Metro recruits more station staff and adds 22 new staffed stations

Metro’s recruitment drive for customer service staff and station staff is set to continue following the announcement of the 22 new stations to be staffed.

An initiative described when Metro was named as the successful franchisee, the list of 22 was today revealed with each station to be staffed for a four-hour period each weekday at a time when staffing is most needed.  Manning of these stations will start from June and be complete by September due to works required at many stations.

Today’s announcements bring the number of staffed stations to 145 out of 211 across the network and the number of new roles created in the first half of 2010 to 211.

“In our first five months we have analysed the network and selected stations based on customer numbers as well as crowd movement and customer safety and assistance requirements.  We have established a new category of station which will be staffed for 4 hours each weekday in the morning, shoulder-peak when large numbers of school students are using our services, or evenings.  Whenever it is needed the most” Andrew Lezala, CEO said.

The 22 new staffed stations are Spotswood, West Footscray, Royal Park, Merlynston, Oak Park, Glenbervie, Strathmore, Pascoe Vale, Kensington, Tottenham, Canterbury, Burwood, Hawthorn, Gardiner, Dennis, Regent, Rosanna, Toorak, Hughesdale, Hawksburn, Sandown Park and McKinnon.

“As well as improving network reliability, we are focussed on providing our customers with a better experience of our services.  We have been looking at ways of improving the perception of safety and working hard to improve customer information, announcements and signage and overall customer service” Mr Lezala added, “the changes we are making will become more and more noticeable in the coming months”.

“Following this announcement we will commence recruitment of 26 new employees who will work four-hour shifts at the 22 stations soon to be staffed.  This is on top of 26 additional barrier staff starting this month at stations in Dandenong, Glenferrie, Caulfield, Ringwood, Camberwell, Glen Waverley and Footscray” Mr Lezala said.

Anyone interested in these customer service focussed station staff roles can enquire through the careers section of metrotrains.com.au

This additional recruitment is on top of:

• 63 new platform assistants who started at city loop stations in December and January;
• 31 new platform assistants, (half started last week, half start next week) located at Flinders Street, Parliament, Melbourne Central, Southern Cross, Flagstaff, Clifton Hill, Watsonia, Footscray, North Melbourne, Sunshine, Tooronga, Auburn, Box Hill, Frankston, Malvern, North Brighton and Richmond;
• 25 rolling stock staff hired in early 2010 and are based at Westall, Craigieburn (currently based at Epping) and Bayswater; and
• 40 infrastructure and track staff hired in the signals and track division.