The Rail Tram and Bus Union (Rail Division) is campaigning to re-staff Melbourne's Railway Stations. Re-staffing our stations will give the public an improved travel experience in terms of safety and customer service. At present 136 or two thirds of Melbourne's 211 stations are unstaffed, neglected wastelands.

Stations are an integral part of the rail system. A station is as important as a train. Stations were designed to be operated by station staff. A station without staff is a DEAD station.

Up until 1993 most of Melbourne's stations were fully operational with staff.

This changed when the Kennett Government attacked the public transport sector and removed staff from the majority of stations. At that time patronage was continuing to fall in comparison to private car use.

In 2006 this situation changed suddenly. A combination of sharp increases in petrol prices, traffic congestion, population growth and climate change has driven unprecedented patronage increases.

Nowhere is this pressure on public transport more heavily felt than on the rail system. Metropolitan rail patronage increases have exceeded 38% over the last 3 years.

These patronage increases while welcome are also creating overcrowding on trains and platforms. At unstaffed stations commuters have been left to fend for themselves.

The potential for crime violence graffiti vandalism and fare evasion is greatest at unstaffed stations.

We believe these stations need to be returned to the purpose for which they were built; that is to be run by properly trained station staff.

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