Safety reports
The following rail safety reports are available:
On 12 December 2010, the Brisbane to Sydney interstate passenger train service operated by Countrylink (XPT train NT32), departed Brisbane Roma Street station. The train derailed in the vicinity of platform 3 at South Brisbane station. The lead locomotive and one passenger car were derailed causing minor track damage. The occurrence caused some delays to suburban train services travelling through South Brisbane.
There were no reported injuries and passengers were transferred by bus to continue their journey.
On 8 July 2010, a coal train collided with a road vehicle at an Occupational Level Crossing near Goonyella Riverside Mine, Moranbah. The driver of the road vehicle was fatally injured and the passenger received serious injuries. The rail traffic crew were uninjured. An investigation of the incident was conducted by the Rail Safety Regulation Branch to explore systemic and compliance issues relating to the management of the rail corridor.
At 12.01 pm 7 May 2011, an electric mobility scooter drove over the edge of a station platform at Keperra Station, and into the path of a moving passenger train. The passenger train impacted with the scooter. As a result of the collision, the operator of the scooter was fatally injured. No damage was caused to the train and the rail traffic crew were uninjured.
At 10.10 pm on 26 March 2010, the Kuranda Scenic Railway passenger train collided with a landslide at the 16 km point on the Redlynch – Stoney Creek section of the Cairns–Kuranda railway line. There were two locomotives and twelve carriages on the service, with 242 passengers and four on-board staff. There were six minor injuries to passengers and four minor injuries to staff.
The leading bogie of the lead locomotive derailed, causing minor track damage. The locomotive and two passenger carriages received minor damage because of the sudden emergency braking and impact with the landslide. All train services through the Kuranda Range were cancelled until the landslide area was repaired and the line was certified safe for travel.
On three separate occasions during November and December 2009, QR’s signalling control system known as Universal Traffic Control (UTC) experienced failures that disrupted the Brisbane suburban rail network. UTC provides the overall linking of train controllers with the signalling field equipment. As these failures invariably disrupted train services, the risks associated with the safety of passengers, emergency services access to trains, and the general public was of significant concern.
During the investigation, the department engaged Interfleet Technology to advise on the engineering and technical design of the tilt trains, and to report on how the train acted during the crash. The following five documents were provided to the department over the course of the investigation.
Last updated: 23 March 2012
