Re: SMH - Article on Safety Breach on Illawarra line

[Eben Levy <ebenlevy@klever.net.au>]

Michael Walker wrote:

> 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.

Having been involved in this, I know action was taken, sure atleast one train
ran, but I had to catch a bus from Thirroul to Waterfall because of not runnign
through trains (well almost). One express city service was replaced by a L set
stopping all stations from Wollongong to Thirroul. I know that all station
trains where running, I even saw the train in question go thruogh Austinmer.
also what they lack to mention is that frieght trains where still runnng.

8129/38 up coal, Thirroul 09:23. now what did they do with this train?

--
Bye for now,
Eben.

http://www.klever.net.au/~ebenlevy/

A cat *WILL* blink when hit by a hammer.