SMH - Article on Safety Breach on Illawarra line

["Michael Walker" <walker@hotkey.net.au>]

The following article was on todays SMH website:

Safety row over train in land slide alert

By ROBERT WAINWRIGHT, Transport Writer

A peak hour passenger train travelling to Sydney from Wollongong was allowed
to pass along a dangerous, rain-affected track against safety laws, the
Australian Services Union (ASU) claimed yesterday.

The ASU has lodged a formal complaint with CityRail about the incident,
which happened last Wednesday.

The track runs through an area which is known for land slides. The Herald
has obtained copies of internal memos which indicate that a train was
allowed to proceed along the track just after 8am, ignoring an early warning
device which indicated all trains should be halted.

An incident report recorded that the early warning system at Helensburgh for
the Waterfall to Otford section of track was activated at 6.45am. All trains
in the area were stopped, causing major problems. There was no inspection
vehicle available.

After 90 minutes, a senior official cleared one train to travel down the
line at 40km/h.

It took 31 minutes to travel between Otford and Waterfall, but heavy
rainfall meant alarms continued until 8pm.

A letter written by a senior control centre worker said staff were ready to
take industrial action because safe working regulations had been breached,
in contravention of the Rail Safety Act.

ASU assistant secretary Mr George Panigris, who has been running a campaign
against the Minister for Transport Mr Scully over planned job cuts, insisted
yesterday that the incident "raised questions about competence of
management".

A spokesman for CityRail said it was a "complicated issue" but there would
be an inquiry.

In a separate incident at the weekend, a man was injured during an
altercation on a Wollongong-bound train after he allegedly activated an
emergency alarm.

Police said the man was struck over the head with a spanner and taken to
Wollongong Hospital with a suspected fractured skull where he was in serious
but stable condition.