Re: Train Accident in Blue Mountains

[dbromage@fang.omni.com.au (David Bromage)]

Dave Proctor (daproc@spambait.umpires.com) wrote:
> 11am update - 6 confirmed dead and 25 injured. The Indian-Pacific was
> apparently stopped when the 0639 train from Lithgow collided with the rear
> of the train.

>From the pictures on the ABC, it looks as if V24 ran into the motorail
wagon of the IP at about 50km/h. The corner of the wagon has taken out the
driver's cab and the doors.

> Fortunately, the IP was only a single consist, so the composition from the
> rear was: motorail wagon, power van, crew car, sleeper - so there were three
> cars between the rear of the train and the first passenger vehicle. The crew
> car *should* have been empty at that time of day. In double consist mode,
> the crew car is normally at the other end of the car.

An eyewitness on ABC radio reported that the IP was divided. I don't know
if this was before the crash, a result of the crash, or something the crew
did after the crash.

Cheers
David