Vic train ploughed through gates at 93km/h

A Victorian passenger train ploughed through closed crossing gates less than a minute after three pedestrians passed through, investigators say.

A regional Victorian passenger train ploughed through closed crossing gates at about 93km/h less than a minute after three pedestrians passed through, investigators say.

The late-night VLocity Melbourne to Ballarat train failed to stop at the Ballarat station platform on May 30 and crashed through the level crossing gates, which were closed against rail traffic.

The train driver, conductor and a passenger suffered minor injuries and the century-old heritage-listed wooden gates were destroyed, with fragments of it found stuck in nearby buildings. The front of the lead carriage and passengers’ window were also significantly damaged.

Just 49 seconds before the train passed through Lydiard St, CCTV recorded a group of three pedestrians passing over the crossing, according to an initial Australian Transport Safety Bureau report released on Tuesday.

Investigators said testing showed performance issues with the train’s sanding system, which is used to improve friction between the wheels and rail.

Train designer and manufacturer Bombardier Australia, which maintains the trains under contract, has subsequently tested its fleet of VLocity sanders and done fixes where required.

Damage caused to the passenger train after it crashed into boom gates at Ballarat railway station on May 30, 2020. Picture: Australian Transport Safety Bureau

The VLocity 3VL70 train having impacted the first gate and about to strike the second. Train is running from right to left. Picture: V/Line Corporation via Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

The front of the damaged passenger train. Picture: Australian Transport Safety Bureau

The train driver began to experience wheel slipping and sliding on the way to Ballarat during wet and windy weather conditions, investigators said.

At 235 metres from its intended stopping point, the train was recorded travelling at 99km/h in a 40km/h speed zone.

Seconds later, it passed through the Lydiard St railway crossing at Ballarat at a speed of 93 km/h.

One second before the train went through, the road traffic lights changed from green to a flashing amber, but the gates were still across the rail track, rather than protecting the crossing from road traffic, and were hit.

The investigation is continuing with a final report due next year.

“Should a critical safety issue be identified during the course of the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties so appropriate and timely safety action can be taken,” the ATSB said in its report.