A suburban passenger train travelling from outer Sydney to the CBD was in danger of derailing or tipping over last Sunday when it crossed from one track to another at four times the speed limit.
The train’s driver was thrown from his seat in the cab in the serious safety incident near Doonside about 2.30pm, but there have been no reports of injuries to passengers.
The Herald has seen internal documents that show the Waratah train was travelling at 99km/h on a section of cross-over tracks between Doonside and Blacktown where its maximum speed should have been 25km/h.
The train’s guard immediately reported the incident to controllers. They contacted the driver who said he was thrown from his seat in the incident.
A short time later, the driver was relieved of his duties at Blacktown station. The experienced driver has since been stood down from duties on full pay, pending the outcome of investigations.
The train was passing over a so-called turnout – which allows it to cross from one track to another – when the incident occurred. At the time, the Waratah train was travelling from Penrith, bound for the CBD and then onto Hornsby in Sydney’s north.
Several rail sources, who are not authorised to speak publicly, said it was lucky that the train did not derail and tip on its side in the incident given the speed at which it was travelling as it entered the turnout.
A XPT passenger train travelling from Sydney to Melbourne derailed at Wallanin Victoria in February 2020 when it entered a turnout, which was designed for speeds of 15km/h, at up to 127km/h.
Two drivers were killed, and eight passengers seriously injured in the crash.
Early investigations into the Doonside incident last Sunday have not shown any reports of injuries to passengers. The total number of passengers onboard the train at the time of the incident will not be determined until investigators comb through CCTV footage.
Sydney Trains said a full investigation into the incident was underway to ascertain the contributing factors, but early indications were that all points and signals on the line operated as intended.
“The driver in question was removed from duties, pending the outcome of this investigation which is normal process,” it said.
“Sydney Trains’ number-one priority is safety. We take any safety incident seriously and follow detailed reporting and investigation processes.”
The Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator said it had been informed of the incident, and a formal investigation had been initiated.
The serious incident at Doonside occurred two days after an intercity passenger train ploughed into a car which had become stuck on a level crossing at Woy Woy on the Central Coast.
The driver jumped out of his car and attempted to use the light on his phone to warn oncoming trains, but it was too late to stop the north-bound intercity train, which pushed the vehicle along the rail line for a distance.
While no one was injured, the incident caused major delays to train services between Hornsby and Gosford on April 19.
Source: SMH