Car and train collide near Surrey Hills railway station
THE driver of a train that smashed into a car at Surrey Hills - killing two women - has been left badly traumatised, as Daniel Andrews declared it too early to decide if the level crossing should be removed.
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VICTORIA Police and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau are investigating the horrific crash that left two elderly woman dead when an express train smashed into their car at Surrey Hills station.
A 71-year-old and a 73-year-old, both from Camberwell in Melbourne’s east, were killed when their 2010 black Hyundai became trapped in the middle of the crossing on Union Rd just before 4pm yesterday.
The train, travelling at 80km/h before the driver hit the brakes, would have needed about 340m to stop, but only had about 200m notice.
But a blind corner near the station prevented the train driver from seeing the car on the tracks earlier.
Trains this morning resumed running on the Belgrave and Lilydale lines.
Police last night corrected reports the driver had driven around boom gates that had come down at the crossing.
“They didn’t go around the boom gates at all,” acting sergeant Glen Whitehead said.
“The motor vehicle has come across, was on the train line and then the boom gate has come down behind.
“The driver has been unsure of what to do from there and as a result the train travelling through, an express train, has then collided into the motor vehicle.”
Rail Tram and Bus Union Locomotive Division divisional secretary Marc Marotta said the express train would have been doing 80km/h as it approached the station.
“The driver would not have had a clear view for a couple of hundred metres,” he told 3AW this morning.
“There’s a sharp left-hand curve, the driver would not see it (the car) until about 200m.
“A 300-plus tonne train doing 80km/h — you can’t stop. You have no hope.”
Mr Marotta said he had spoken to the driver.
“The driver is experienced,” he added.
“He’s quite shaken. Hopefully he does recover.”
Mr Marotta said the union supported the State Government’s push to remove level crossings across Melbourne, although Surrey Hills is not on the list of 50 to be removed over the next six years.
Mr Marotta said the union had raised concerns with Metro about train speed limits at locations around Melbourne.
Metro spokeswoman Sammie Black said it had received no reports from the union regarding the Surrey Hills crossing.
Ms Black added Metro was not reviewing the express line speed at Surrey Hills.
“If we are required to review the line speed by authorities we will,” she told 3AW.
Ms Black said it was a tragic accident and the rail company’s thoughts were with the victims, their families and their driver and his family.
She said all circumstances of the crash would form part of the investigation by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, police and Metro.
Metro boss Mike Horton refused to say whether he believed the Surrey Hills level crossing should be removed, or whether the speed should be cut to 65km/h.
“It is very early to speculate on the issues until we’ve had an investigation — it’s an official and independent investigation,” Mr Horton said.
“We need to let the full investigation take its course.
“If this investigation reveals that this should be one of those level crossings to be removed in the future then we will support that.
“The only way really to stop this from happening is to continue with the grade separation program, which the government has commenced, and make sure we eradicate these level crossings through Victoria.”
Mr Horton said Metro had “no correspondence” from unions with concerns about the level crossing’s safety.
He added that the train driver, who has more than 25 years experience, was receiving support.
“It was obviously a traumatic experience,” he said.
“This impacts everyone in our organisation, not just the drivers of trains, but also the staff who have to mobilise to support these incidents whether it be rolling staff, authorised officers, customer service staff.
“It has a very wide impact on our organisation. Everyone is sadden by this tragic event.”
Premier Daniel Andrews said his “thoughts and best wishes” were with the victims, their families, the train driver and emergency services personnel who responded to the “traumatic incident”.
“It’s a horrific incident and one which reminds all Victorians, I think, of the need to remove the level crossings. These are relics of the past and they need to go,” Mr Andrews said.
“We have a program which we took to the election, we are getting on and getting rid of those 50 level crossings. Of course if we can do more then we will.”
He would not say if the government would add the Union St crossing to its program of works, adding that “today’s not the day for that”.
