Isabella Martin

All throughout high school I felt pressured to go to university. It was very much drilled into my head that you didn’t succeed unless going to university straight after school. And so, I did! Having no real idea what I wanted to do, I knew I was passionate about criminology, so I decided to get a bachelor’s in criminology and criminal justice! My uni experience was average; I really wanted to make money as my other goal was to buy a house. At the time I was working at Coles, not really earning the best. I then saw heaps of videos online about how much money traffic controller make and went for it. It was very scary at the time, but I am glad I did it as that was how I got myself into construction.

From traffic control I worked my way into a rail company working on the Cross River Rail project. This then started my experience working directly on site in construction. I worked as a spotter and civil labour for a few years while finishing off my Uni degree. I felt pressured to find a job using my degree however I struggled to find one that interested me and paid well. So, I continued working my way up in construction and finally making my way into my current role, working directly for CPB contractors as a Rail Corridor Access Officer.

As a Rail Corridor Access Officer, you will oversee the rail corridor access and coordinate the Network lockout and track protection for all workers on the Cross River Rail project. This includes the set-up and removal of worksite and safe-working delineation. You will oversee all access to the site including managing the safe working lockout system (lock box and protection) and deliver a prestart briefing on all known hazards and controls. Once the scheduled rail closures are finished, as a Rail Corridor Access Officer, you will work alongside Queensland Rail possession coordinators and assist in planning and organising the projects scheduled rail closures.