Source : Perth Now news
Wild footage has captured the moment a train carrying 300 passengers slammed into a truck that had become stuck on a level crossing – with an investigation revealing no calls for help had been made despite the truck being stranded.
The incident happened at the Bonemill Rd level crossing at Runcorn in Brisbane’s south on August 14 last year.
An Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation found a B-double truck had been on the level crossing for almost five minutes when a Queensland Rail express train collided with the truck’s rear trailer.
Investigators found a sudden airline failure between the two trailers immobilised the truck on the level crossing.
Six passengers received minor injuries in the collision.
The train, truck and rail infrastructure were substaintialy damaged.
ATSB Transport Safety Director Kerri Hughes said the truck driver attempted to fix the problem for about 4.5 minutes before the collision.
“Neither the truck driver, nor any bystanders, called the signposted reporting number, or triple-0,” she said.
The network control officer was unaware of the issue before the collision, and was unable to alert the train driver.
Investigators also noted the trailer was difficult to see against the background environment at the time of the accident, limiting the train driver’s early recognition of the blocked track ahead.
When they did see the obstruction, the train driver applied emergency braking and the associated emergency procedures, likely reducing the severity of the collision.
“This accident, which fortunately did not result in any serious injury, serves as a reminder that accidental obstruction of railway tracks should be treated as an emergency, and reported to authorities as soon as vehicle occupants have been moved clear of the tracks,” Ms Hughes said.
Queensland Rail has committed to an independent review of its current level crossing management methodology, benchmarked against other rail operators.
The operator will also collaborate with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator on heavy vehicle compliance activities and communication campaigns.
“Additionally, rail operators are encouraged to consider the adoption of available technology for the timely identification of track obstructions that may also reduce the risk of collisions,” Ms Hughes said.
Queensland Rail’s Head of SEQ Neil Backer agreed with the ATSB’s findings about the need to immediately report any obstruction over railway tracks, either through the signposted incident reporting number or triple 0.
“The incident reporting signage at the Runcorn level crossing includes a 24-hour emergency phone number directly connected to our Rail Management Centre, which has the ability to immediately stop rail traffic,“ he said.
“Queensland Rail is also extremely proud of the actions of the highly experienced train crew, as the ATSB found the train driver’s actions of applying emergency braking and the associated emergency procedures likely reduced the severity of the collision.
“This is a timely reminder of the importance of staying safe around level crossings.
“Please pay attention to your surroundings and follow the road rules because trains are heavy, fast, can’t stop quickly and they can’t swerve to avoid a collision.“
