The Rail, Tram and Bus Union has responded to new figures showing Queensland’s train drivers running red lights.

According to a new report, there’s been an increase in trains running through a red signal (called signals passed at danger, or SPAD).

But the state secretary of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union, Peter Allen, said it was one of the safest systems in the world and rail maintenance and more trains on the network were contributing factors.

“We’ve actually come from what look like record lows to something that sits around the Australian average, and about the Queensland average over the last 10 years as well,” he told Scott Emerson.

“The reasons for it are multi faceted, there’s been a huge increase in services which has a bit of an impact on this, and quite a lot of rail maintenance work which has people facing more red signals than they might otherwise.

“When we talk about SPAD the vast majority of them are something like, putting your tyre on the line, at a red light. It’s something you shouldn’t do but is something that very occasionally happens.”

Press PLAY to hear more of what the union has to say about the latest figures

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