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National Rail Corporation Freight Victoria
Human error & unreliable safety system caused Indian Pacific smash 09 Nov 99
Seven days . . . . . . web focus on rail safety and accidents in the last week |
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Australian freight trains collideSaturday, November 27, 1999Two freight trains collided on Friday, November 26 at Ararat station in Victoria, Australia injuring 2
The incident ocurred at about 21:30 local time on the line between Melbourne and Adelaide. A train conveying wheat and travelling at about 80 km/h collided with another train loaded with metal which was standing in the station. Both trains were operated by Freight Victoria. Two men, who were in the wheat train were injured. One was trapped in the driver's cab for over an hour before he was cut free by the emergency services. He was airlifted to hospital in Melbourne. He is thought to be in a serious condition with chest injuries. The other man suffered head injuries. Two crew from the stationary train jumped clear before the collision. It is thought that the wheat train was wrongly diverted from the main line into a siding where the other train was standing. Early indications are that manually operated points were incorrectly set. According to a statement from Freight Victoria, "The points are locked and require a special key to open them". The company believes that the likely cause of the accident was human error rather than a mechanical failure. There will be an independent investigation into the incident. Debris from the accident blocked the line for 24 hours. An inquiry blamed human error as the cause of an accident at Zanthus, Western Australia. Twelve people travelling in the luxury "Indian Pacific" were injured when it collided with a stationary freight train in August this year.
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This file last updated: Sunday, 28-Nov-1999 12:18:58 EST