Investigating safety incidents, Marina found it wasn’t always easy to understand driver processes and their knowledge of trams and the alignment.

So, after discussing the option with Rail Safety General Manager, Graham Kerr, and the rest of her team, Marina enrolled in the TDS Driver Education Program.

Following three weeks with a trainer in September, Marina has begun driving trams on the L1 Dulwich Hill Line to improve her understanding of the business and make her a better safety officer.

“I’ve completed 23 hours so far… I need to do 76 hours with a mentor and then I receive my certification,” Marina said.

Once the surprise of seeing the Senior Safety Advisor behind the controls wore off, the drivers warmly welcomed her to “the family” and she immediately found she could do her job more effectively.

“I can now appreciate a course of action from the perspective of a driver,” she said, “Drivers will also find it easier to communicate with me, knowing I have a full understanding of the driving process.

“I realise not only what should happen, what the correct procedures are, but I can provide better advice if an incident happens.”

To maintain her driver credentials, Marina needs to complete ‘one loop a month.’

Marina is the third member of the Rail Safety team who has undertaken the driving course.

The others are Rail Safety General Manager, Graham Kerr, and Rail Safety Project Graduate, Sara Khosravi.

Marina’s hoping to fill a couple of driving shifts every few weeks and believes the rest of the safety team might be planning to follow in her footsteps.