A recent incident at Tascott railway station has highlighted the need for the retention of train guards amid plans to replace them with CCTV cameras, says Member for Gosford, Liesl Tesch.
Tesch has joined the community in thanking a Transport NSW train guard who bravely protected someone in distress at the station recently.
The guard, who wishes to remain anonymous, recounted the events that unfolded, and the actions he took to ensure that a person’s life was saved as he coordinated broader emergency responses.
“I was surprisingly calm; I had a job to do,” he said.
“As we were pulling out of Tascott station, I heard ballast movements – and I have been around long enough to know that these rocks do not move unless somebody moves them.
“So, I look down and see movement in the gap between the platform and the train.
“I immediately hit the emergency brake, informed the driver, and hopped off the train to investigate.”
He said once he realised someone had fallen onto the tracks, reflexes took over.
“I got on the radio, contacted operations so that other trains would not come, and had Triple 000 on the other line,” he said.
“It was a lot – I needed to watch out for trains coming, trying to give the injured person medical attention, relaying information to the ambulance as well as operations.
“Once police arrived, I was advising emergency responders how to access the rail corridor safely and ensure that we could get the person out and off to safety.”
Tesch said the incident highlights the vital role train guards have across our transport network.
“What the public sees train guards do and what their whole job is are very different.”
liesl tesch
“We see them make announcements, blow whistles and wave flags.
“They also are vital in delivering a safe and efficient public transport system by undergoing safety inspections, doing minor maintenance jobs, and communicating on the behalf of train drivers so that they can fully focus on driving trains.
“Without train guards, our public transport system is less safe and less efficient, and the incident that occurred at Tascott could have been a lot worse if not for the presence of this guard who had a clear job to do and was trained to deal with these situations.”
The guard said he wanted to share his story to express the importance of train guards in ensuring the safety of the public.
“If I were not there no one would have seen the person in time,” he said.
“I want to make sure that we are there, always.
“Sure, there is CCTV (footage) for safety, though that alone would not have helped – you would have (had) high-definition footage of a tragedy with no one there to stop it.”
Tesch said she hoped the incident would encourage the NSW Government to listen to the safety concerns raised by the Rail, Tram, and Bus Union (RTBU).
“Clearly this incident shows that without train guards passengers are not as safe,” she said.
“Train guards are just as important as the driver, and to replace them or automate their roles is a failure to appreciate their significant role.”
Source:
Media release, Oct 28
Member for Gosford, Liesl Tesch