Rising number of ‘near misses’ as train driver tells of trauma at nearly killing boy and authorities launch national beware campaign

Frightening near misses with trains have almost tripled, new data shows, as a driver reveals his terror as he hurtled towards a teen boy at 110km/h on the Gawler line.

Train driver Tony Lombardi vividly recalls the horror at a near-death experience more than five years ago.

Driving his express service at 110km/h, he saw the teenager, aged 13 or 14, run to catch two friends after school at the Chidda station, near Salisbury.

Having learnt to read body language, the grandfather-of-one’s instincts told him the boy would rush in front of his Gawler-line train so he blared his loud horn 100m from the northern suburbs station.

The father of two, 65, of Clarence Gardens, says his train takes more than 300m to stop.

Tony Lombardi on the platforms at Adelaide Railway Station. Picture: Emma Brasier

“He decided he would cross, which was a silly thing to do because I’m only seconds from the crossing,” said Mr Lombardi, a driver for almost 14 years.

“I put the full emergency brake on as (I) was going at full speed. I knew … I wouldn’t stop.

“He fell in front of me. I then became an unwilling witness to what I thought would be a tragedy and there was nothing I could do about it.

“My heart was pounding – it felt like it was in my throat. I just waited until the train (stopped) but luckily he… got up and ran across. I was in a state of distress for some time.

Emergency services at Tambelin train station in Evanston Gardens after pedestrian Rhyle Abiado was hit by a train in February. Picture: Matt Loxton

“It was the mental anguish and the torment that I went through … because I’ve got a lot of nephews (and) a son (that age).

Rhyle Abiado was hit by a train at Tambelin railway station at Evanston Gardens on February 28 while on his way to Trinity College. Picture: supplied by family

“I couldn’t help thinking about what his family, his school friends and people who knew him would be going through … and that played on my mind.”

Mr Lombardi, who is baffled why people aren’t more careful – his horn has saved dozens of accidents including two on Friday – has agreed to speak out ahead of Rail Safety Week.

He believes electric locomotive trains may become “silent killers”.

New data shows near-misses have almost tripled in the past year as authorities launch a national campaign to “expect the unexpected” and the state government highlights the emotional, physical and mental toll of drivers.

Authorities warn of distracted people using mobile phones or listening to music through headphones along rail networks, which have 480 pedestrian and 557 road crossings.

Official figures show an average of six collisions and 110 “near-misses” involving either a person or vehicle incident with a train and tram, occur in SA each year.

But the Transport Department has recorded 263 near-misses on Adelaide’s Metro network in the past 12 months – or more than five a week. There have been five fatal collisions.

The TrackSafe Foundation charity has revealed 81 fatalities, injuries or self-harm incidents were reported in SA in the past six years to the federal National Rail Safety Regulator.

An official “near-miss” incident is classified as when a driver is required to use emergency brakes or when a person has to take evasive action to avoid danger.

Emergency services at the scene of a serious rail crash at East Grange train crossing where a pedestrian was struck by a train near Terminus St, Grange. Picture NCA NewsWire / Emma Brasier

Authorities, however, warn numbers could be much higher due to strict reporting criteria not being met.

Officials say all passenger trains, which typically weigh more than 140 tonnes, can take up to the length of two football ovals to safely stop. Freight trains can take more than 1km to halt.

Keolis Downer head of drivers Reece Blaschek said distraction “certainly doesn’t discriminate”.

“Those behaviours that you see in a shopping centre are now transitioning into crossing railway lines,” he said. “People are on their phones… walking and going, ‘oh gosh, there’s a train’.”

In response to inquiries, Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis urged people not to rush to beat a gate or train, look both ways and remove headphones when crossing tracks.

While a split-second distraction could be life-changing, he said drivers were left with intense psychological trauma, fear, anxiety and helplessness.

“The impact of near-misses and collisions is profound,” he said.

“Our train drivers are tasked with safely carrying more than 250,000 passengers every week, yet they are often faced with high-stress situations due to the carelessness or foolish decisions of a minority.”

TrackSafe director Caroline Wilkie, chief executive of the Australasian Railway Association, the sector’s peak body, said severe trauma can be avoided.

“Trains... can come any time, day or night, including when we’re least expecting them,” she said.

Originally published as Rising number of ‘near misses’ as train driver tells of trauma at nearly killing boy and authorities launch national beware campaign