BT: Tilt train & truck involved in level crossing accident

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BT: Tilt train & truck involved in level crossing accident

Post by Newcastle Flyer »

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/qu ... 23805.html
Two people have been killed when a Tilt Train heading north collided with a semi-trailer at a level crossing in North Queensland this afternoon.

The train was travelling from Brisbane to Cairns when the collision occurred at the Bruce Highway level crossing at Conn, 20 kilometres south of Cardwell at 2.55pm.

Two people have been confirmed dead in the smash and Emergency Services Queensland said a third person had been seriously injured and was being taken to Townsville Base Hospital by helicopter.

"This person has chest injuries and is in a serious condition," the spokesperson said.

She said the other injuried passengers were not serious and were described as "walking wounded."

The train's passengers will be taken to Townsville by bus and are being offered counselling, Queensland Rail said this afternoon.

Police and emergency crews are on the scene.

People concerned about friends or family on the train can call an emergency hotline, 13 22 32.

Police have also established a hotline number for families looking for futher information. It is 1800 100 188.

It is understood the train came off the rail tracks after the crash, but the passenger carriages have remained on the rail line.

Transport Minister John Mickel has promised an independent investigation into the incident.

He will fly to North Queensland tonight with senior Queensland Rail officers to inspect the crash scene.

"Rail accidents like this are always shocking events, and the loss of two lives adds a further dimension of seriousness and grief," he said.

This afternoon's crash is the second serious tilt train crash in Queensland and has happened almost four years to the day since the Spirit of Townsville derailed.

In November 2004, 128 people were injured when The Spirit of Townsville tilt train derailed about 60 kilometres north of Bundaberg.

Seven of the nine carriages were derailed after the train was found to be speeding at 112 kilometres per hour just after midnight on November 16, 2004.

An investigation later found the 2004 tilt train had been travelling at 112km/h - more than double the set 60km/h speed limit - and one of the two drivers had been making coffee when it crashed.

It also found the second driver had been distracted and did not recognise the train was approaching a corner, and failed to slow the train.
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Re: BT: Tilt train & truck involved in level crossing accident

Post by dannyr »

Courier Mail today is speculating that due to recent storm activity the level crossing may have not been working....
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Re: BT: Tilt train & truck involved in level crossing accident

Post by Sir Pompously »

Here is the Courier Mail Article. I think, however, this sentence is uncalled for.
The crash is the latest in a string of safety problems that have plagued the iconic Tilt Train since its introduction in 1998.
To me it seems like they are trying to say that the crash was caused by a safety problem with the Tilt Train, which again to me just sounds like media beat up, and/or speculation without proof.
QR claims signals not to blame for Tilt Train crash
Article from: The Courier-Mail
Image
CARNAGE ... the scene of the fatal collision between a Tilt Train and truck, in which two train drivers were killed.

November 28, 2008 09:30am

QUEENSLAND Rail has insisted that faulty signals did not cause yesterday's fatal smash between a Tilt Train and truck at a North Queensland level crossing.

Witnesses had claimed the signals were not operating properly after a severe storm swept through the area hours before the train carrying 81 people slammed into the semi-trailer at an innocuous crossing over the Bruce Highway at about 2.50pm.

But Queensland Rail CEO Lance Hockridge told ABC Radio today the crossing signals were checked twice a week and had been given the all-clear early by a technician yesterday morning.

"This crossing was checked at 8.30am and was working normally. This crossing is monitored electronically by a train control systems and there are electronic warnings .. and there were no warnings," Mr Hockridge said.

He said the accident site may have been confused with another nearby crossing, where lights were malfunctioning after a storm.

"It seems to me there is a far amount of confusion as there was another crossing only about 8km from this one yesterday, which failed safe as we call it, in other words there was a storm we believe caused the warning lights on the crossing to stay on continuously."

Two train drivers - Richard Weathrell, 54, and a man whose name has not been released - were killed and a number of passengers were injured in the collision, which snapped the truck from its trailer.

The train engine also rolled and twisted but the carriages remained upright.

Emergency crews that arrived on the scene were amazed that so many passengers and the truck driver escaped serious injury.

The crash is the latest in a string of safety problems that have plagued the iconic Tilt Train since its introduction in 1998. and there is now renewed concern over QR's safety record.

The train was travelling from Brisbane to Cairns yesterday when tragedy struck about 30km south of Cardwell, where the train line crosses the Bruce Highway.

Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Employees state secretary Greg Smith called for an urgent review of level crossings in Queensland.

"This crossing was protected by lights and not boom gates, which is an issue we have been raising for some time," he said.

"Unfortunately it's been on the boil that something tragic was going to happen."

In Parliament last night, Transport Minister John Mickel extended his sympathies to the families of the dead men.

"I want them (the families of the victims) to draw strength from the fact that every honourable Member in this house is thinking of them in their difficult time of unimaginable grief," he said.

Mr Mickel pledged that there would be a thorough and independent investigation into the tragedy.

