Re: SMH - Article on Safety Breach on Illawarra line

[matthew@mail.usyd.edu.au (Matthew Geier)]

"Michael Walker" <walker@hotkey.net.au> writes:

>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.

>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.

 I would have thought that sending a train through at limited speed would be
with in the spirt of the safety idea.

 At 40km/hr and keeping a sharp lookout in the affected area , the driver
would be able to stop short of any damaged track.

 The area has long been unstable, hence the slip detectors. More than once
one track has been closed in a section and bi-directional working insituted
on the other line untill a team can get in and stablise the bank again.

 Pre-slip detectors they would have just barreled through anyway and nothing
would have been done until enough drivers complained about the dip in the
rails....