Australian Broadcasting Corporation
14 May 2024 (Australia)
The Mining and Energy Union says rail workers were left "shaken" and narrowly escaped harm when the train they were repairing was struck by another in Western Australia's Pilbara region.
Mining giant Rio Tinto said an autonomous train hit a set of stationary wagons about 80 kilometres outside Karratha just after midnight on Monday, damaging 22 wagons and three locomotives.
A Rio Tinto spokesperson said no people were in the vicinity and no-one was injured, but union secretary Greg Busson said five staff were further down the line working on the stationary equipment.
Iron ore trains can be several kilometres long and Mr Busson confirmed the group were unharmed, but said they were shaken by the incident.
He said if workers were closer to the site of the crash the consequences could have been far more serious.
"[They were working] in the dark in an isolated area, and even though they were a bit away from where the incident happened they were still at risk and it's obviously shaken them," he said.
"They could have been at the other end of the train. It could have been far worse."
The Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) has launched an investigation and yesterday said it received a report about a collision between a loaded ore train and a recovery train.
"The recovery train is reported to have collided with the ore train it was sent to recover after it was disabled by a mechanical failure," a spokesman said in a statement.
Source
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-14/rio-tinto-autonomous-train-derailment-left-workers-shaken/103843336
Recommended for you
Vossloh buys France Aiguillages Services (FAS), a service provider, and grows its service business in France
19 July 2024 ( France ) France Aiguillages Services (FAS), a business located in Bertrichamps, eastern France, has been acquired by Vossloh. The business provides a wide range of services for switches and related signaling systems. The French state-owned railway business SNCF is its biggest client. FAS is authorized to perform a wide range of technical inspections and maintenance services on switch systems and signaling installations inside the SNCF network due to its comprehensive approvals. Source https://www.vossloh.com/en/press/press-releases/detail/pressdetail_76160.html
3 days ago
Read MoreSydney Metro City launch target announced
08 July 2024 (Sydney, New South Wales) Next month, Sydney will be home to quick, secure, and dependable metro trains. The historic Sydney Metro City project is scheduled to debut on August 4. Launching is contingent upon the operator gaining final regulatory approvals, successfully completing trial running exercises, and passing system performance testing. A 15.5-kilometer stretch of metro rail will be added to the M1 Northwest & Bankstown route in August, expanding the current Metro North West route from Chatswood to Sydenham across the harbor and the Sydney CBD. Source https://www.sydneymetro.info/article/target-sydney-metro-city-launch-announced
3 days ago
Read MorePerth: A 10-year, $1.6 billion contract has been awarded to AD Alliance
18 July 2024 (Perth, Australia) A 10-year, $1.6 billion contract has been awarded to AD Alliance – a partnership between Alstom Transport Australia Pty Ltd and DT Infrastructure Pty Ltd – to design, supply, and build Perth's High-Capacity Signalling (HCS) project. The HCS project will replace and significantly upgrade the signalling and train control systems on Perth's rail network. This will allow more trains to run more frequently, ultimately increasing capacity by 40 percent. The HCS control technology will be housed in the new state-of-the-art Public Transport Operations Control Centre (PTOCC) in East Perth. This facility will serve as a central hub to ensure smooth and safe public transport operations, including incident management. Source https://www.pta.wa.gov.au/news/media-statements/futureproofing-perths-public-transport-network
5 days ago
Read More