"We are also doing whatever we can to assist and expedite the investigation into the cause and circumstances of this accident," he said.

The crash comes almost four years to the day that 120 passengers were injured when a speeding Tilt Train derailed at Rosedale, 60km north of Bundaberg.

The official investigation into that crash found that a ham sandwich may have played a part in the crash.

The report found the driver believed he had passed a critical turn in the track and that "he may have decided to access his bag and/or get some food from the mini fridge".

The speed of the Tilt Trains was limited after that crash and the restrictions were lifted only last year back to the maximum 160km/h.

In the aftermath of yesterday's crash, paramedics set up an emergency triage to cope with the wounded passengers.

One passenger was airlifted to Townsville Base Hospital with serious chest injuries.

Uninjured passengers were taken to Townsville by bus, where they were offered counselling and accommodation on arrival.

Mayor of the Cassowary Coast Regional Council Bill Shannon said he was devastated by the "terrible tragedy".

"Two people have died and we will need to get to the bottom of this," Cr Shannon said.

"It is so preliminary but we will need to know if it was a failure of equipment or human error."

Cr Shannon said the level crossing in question was not protected by boom gates and relied on the flashing lights only.

Weather bureau forecaster Geoff Doueal said that there had been rain activity in the area early in the afternoon.

"There could have been storms and winds," Mr Doueal said.

Central Queensland University's Scott Simson, an expert in rail vehicle dynamics and driver performance, said there was nothing unique about Tilt Trains in terms of their performance in accidents, including their braking abilities.

"If this accident has occurred on a crossing then it is hard to see how the train would be at fault," he said.

Witnesses shaken by carnage

Two eyewitnesses have told of the "horror and carnage" as they watched a passenger train plough into a semi trailer on the Bruce Highway.

The father and son, speaking exclusively with The Courier-Mail, told how the northbound Tilt Train "exploded" into the truck.

"It was a James Bond movie. It was sometthing out of 007. And it was a horror film," said the visibly shaken pair, who were first on the scene and rushed to the aid of the critically injured train drivers.

"It was slow motion. And then it was bang and stop.

"The truck was cut in two. And the train spewed off the tracks.

"It was ugly. It was carage. there was metal wreckage and debris strewn everywhere."
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Re: BT: Tilt train & truck involved in level crossing accident

Post by Newcastle Flyer »

The father and son, speaking exclusively with The Courier-Mail, told how the northbound Tilt Train "exploded" into the truck.
:roll:
Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Employees state secretary Greg Smith called for an urgent review of level crossings in Queensland.
So I expect then to call for an urgent review whenever their is a vehicle accident at an intersection, and expect the speed to be lowered.

Not trying to speculate, but I wonder if I see a knee-jerk reaction were trains in Queensland being limited to 100kmh again?

I heard reports on our news this morning that the truck driver reported the crossing lights as faulty. IF that was the case, then a vehicle should be ready to stop.
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Re: BT: Tilt train & truck involved in level crossing accident

Post by boronia »

Newcastle Flyer wrote:
I heard reports on our news this morning that the truck driver reported the crossing lights as faulty. IF that was the case, then a vehicle should be ready to stop.
I understand that the "fault" was that the lights had been flashing continuously for a couple of hours prior to the accident, and that no-one had been sent out to monitor the traffic. But QR has claimed above that it was another crossing that had a problem, not this one.

Perhaps we should wait for an official enquiry, rather than speculate. I think the ATSB will be onto this one.
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Re: BT: Tilt train & truck involved in level crossing accident

Post by Alassë Aldaríon »

Newcastle Flyer wrote:
Not trying to speculate, but I wonder if I see a knee-jerk reaction were trains in Queensland being limited to 100kmh again?
AFAIK the tilt doesn't exceed 100 km/h north of Townsville anyway, can anyone confirm?
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Re: BT: Tilt train & truck involved in level crossing accident

Post by T1248 »

Alassë Aldaríon wrote:Not trying to speculate, but I wonder if I see a knee-jerk reaction were trains in Queensland being limited to 100kmh again?
AFAIK the tilt doesn't exceed 100 km/h north of Townsville anyway, can anyone confirm?
I have read that on the RP boards from time to time so I imagine it is true. Something to do with steel sleepers or something. It might only be an 80 kmph actually. Certainly speed isn't the issue in this case so one would hope they aren't restricted speed wise, as that would be a true knee jerk reaction but the way things are going with the current state government and its backflips I wouldn't be surprised if it did happen.
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Re: BT: Tilt train & truck involved in level crossing accident

Post by V761 »

North of Townsville, they don't exceed 100km/h, mainly because of the alignment of the track restricting their chance to reach speeds any higher. This particular section is an 80km/h section, but from what i've heard the train would have only been travelling at 60km/h because of the storm.

Some TWU rep Hughie?? reckons that if there were boom gates there it wouldn't have happened. But the bloody truck driver was committed to going through the crossing, a wooden gate isn't going to stop him from doing that. :roll:
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