Posted on 12 February 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
At about 01:40 0n 2 February, a Pacific National train derailed between Wycarbah and Warren, about 40km from Rockhampton in the Blackwater coal system. The incident was expected to delay trains in central Queensland for several days. Two locomotives went off the line, together with a number of coal wagons but no injuries were reported. In [...] [...more]
Posted on 09 October 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
The Australian Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board (RISSB) has published a security handbook providing non-prescriptive guidance on the management of security risks in a rail environment (both urban and non-urban contexts). Published in two volumes, the handbook provides explanations of processes and activities that can be used to identify and mitigate security risks faced [...] [...more]
Posted on 07 September 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
The Council of Australian state governments has agreed to create a national safety regulatory system and to have the Australian Transport Safety Bureau act as the preferred investigator of rail accidents. Currently, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports, Australia has seven rail safety regulators, three rail safety investigators and different rules in every state. But the [...] [...more]
Posted on 09 July 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
Investigations into a November 2008 derailment has revealed the much of the A$1.4 billion, newly built Alice Springs-Darwin section of the AustralAsia Adelaide-Darwin line is “misaligned”. The 1.2km-long southbound freight train, which was carrying nitrous oxide, was travelling at 93km/h when six of its 26 wagons derailed on a curve. An Australian Transport Safety Bureau [...] [...more]
Posted on 11 June 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
On 10 March, three locomotives and several wagons filled with coal derailed when a train collided with stationary rolling stock 140km south-east of Mackay in Queensland’s Coppabella Yard, the main staging point for trains on the Goonyella system. One of the locos landed up on top of a wagon. Neither of the two-man crew in [...] [...more]
Posted on 04 May 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
Rail services in the Blackwater coal system in central Queensland were disrupted for four days following the 22 April collision of two coal trains at Grantleigh, about 150km west of Rockhampton. The incident caused damage to wagons and locomotives, as well as the track and overhead wires. No one was injured. The section between Blackwater and [...] [...more]
Posted on 23 April 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
Bruno Martin reports: On 23 April, two coal trains collided in Central Queensland. Rockhampton Police said no one was injured but the wreckage was significant and could take days to clear. The accident happened about 00:50 at Grantleight, near Gogango, 65km west of Rockhampton and 517km north-west of Brisbane. A Queensland Rail spokesman said services in the Blackwater [...] [...more]
Posted on 16 April 2009 by Station Master
Queensland Rail (QR) announced on 10 April that the Cairns Tilt Train service has been cancelled until further notice. This is operated by one of two diesel hauled sets, the other being out of service since it derailed in the November 2008 crossing collision with a heavy road rig, when both crew members died. [...] [...more]
Posted on 16 April 2009 by Station Master
Early last month, a driver employed by the Connex rail operating concessionaire in the Australian state of Victoria demanded that the Siemens-built sets in Melbourne be withdrawn until a problem that caused at least five to overshoot station platforms was identified. On 31 March, another driver accused the company of risking passenger safety by refusing [...] [...more]
Posted on 04 April 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
On 23 March, a schoolbus with seven students on board attempted to negotiate a level crossing that was being reconstructed at Moorine Rock in Western Australia. The front wheels became wedged over the rail and could not be dislodged. The warning signals then came into action, the occupants beat a hasty escape and the bus [...] [...more]
