A hapless Wollongong train guard was sacked after senior RailCorp staff twice busted him breaching safety rules.
Neil Zuiderwyck, of Bellambi, appeared before the Transport Appeals Board this month in the hopes of being reinstated by RailCorp, where he had worked since 1983.
He was sacked after pleading guilty to the breaches at a hearing in August, but lodged an appeal seeking to win his job back.
On May 11, 2011, he was the guard on a train that overshot the platform by four cars when it reached Oatley Station on the early morning journey between Waterfall and Bondi Junction.
It was found he failed to ensure the train had safely stopped at the platform before opening the doors, exposing passengers to the tracks, and also failed to make an announcement about the problem.
A senior RailCorp staff member travelling as a passenger on the train later reported the incident when he found Mr Zuiderwyck had failed to do so.
During his appeal, Mr Zuiderwyck said he believed the train had slowed late, throwing out his judgment about when to get up from his seat and by the time he had stood up the train had stopped.
He said he had been on "autopilot" and immediately regretted opening the doors.
Just four weeks after the first incident, Mr Zuiderwyck was spotted running onto the tracks at Bellambi in his RailCorp uniform while the boom gates and warning lights were operating.
A senior RailCorp staff member, stopped at the barriers, sounded his horn and flashed his ID at Mr Zuiderwyck as he crossed.
At the time of the second incident Mr Zuiderwyck said he was under pressure from his supervisor and feared getting into trouble for being late.
He said he did not believe he was in danger due to his vast experience but agreed it was a risk he should not have taken.
Commissioner Elizabeth Bishop said that Mr Zuiderwyck had been inattentive and careless, and his actions in crossing the tracks had sent a concerning message to the public.
"It was foolish and reckless in the extreme to cross the rails," she said.
"With lengthy service such as that of Mr Zuiderwyck comes an even greater expectation that an employee will be aware of an employer's rules and procedures, particularly in regards to safety, and follow such at all times."
The board disallowed the appeal and elected not to overturn RailCorp's decision to dismiss Mr Zuiderwyck.