Only a few weeks previous to this accident I was travelling from Geelong
to Melbourne on an 'Up' service with a friend. The service was run by a
Walker railcar, and we were both occupying the 'front seat' which gave a
clear 'driver's eye' view of the track ahead.
We stopped at Laverton station (this was in the days before Werribee
electrification) to pick up/set down passengers. The signal aspect in
front of us was Green over Red (= Clear Normal Speed in Vic.). We
departed the station and went straight through the 40km/h crossover from
the West line to the East line! I immediately commented on this fact to
my friend (also a railfan) who had also noticed the incorrect signal
aspect.
Needless to say, not long afterwards I found myself giving a written
statement to this effect to the police...