Robert Dow, founder of Rail Back on Track, has died aged 75. Former Queensland transport ministers remembered him as an honest, pragmatic advocate whose advice helped shape debate over the public transport network.
Dow began with an online forum for rail enthusiasts that grew into the advocacy group Rail Back on Track. Launched in 2006, it campaigned for better rail and public transport. Former deputy premier and transport minister Paul Lucas said Dow could do more than criticise or praise government decisions: he explained what he believed should change.
Former ministers from Labor and the LNP said they valued his balanced approach. Scott Emerson recalled Dow’s commitment to transport reform, while Jackie Trad cited his work on an expert taskforce reviewing TransLink fares. Rachel Nolan praised his informed perspective, and John Mickel recalled that Dow had pushed for the Springfield rail line.
Dow’s friend Jeffrey Addison linked his interest in rail to his teaching work, where many students arrived late because of transport problems. Dow’s advocacy later expanded to Brisbane’s public transport network as a whole. He also supported the Go Card system, which the report describes as part of the city’s transport infrastructure.
A Vietnam veteran and lecturer in the medical industry at Queensland University of Technology, Dow was remembered by colleagues for his persistence and his ability to speak candidly with officials. Lucas said the combination of independent scrutiny and constructive proposals made him an important voice in the state’s transport policy.