Queensland’s ‘rail fail’ has cost the state $64m

Queensland’s “rail fail” is costing the state big bucks, with train drivers and guards paid more than $41.6 million in overtime since October 2016.

An extra $23 million has been spent replacing cancelled trains with buses and issuing taxi coupons to passengers.

Queensland Rail currently runs a timetable with 470 fewer services than October 2016, when a lack of trained drivers resulted in no one being able to drive trains.

Hundreds of services were cancelled on a single day.

The government insists there’s no quick fix, with Transport Minister Mark Bailey claiming a steady increase in train driver numbers is underway to fix rostering issues.

But documents released today outline some of those employed aren't operating as drivers but "tutors and train operation inspectors".

“We wouldn’t have a blowout in overtime if the LNP hadn’t sacked tutor-drivers and stopped recruiting new drivers back when they were in government,” acting premier Jackie Trad said today.

“We have been left with a significant problem that will take a while to resolve.”

The opposition says the current response to the chronic driver shortage just isn’t “good enough”.

LNP leader Deb Frecklington today used the figures to call for the sacking of Mr Bailey.

“Annastacia Palaszczuk now has 41 million reasons why she should get rid of this incompetent transport minister,” she said.

The Fair Work Commission last month rejected a bid from the Rail Tram and Bus Union to block external hires in favour of existing QR employees being retrained.