Yet another QR fatal accident

[Twiggy]

To quote from http://www.news.com:

Anna Caldwell and Patrick Lion
January 01, 2009 02:15pm

THE level crossing where a the Sunlander train was involved in a fatal collision had been earmarked only two weeks ago as a top priority for upgrade.

A 40-year-old man was killed when his garbage truck and the southbound Sunlander collided on the crossing yesterday. Gallery: Train hits truck at level crossing The crossing south of Innisfail, in the state's north, is a notorious blind spot.


Yesterday, the locomotive employees union and the State Opposition slammed the condition of level crossings across Queensland and demanded an end to the carnage after the third fatality in five weeks.

At 11.20am the truck driver, understood to be father-of-two Terry Brown, attempted to pass through the crossing – which has no boom gates or warning lights – at Mundoo, 5km south of Innisfail, when the collision happened, killing him instantly.

Of the 122 people on the train, six were injured, including three pregnant women.

The injured were taken to hospital. Many more were treated at the scene for cuts and bruises.

Witnesses told how rescuers rushed to help the driver who was trapped in twisted metal.

"But it was no use. He was gone," a visibly shaken Luke O'Brien said.

It is understood the driver was off duty and was filling in for a fellow driver who had called in sick.

"He was helping out a mate, that is what makes it all the more upsetting," local Les Taylor said.

Both train drivers walked away uninjured from the collision which derailed both locomotives and six carriages on the Cairns to Brisbane service.

It came after two train drivers were killed in a level crossing collision with a truck on the Bruce Highway, south of Cardwell, on November 27.

Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Employees representative Greg Smith said it was a state disgrace that another death could occur.

Mr Smith said the intersection was a death trap that should have been fixed long ago. The track speed limit at the site of the collision was 80km/h.

"It is a fast spot and it is a blind spot and it is close to a residential area," he said.

"It is nothing short of a disaster waiting to happen."

He said it was tragic that the new Government taskforce had only just named the crossing as a top priority for upgrade.

"The taskforce is a good thing – but it has come too late for this man," Mr Smith said.

However, Queensland Rail acting chief executive Deborah O'Toole said the group had not heard anything about the Mundoo crossing coming out of the review at this stage.

"Not that I'm aware of," Ms O'Toole said.

She defended the group's safety record, saying a public education campaign was at present focusing on level crossing safety.

Mr Smith said he had spoken to the two train drivers, both from Cairns, who were involved in yesterday's collision.

"They have expressed their devastation and they have just said there was absolutely nothing they could do to avoid the collision," he said.

Yesterday Queensland Transport extended the terms of reference for the inquiry with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau into the Cardwell crash to include the latest accident.

Amid calls from the Opposition for more action in funding level crossing safety and less reviews, Transport Minister John Mickel yesterday would only promise a full investigation as he extended his sympathies to the families of the deceased and those injured.

"We want to reassure (Queenslanders) we will get to the bottom of this," he said. "Obviously our sympathies go to the family of the driver."

Opposition transport spokesman Tim Nicholls said the Government had to act after underfunding level crossing safety. He said it was telling that only 200 of the state's 1800 level crossings had lights and boom gates.

An interim report into the Cardwell crash is due within weeks but Mr Mickel said he did not want investigators to rush the investigation.

Another grand start to the year for Queensland Rail. I don't think it QR can be blamed completely for this accident, motorists really need to start paying attention at level crossings. A 12t Truck vs a 400t train isn't ever going to look pretty, and with the exception of the Tilt Train Fatality, the Road Vehicle occupants nearly always come off second best. My condolences to the family of the deceased man.

[atalantino]

In Italy at least 2 times a year there is an acsident in the same place: Crevalcore, i think there lies a unorganized tight junction way for many lines, and sometimes the pilots dont bother in which track they are running, yes, frontal impacts.