from 4pm til 2am. That person is taking the tickets, greeting the trains, answering questions, checking the toilets, looking out for danger. If that isn’t a recipe for disaster I don’t know what is.”

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The spokesman for Queensland Rail said it worked closely with employees and relevant union representatives to provide a workplace that was as safe as possible, including violence avoidance training.

Since the incident, he said a new police hub was launched at Helensvale railway station to support both the Railway Squad and local police deployments on both the network and the surrounding suburbs.

“The officers are supported by Queensland Rail’s 24-hour security monitoring team based at the Rail Management Centre, which has access to more than 12,000 CCTV cameras across the network, as well as authorised officer teams, security guards, mobile security dog teams, nightly guardian train services and TransLink senior network officers. Helensvale station alone has 121 CCTV cameras.

“Mobile security dog teams carry out daily patrols across Helensvale, Coomera, and Nerang stations at selected times and targeted operations are regularly conducted at these locations in partnership with the Railway Squad aligned with QPS intelligence.

Andy Rewell reflects on how the attack dramatically altered his life. Picture: Glenn Hampson

“Queensland Rail works closely with the Queensland Police Service Railway Squad to provide a highly visible presence on the rail network and undertake joint operations to detect and disrupt criminal and anti-social behaviour. This includes dedicated Railway Squad teams operating on the Gold Coast line.

“Thankfully, there have been no station staff assaults at Helensvale since 2020.”

The spokesman for Queensland Rail said it did not comment on staffing numbers or rostering changes to ensure employees did not work alone.

Mr Rewell’s lawyer, Emma O’Bree from Maurice Blackburn, said the 61-year-old should be applauded for his courage in speaking out and trying to improve safety for other station workers.

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“Helensvale Station is one of the busiest stations on the Gold Coast and we know there has been a high concentration of crime in this area,” she said.

“Rostering extra staff or hiring trained security personnel are some of the measures that could help to manage the risk of violence.

“All employers need to listen to the concerns of staff when it comes to safety at work. No one should have to go to work with the fear of being assaulted.”

Helensvale train station. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Mr Rewell said he called triple-0 “hundreds” of times as violent incidents increased alongside patronage at the Helensvale transit hub, which includes light rail and bus connections.

In fact, his statement of claim detailed a number of incidents which occurred shortly before his assault.

“The Defendant (Queensland Rail) had been made aware of incidents including but not limited to: a station worker having a cigarette butt flicked at his face; a young female patron being assaulted by a gang of youths on the Helensvale Station platform; reports of organised fights at the Helensvale Station necessitating a public authority response including Queensland Rail Security Officer and the Queensland Police Service; station workers being threatened by patrons,” the claim stated.

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“As a consequence of such conduct, station workers had raised concerns with the Defendant about the anti-social behaviour and that they felt concerned for their safety and wellbeing.

“Prior to the date of incident … station workers had become so concerned for their safety that when working back at night, more particularly when working back at night on their own, station workers would contact Control and remain on the phone to Control whilst they exited the station and proceeded to their cars to go home.

Andy Rewell and his wife Kyla at their Maudsland home. Mr Rewell wants more to be done to protect his former colleagues. Picture: Glenn Hampson

“Prior to the date of incident … the Plaintiff (Andy Rewell) had raised concern for his and his co-workers’ safety at the Helensvale Station … in response to the complaint, the Plaintiff (was told) that he could utilise the employee assistance service but there would be no additional staff employed at the Helensvale Station.”

Mr Rewell said he simply could not understand why Queensland Rail would not, at a minimum, roster an extra staff member for early and late shifts.

He said this security measure would not entail any additional cost to QR.

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“I understand the cost of resourcing and that employing full-time security may not be possible, but to not at least have two staff members on at all times is just incomprehensible,” he said.

“Look at police and ambulance workers, you always have two staff paired together – we are dealing with very volatile members of the public, not to mention just the sheer volume of work and responsibilities we are expected to undertake by ourselves.

“Our first rostered shift begins at 4am and the next person doesn’t arrive until 5.30am. But at 4am you are dealing, alone, with people sleeping at the station who are drunk or high.

“To roster someone else on either morning or for later at night is free, you don’t need an extra staff member, you just need to shift times. The night I was assaulted the other person finished at 9.30pm, he had the same penalties as I did working until past midnight. Why not have him start a few hours later so we could work together?

A train on the line from the Gold Coast to Brisbane.

“Had that happened, I believe I would still be the man that I was today.”

Mr Rewell said the damages he sought – which includes compensation for pain, suffering and loss of amenities as well as past and future economic loss, past and future loss of superannuation benefits and past and future special needs – would never make up for the life he has lost, but would at least help his family.

“I was the provider,” he said.

“I was 58 when it happened and I was on top of the world. I had a good job, I never drank, I never smoked … I was looking forward to my life. We were just about to buy a property on the water, I was so proud.

“Now I’m broken. My son has moved home to help me and my wife has been such a huge strength and my daughter supports us too. I am so grateful but it’s hard for me to stomach as well.

“That one punch didn’t kill me, but it destroyed who I was.”