Re: Improvements on NE SG

[mauried@commslab.gov.au (Maurie Daly)]

>FOE was probably getting a meal (watching the cricket in the meal room on
>the platform??), he can pull off one move at a time...
>ARTC are rewiring Wodonga Box to allow it to be switched out.(but it has not
>happened yet!)
>What it will mean is that Wodonga A will no longer be required to open when
>the BG is switched out. And so ARTC will no longer contribute to wages.
>Freight Victoria immediately introduced new rosters to make allowances for
>this short-fall.
>On Sundays only, FOE signalmen have been instructed to sign on 30 mins
>before the arrival of the first up Pass, and sign off 10 mins after its
>departure. They should then return at about 11 am to arrive the down, remain
>till the up departs! They will then return 30 minutes prior to the arrival
>of the night pass and go home 10 mins later. So start work at 0600 and
>finish at 2155..not a bad shift
>if you are payed for it? but paid time will be about 6.5 hrs!
>One FOE who lives at Rutherglen, said it would not be worth going home, but
>the boss said he would have to vacate the premises. So our Rutherglen Hero
>said he would take the Company car home...Boss answered..."No you
>won't!...Freight Victoria have nothing to do with where you choose to live"
>Guess Sunday Trains beyond Wangaratta are a thing of the past, as a lot of
>sick leave is going to be taken by Wodonga signalmen rostered Sundays in the
>Future!
>And so it starts to happen!
>Rod


Rods above post brings up another interesting issue in the topsy turvy world 
of horizontal integration.
Since the BG pass trains are operated by National Express, not by FV, who 
should pay the salary of the Wodonga signaller when he is required to be on 
duty purely for allowing NXP trains to run.
I presume that NXP have some sort of contract with FV to provide signallers
which then begs the question of compensation for NXP is a FV signaller doesnt 
show up due to sickness etc.
Since in the Wodonga case there would be more NXP train movements than FV 
movements, one might think that it would be better for the Wodonga signaller 
to actually work for NXP or at least be paid for by NXP.

I guess there would be numerous examples in Vic where there are more pass 
trains than freights, Bendigo being the most obvious.
Is the Bendigo line still DLB or has it finally succumbed to TO.

cheers
MD