NSW: Derailed maintenance train caused Bargo accident - report

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NSW: Derailed maintenance train caused Bargo accident - report

SYDNEY, Aug 9 AAP - Rail crews were not aware a track maintenance train had partlyderailed before it was hit by a passenger train near Bargo, Transport NSW said today.

The department's preliminary findings regarding the cause of the August 1 collisionalso said discrepancies in the reported speed of the passenger train at the time of theaccident were "noticeable but not significant".

Transport NSW executive director of transport and rail safety Kent Donaldson releasedhis initial findings today in relation to the accident that occurred at Yerrinbool, onthe NSW Southern Highlands, south-west of Sydney.

State Rail initially said the collision occurred when the driver of the passenger traintried to sneak past the works train at 5kph but clipped one of the wagons.

It said the passenger train driver had been warned of the derailment.

But, a leaked official incident report said he had no idea of the derailment and wastravelling at 60kph when the collision occurred.

However, today's report said the crew of the ballast train and all other rail operativeswere not aware two wagons had derailed prior to the accident.

"The driver of the passenger train saw the ballast train as he approached and slowedto 30 kilometres an hour," the Transport NSW statement said.

"The driver of the passenger train did not see a platform attached to one of the wagonswas encroaching his track.

"The passenger driver braked immediately upon the impact. The passenger train did not derail."

Opposition transport spokesman Peter Debnam last week accused Transport Minister CarlScully of attempting to cover up the seriousness of the derailment and subsequent accident.

The NSW Government and State Rail both denied the allegations.

"While there was a discrepancy in the media about the speed, the fundamental basisof State Rail's initial explanation was not incorrect," Transport NSW said today.

"The discrepancy was noticeable but not significant and the error in the releasingof this information was inadvertent."

Mr Donaldson said rail investigations were not about apportioning individual blame,rather establishing facts to help address "any systemic issues to prevent the recurrenceof similar events."

"What we need to determine now is what could have been done to prevent this accidentfrom occurring," he said.

Mr Donaldson said the next phase of the investigation would focus on the operationof ballast trains, risk management processes, incident recovery processes, human and communicationfactors.

AAP hn/nf/las/sb

KEYWORD: CRASH