“We are serious about removing deadly and congested level crossings. We’ve made commitments around 50 of those but we don’t for a moment say that’s the end of it,” Mr Andrews said.
Trains resumed on the Belgrave and Lilydale lines this morning, but some services have been cancelled because of disruptions to the network.
Commuters are urged to check with Metro at their local station.
UPDATE: Two people have been killed, possibly a third, after a car was crushed by an express train - @pauldowsley7. https://t.co/w9JmoHWJdL
— 7 News Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) September 14, 2016
Emergency services arrived at the scene about 4pm where passengers, who reported seeing car debris on the train lines and over the platform, where quickly evacuated.
“We felt the train stop but we were coming up to the station anyway so we bought it was slowing down a bit but then there was like an emergency stop break,” one passenger said.
“We were sitting on the train for about two minutes and then they asked us to get off.
“We immediately saw a bumper from a car and thought maybe we hit the edge of a car that went too far from the line but as we walked along we saw more and more parts.”
The train involved in the smash left Flinders Street at 3.28pm, bound for Belgrave.
The express service was not due to stop at Surrey Hills and was travelling through the crossing at speed.
The car the women were in was destroyed and was unrecognisable as it lay mangled beneath the train, which had come to a stop at the station platform.
A worker who witnessed the ordeal from his corner cafe, Ben Jackson, said the car was slowly going through the closed crossing before it was hit by the outbound train.
“It was slowly snailing across,” he said.
“We’ve seen a few cars over the last year snailing over. Some speed through. When I have seen it, it’s not been in the middle of peak hour.”
Car debris was strewn across the road and train platform.
Mr Jackson said this morning that he was still coming to terms with witnessing the tragic crash.
“The train just picked up the car and took it like a feather,” he said.
“It was just a metal thud, it was just loud.
“At the moment I’m still numb. It’s just a very strange, surreal feeling.”
Surrey Hills resident Lyn Bennett said Union St, where the crash occurred, was often congested, particularly during the afternoon.
“The traffic is usually bad with s lot of congestion and I think, if you’re not alert, you could easily get caught,” she said.
“With the pedestrian lights (up ahead), there’s nasty congestion here.
“You see cars a lot sitting there (on the tracks) waiting to go through so if the boom gates come down you don’t have anywhere to go.”
One train passenger said there was at least 1000 people at Camberwell as all passengers had been told to get off their trains to catch buses to Box Hill, where they could resume their train journey.
Frustrated commuters were filmed abusing Metro staff while waiting for replacement buses.
“There’s people everywhere and only about three or four Metro staff,” the passenger said last night.
“Two buses arrived about 6.30pm and people said they had been waiting up to two hours.”
Congestion at Camberwell waiting for buses pic.twitter.com/lW9fycKwTl
— tuaha (@tuaha53) September 14, 2016
@abcnews - enjoy this lovely panoramic from Camberwell station. pic.twitter.com/0sUYX7EtQU
— Russell Greenwood (@russell) September 14, 2016
S/o to @metrotrains for giving realistic wait times for replacement buses @ Camberwell after https://t.co/vO4QaCg68p pic.twitter.com/o7esQOuJHr
— Richard Callender (@rcallenderreid) September 14, 2016
Passengers were stuck on trains for an hour after the accident.
Union Rd was closed to traffic from Canterbury Rd to Mont Albert Rd, with motorists told to avoid the area.
Investigators urge anyone who may have witnessed the collision who may have information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at crimestoppersvic.com.au
BREAKING: Surrey Hills: First pictures from chopper - Car looks crushed BTW Train and platform. #victraffic pic.twitter.com/yBy18TeLII
— Jimmy Traffic (@JimmyTraffic) September 14, 2016
UPDATE Belgrave/Lilydale lines: Buses are arriving at Camberwell. Expected wait time for a replacement bus is up to 45 minutes.
— Metro Trains (@metrotrains) September 14, 2016
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