Australia:Two dead, forty hurt in train collision

Two dead in horror train smash
By Anthony Dowsley
April 29, 2006
TWO people were killed and a man was fighting for his life last night after a horror train smash.

More than 30 people were injured.
Emergency crews sped to the scene when a sprint train rammed a semi-trailer hauling a 12-tonne bluestone block over a level crossing at Trawalla in northwest Victoria.

The Melbourne-bound V/Line train was travelling along the Ararat-Ballarat line when it hit the truck's tray at the Ercildoune Rd crossing about 4pm.

A co-driver and a passenger on the V/Line train died at the scene while the other train driver was fighting for his life in the Alfred hospital last night.

The two-carriage 3.30pm train, with 37 passengers on board, shunted the trailer 150m down the line and derailed. Witnesses said the tray was embedded in the front cabin while the bluestone block had smashed a third of the way down the right side of the train.
It is believed the train was going more than 100km/h when the driver slammed on the brakes half an hour after leaving Ararat.
A witness, Dennis, said: "The truck is completely demolished, the train is off the track, both carriages, and there's a number of people sitting there."

The 56-year-old train driver was flown to Melbourne with life-threatening injuries, including fractures to his head, chest and leg.

Police Inspector Vic Dunn said investigators had spoken to the driver of the semi-trailer involved in the crash.

"The driver of the semi-trailer has been taken to the base (hospital) for an examination, and he's assisting with our inquiries back at Ballarat," he said. It is understood he suffered minor injuries.

A Rural Ambulance spokeswoman said another two passengers were taken to Ballarat Hospital with multiple fractures. A child suffered serious head injuries.

Insp Dunn said no V/Line staff had died. V/Line spokeswoman Dionne Lew said injured passengers had been taken to Ballarat Base Hospital, while those not injured were being taken by bus to Ararat.

V/Line has set up a crisis call line. A Victoria Police spokeswoman said police were called about the accident just after 4pm.

State Emergency Service controller Russell Graham said: "It's a fairly horrific scene.

"It's over a vast scene and it's lucky there weren't more casualties. If it had rolled over there would have been more.

"The prime mover is tipped over where it stood. The front bogie is completely off the tracks."

He said one side of the train had been hit by the bluestone block, causing extensive damage.

Ballarat Base Hospital CEO Andrew Rowe said 41 people were involved in the accident; most were brought in to the regional hospital.

Additional staff were called in before the influx of patients arrived at the hospital, treating all but one of the injured.

One patient with a serious leg injury was operated on immediately. Theatres remained on standby, as 10 patients were still being assessed.

"We called in additional staff to cope with the influx," Mr Rowe said. "We'll be treating patients as long as it takes."

A passenger said she feared the carriage she was trapped in might tip over. "There was a lot of time to think about what to do and we wondered if we were going to tip over," the woman said before she was taken to Ballarat Base Hospital. "It was absolutely terrifying . . . and I just want to go home."

Transport Minister Peter Batchelor, who toured the crash site within hours of the tragedy, said he was saddened.

The high-speed V'Locity trains are the centrepiece of the Bracks Government's regional fast rail project.

The 160km/h trains began service on the Bendigo, Geelong and Latrobe Valley lines in December last year and cost more than $525 million.

The trains are part of a huge upgrade that includes upgraded tracks, updated signalling and new timetable.

V/Line trains stopped all trains running between Ballarat and Ararat while traffic along the Western Hwy, running parallel to the track, was blocked to single lane traffic.

The manager of the nearby Burrumbeet Hotel said the level crossing had no lights or boom gates.

"There are about five or six crossings down there that are a bit dangerous," said the woman, who was not identified.

"The trains blend in with the colour of the roads, they don't stand out."

Crash scene "horrific": Minister
From: AAP
April 28, 2006
VICTORIAN Transport Minister Peter Batchelor has described the scene of a train derailment at a western Victorian train level crossing as "horrific".

Mr Batchelor travelled to the Ercildoun level crossing near Beaufort soon after the 4pm (AEST) accident in which two train passengers were killed when the high-speed Melbourne-bound VLocity train hit a truck.
He said he was deeply moved by what he saw.

"I've got to admit that I was personally very moved and upset by what I saw tonight," Mr Batchelor said.

"You couldn't help but be disturbed by it. It is a horrific sight.

