CHARLEVILLE'S rail depot was effectively closed last week, with the entire staff of six drivers being offered voluntary redundancies by Aurizon.

It will mean the closure of a rail depot that has been open since 1888.

The train drivers were informed of their redundancies on Thursday night, and have two weeks to decide whether to relocate, upskill or take redundancies.

The western times understands some of the rail drivers are nearing retirement age.

Local member Ann Leahy criticised the behaviour of the company.

"This is not appropriate behaviour from Aurizon," she said.

"Aurizon could do a lot better.

"We call on them to review their decision...   There's never a decision that's made that can't be unmade."  

Ann Leahy said the state government ought to step in to ensure the rail depot is not closed.  

The state subsidises Aurizon to provide rail services for use in agriculture, but she said that the company simply takes the money and doesn't provide the service.

"People (from Quilpie) have wanted to use that capacity and Aurizon has denied them the opportunity," she said. 

"(Aurizon is) subsidised for about 325 cattle trains a year.

"And we've seen about 2 in the last 18 months."  

Murweh shire mayor Denis Cook said he was not surprised by the news, which had been coming for a while.

"(The drivers are) still on the payroll but not doing much work," he said.

"What's happened is that all they've been doing is driving the odd train every now and then.

"It's not really a depot now.  

"The only future we've got is if we've got Oakey abattoirs.  

"That will bring the people back.  

"Aurizon doesn't seem to be interested (in providing a service for agricultural freight)."

The company that owns the Oaky beef abboitoir wants to have access to the western rail line, but say they would require new rail sidings to shift cattle from the west to their processing plant.

At the moment the state government refuses to fund the sidings.

Aurizon said they plan to centralise rail services in Roma.

A spokesperson for the company said they had made the staff redundant to "address surplus capacity on the corridor by consolidating to existing depots.

"As a result we have commenced consultation with employees about a proposal to close the Charleville train depot.  

"If the proposal proceeds, affected employees will be able to express an interest in retraining, redeployment to vacancies at other depots or the Voluntary Redundancy scheme.

"No final decisions will be made until we have completed the consultation process with employees and unions.  

"These changes will not have an impact on freight services on the corridor, with traincrew available at other depots."

The Queensland State Secretary of the Rail Tram and Bus Union, Owen Doogan, said the loss of Charleville rail depot would mean a loss of services, and called on the state government to "investigate whether Queensland Rail should be moving into some of the business.

"We have concerns substantially about how they will look after the agricultural and other produce and cattle market into the future. 

"There will be inadequate staffing levels in that area to look after the produce and the cattle business.

"What we see as being the outcome is that the transport will be by road.

"That will have huge implications for rural Queensland.

"The roads will be impassable half the time (due to increased reliance on road trains)."  

None of the redundant staff could comment due to contractual obligations.  

Ann Leahy argued that the state government ought to step in, pointing to a rail freight inquiry under the Newman government as a good approach.  

"The inquiry has been done, there was some 70-odd recommendations in regards to how the rail freight can be increased," she said.

"What we've seen here is the state government who has dropped the ball."  

The state government has been contacted. Updates to come.