Re: Indian Pacific hits freight train - Who's the Responsible Investigating body?

["Grahame Ferguson" <grahamef@users.mcmedia.com.au>]

Maurie Daly wrote in message ...
>In article <37bdd532.8172841@news.ozemail.com.au> telljb@OZozemail.com.au
(< >Does anyone know just who precisely will investigate this accident.
>One of the major problems of a horizontally integrated railway regime where
>there are multiple players like this one , is that in the case of accidents
>its absolutely imperative that the accident be investigated by an impartial
>body that has no vested interest in the outcome ,and more importantly can
make
>recommendations that dont get ignored, ie there is some legislative
backing.
>AFAIK we still dont have this in Rail yet.
>BASI could possibly investigate the accident, but like beresfield have no
>power to enforce change if that is what is needed.
>
>MD


Yes Maurie, this  time I am whole heartedly agreeing with you.  Is it the
ARTC who are the body who own and control the lines safe working,
responsible to investigate and act?  Is it the Commonwealth Department of
Transport, as the TAR is Commonwealth property and the ARTC is a
Commonwealth body?  For that matter does the Australian Federal Police have
jurisdiction over incidents on Commonwealth land?
Since the WA Government's Department of Transport are in charge of Rail
Safety Accreditation in that State are they the controlling authority?
Maybe it is the NRC, who were in control of both locomotives at the time of
the crash??  Will GSR even get a guernsey?  Are there any other takers??

If there was a fatality it would be the WA Coroner who would have the power
to investigate, but he could only make recommendations, and still would have
no power to enforce change.  Even if he could legally enforce change, it
would only be binding in WA. If on Commonwealth property can all aspects of
WA law be enforced.  If the Commonwealth did voluntarily comply, the
safeworking practices for the same line in SA would not be effected.

It seems like either everyone will have their fingers in the pie, but which
one of these, is the one authority legally responsible to act on, and
discipline, who or what was the cause of the crash?  Who has the power to
change bad practices or remedy faulty technology, and prosecute if
necessary?
If it was the ARTC, then as the owner and controller of the track, it is not
removed from the incident, therefore not a totally independent body.  I am
not implying that the ARTC can not act objectively, however these days a
totally removed body is what the Public expects.

In the US, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is the Authority
given the power to investigate, prosecute, and enforce the necessary
changes.  The NTSB is a part of the Federal Department of Transport, and
acts independently of any railroad operator or owner.

Besides all this does anyone know was Zanthus fitted with self restoring
points with colour light point indicators?  If so, for the interest of
myself and others, what do the signal indications show and mean?
Does the locomotive crew of a train in a loop, which has pulled up short of
the points, before an opposing train has arrived, have to verify that they
are set correctly for the opposing train?

After saying all this, what was the conclusion as to the cause of the Mt
Christie collision?

It appears that confusion is the authority under which we answer to.

So we now enter the new railway age, with more questions than answers!
But regardless, the Railway is still the Safe way.

regards, GF