"They are very large pieces of equipment that came into contact with one another. The impact on the train is very extensive and you can see by the resting angle of the carriages that there has been a very significant impact. It is very disturbing."
Police said the two-carriage passenger train, which left Ararat at 3.30pm (AEST), hit a truck at the level crossing.
A man and a woman died in the crash and 40 people were injured, some critically.

After being examined and treated at Ballarat Base hospital, 34 passengers were discharged.

The train driver was airlifted to Melbourne's The Alfred hospital in serious condition while the truck driver, who suffered minor injuries, is helping police with their investigations.

Mr Batchelor, who also visited the Ballarat Base Hospital, was quizzed over whether there should have been a boom gate on the road.

Journalists also raised the state government's plan to introduce even faster trains on the piece of railway.

Mr Batchelor said the event should not be politicised, adding it was too early to speculate as to what caused the crash.

"The police are carrying out their investigations and seeking advice from witnesses the investigation has a long way to go and I don't want to draw the wrong conclusion," he said.

Mr Batchelor is holding a meeting with V/Line's chief and Ballarat Health Services Hospital chief executive officer Andrew Rowe.

Train smash driver interviewed
From: AAP
April 29, 2006
AN investigation into a train smash in which two people died and dozens were injured would be lengthy and complex, Victoria Police said today.

Investigators have spoken with the driver of a semi-trailer which was involved in the collision with the train and are expected to interview at least 40 train passengers and other witnesses.
Because of the number of passengers and witnesses "the investigation is going to be lengthy and complex," transit crime investigation unit detective Senior Constable Barry Hills said from the site today.

"(The crash) is certainly something I haven't come across in terms of magnitude and the depth of crime scene."

Constable Hills described the scene which greeted emergency workers yesterday as "chaotic".

Police, transport department and V-Line representatives returned to the crash site today.

The high speed VLocity passenger train was travelling from Ararat to Melbourne when it and the semi-trailer collided on the Ercildoune level crossing near Beaufort about 4pm (AEST) yesterday.
A train co-driver and a passenger died at the scene.

The train driver was airlifted to Alfred Hospital in Melbourne with life threatening injuries and remains in a critical condition.

Thirty-six passengers were treated at Ballarat hospital with three being admitted.

Constable Hills said it was too early to state if any charges would be laid over the crash.

The investigation would consider the speed of the train which would be registered in a black box recorder.

"The train ... holds data and until we get that downloaded we won't know if it (the train) was or wasn't (going too fast)," Constable Hills said.

He said it was hoped the damaged truck and rail carriages could be removed today, but there was also significant damage to the rail tracks.

"It will be some time before they will be up and running," he said.

Meanwhile, a former track maintenance worker complained of a lack of visibility at the Ercildoune level crossing.

Robert Hare, 62, of Beaufort was a track maintenance worker in the area for 30 years.

"You've got to have clearance because you have to be able to see the trains," Mr Hare said.

"There's far too much mulga down there and trees."

Mr Hare also said residents had been assured the level crossings would be upgraded when the railway line was reopened in July last year.

He said the works were to have included traffic lights at the crossing.

"The lights were supposed to be coming in six months before it opened but they haven't done that.

"I heard it from good authority, from senior railway personnel."

Update on Train Incident at Trawalla
29-Apr-2006


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



V/Line confirmed today that coaches would continue to replace train services between Ballarat and Ararat until further notice. This is following yesterday’s incident at Trawalla, where there was a collision with a V/Line train and a truck at a level crossing.

Chief Executive Officer, Rob Barnett, said that this tragic incident would impact the community, customers and their families, as well as our staff and that V/Line was doing everything that it could to provide support.

“While returning services is important, our top priority remains the wellbeing of everyone involved,” Mr Barnett said.

“Our driver remains in a serious condition at the Alfred Hospital. Although we appreciate people’s concern we ask that the privacy of his family is respected during this difficult time.

“We are asking people affected by this incident to call V/Line on 136 196, where we can provide information about counselling services as well as other assistance.”

The site at Trawalla currently remains under police control, and recovery of the line has not yet started.

Investigations are underway by the police and the Department of Infrastructure and V/Line is cooperating fully. It is usual practice for rail safety experts from the Department of Infrastructure to undertake an independent investigation following any incident on the railway network.

With coach services continuing to operate between Ballarat and Ararat, journey times may be extended. Customers with any enquiries regarding this service can call V/Line on 136 196 for updated information.