Sydney passenger train derails in city’s outer west
By Matt O'Sullivan
The derailed passenger train at Clarendon in Sydney’s outer west on Thursday.Credit:
A Sydney passenger train has derailed in the city’s outer west near the Richmond RAAF base, capping off a horrific two days for commuters who have endured thousands of delays and cancellations across the rail network.
The serious incident occurred at Clarendon Station early on Thursday morning while the train was travelling eastwards on the Richmond line to Central Station via Blacktown. About 10 passengers were onboard the train but no one was injured in the derailment, which left the front of the Waratah A-set train off the tracks.
Early investigations indicate that, while the driver was braking in an attempt to come to a stop at the station, the train continued past the platform and a red stop signal.
An engineered safety control located a short distance after both the signal and a trip device connected to it performed as designed.
As a result, the front carriage of the train derailed, bringing it to a sudden halt and preventing a potentially worse outcome if it had continued.
Sydney Trains said in a statement that it was investigating the incident, which “saw a carriage derailed a short distance past the platform”.
“Any causes will be determined throughout the investigation process,” it said. “As with any rolling-stock incident like this, and in line with existing processes, Sydney Trains and EDI Downer [the rolling-stock maintainer] are formally investigating.”
Buses replaced trains between Riverstone and Blacktown in both directions until about 5pm on Thursday after the front of the train was put back on the tracks and returned to a maintenance facility for further investigation.
Investigators from the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator and the state’s transport safety authority visited the scene and have started their assessment.
Commuters have endured thousands of cancellations and delays over the past two days due to industrial action.Credit: Wolter Peeters
The derailment occurred at the height of a bitter pay dispute between the state Labor government and rail unions. About 350 industrial bans caused more than 2500 trains to be cancelled over two days, crippling the rail network and disrupting hundreds of thousands of passengers.
However, Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland said the incident was not related to the industrial action. “A train, as I understand it, passed through … a red signal, and was caught up in what we call a set of catch points – an engineering solution designed to ensure that the train stopped,” he said.
Commuters have been given a reprieve from the rail chaos after the Fair Work Commission ordered the six unions involved in the dispute to halt their protected industrial action late on Thursday.
An interim order suspending protected industrial action until a decision is made at a full hearing next week follows an application by the Minns government for the actions to be terminated or suspended on economic harm or welfare grounds.
While work bans and other action have been paused, Transport for NSW said more than 50 temporary speed restrictions were in place across the train network on Friday due to a build-up of missed maintenance.
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