Queensland Rail has forked out more than $41 million in overtime payments for train drivers and guards since the start of mass service cancellations on the network.
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In October 2016, the much-vaunted opening of the Redcliffe Peninsula Line led to hundreds of services being cancelled due to a shortage of available train drivers.
After rolling cancellations, the Strachan Inquiry revealed a Queensland Rail preference to operate with a 5-10 per cent undersupply of train crew, with a consequent reliance on unsustainable levels of overtime in the lead-up to the new train timetable.
An LNP question on notice has revealed the total overtime bill since October 2016 was $41.59 million.
There was also $22.96 million spent on replacement rail buses and taxis for Queensland Rail customers.
The most recent figures show Queensland Rail paid Citytrain drivers almost half a million in overtime in just one fortnight in April, and $312,000 to guards.
LNP leader Deb Frecklington described the overtime payments as "staggering".
"Queenslanders are paying an obscene amount for overtime but services aren't improving," she said.
It comes after new figures revealed Queensland Rail had a net increase of 38 new drivers since October 2016.
But Transport Minister Mark Bailey said the data clearly showed a reduction in overtime.
"Doomsday Deb needs to stop being loose with the truth and misrepresenting data for political gain," he said.
"In 2018, we will train more drivers than the LNP trained in their entire term of government."
Mr Bailey said overtime was a standard part of train crew's working patterns at Queensland Rail, like many industries that relied on shift workers, and did not apologise for paying workers appropriately.
"This enables required flexibility in the workforce to meet demand changes associated with special events that occur periodically," he said.
"Strict processes are in place to ensure that rosters, and any offered overtime, comply with Queensland Rail's fatigue standards."
Mr Bailey said it was heartening to see a trend over six months of reducing levels of overtime for both drivers and guards.
"[This] reflects the increases of new drivers and guards entering the train system as they finish their training and commence work," he said.
Mr Bailey said external recruitment of drivers and guards was in its final stages, with offers expected to go out in the near future.
The best-paid Brisbane train driver earned almost $200,000 last year, by performing a staggering 952 hours of overtime.
That was the equivalent of an extra 18 hours worked every week of the year.
The average number of overtime hours for Citytrain drivers was 6.45 hours per week in 2016-17, which amounted to an average of $511 per week in overtime pay.
