At Queensland Rail, Safety comes first. Always. The A Hole Lot of Regret campaign aims to reduce trespassing incidents on the Queensland Rail network which can lead to police action, serious injury or death and cause service disruptions.
The issue
Throughout the 2021-22 financial year there were nearly 3,000 reports of trespassing on the Queensland Rail’s network.
By accessing electrified sections of the rail corridor, trespassers are putting themselves at risk of electrocution or being struck by a train. Their actions can also put the safety of rail customers and Queensland Rail employees at risk, and cause delays to rail services.
Queensland Rail Authorised Officers (AO) patrol trains and stations, with some AO’s trained as Rail Corridor Protection Officers allowing them to patrol the rail corridor. They also have Authorised Person powers under legislation which enables them to issue
on the spot fines to anyone who enters or leaves a railway other than through a proper entrance or exit, or who crosses a railway line at a non-designated crossing ($287). Interfering with public transport infrastructure, service, vehicle or equipment carries an additional fine of
$575.
Queensland Rail has a proud and longstanding relationship with the Queensland Police Service. Under the Transport Infrastructure Act 1994 – a person must not intentionally or recklessly trespass on a railway.
The campaign
The A Hole Lot of Regret campaign, launched in November 2022 aims to increase awareness among risk-taking males aged 15-18 years of the consequences of trespassing.
Types of trespassing:
- Unintentional (retrieving dropped items such as a ball, phone, or keys)
- Convenience (walking off a platform end to engage in short-cutting)
- Anti-social behaviour (damage to property, placing obstacles on track)
- Graffiti – paint graffiti or ‘tag name’ onto fences, trains and property
- Accessing the corridor illegally (jumping fences, through holes cut into fences, scaling the outer overhead bridge structure)
- Recreation – engaging in acts for entertainment (eg. dangling legs over the platform edge, running across or jumping down onto the track or train surfing).
With more than 12,000 CCTV cameras on the network, a dedicated team of Rail Squad Officers, Security and Emergency teams, Authorised Officers and Private Security Guards, the odds of getting caught are high.
The campaign can be seen on social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat).
You don’t want A Hole Lot of Regret. Stay off the tracks. You risk an injury, fine, or worse.