Investigators are studying CCTV vision from Carlton train station to determine how a pram carrying twin two-year-old girls was able to roll onto the tracks.
One of the girls was killed when she was hit by the train on Sunday afternoon, along with her 40-year-old father who jumped onto the tracks in an attempt to rescue his daughters.
Their bodies were removed from the scene last night.
His actions have been described as “incredibly brave and heroic”.
The other girl was found crying under the train and was taken to hospital for checks, along with her 39-year-old mother who watched the horrific scene unfold.
Investigators are piecing together video of the family of four making their way down the lifts and onto the platform.
NSW Police Superintendent Paul Dunstan said they had just got out of the lift and the parents had taken their hands off the pram for a “very, very short period of time”.
“Whether it’s a gust of wind, we’re not quite sure, but it appears that the pram has instantly started to roll in the direction of the train lines.”
On Saturday, Sydney experienced severe winds which affected services at the nearby airport but conditions had eased by early Sunday afternoon.
However, investigators will still try to assess whether a wind gust could have generated enough force to send the pram rolling onto the tracks.
Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland said these kinds of incidents were “incredibly rare” and they were working closely with police to build a picture of how the incident unfolded, including train speed.
He said the train involved was not due to stop at that station and it was slowing down in line with protocol.
“It was heading towards Bondi Junction, it was approaching the station with caution,” he said.
“That’s how our drivers are instructed to drive in order that they can make sure that there’s no incidents on the platform. So I can’t comment on the speed it was operating at.”
The National Rail Safety Regulator had been informed, he said.
According to Superintendent Dunstan, the “train did stop at a short distance from the end of the platform”.
Source: ABC/Channel 7 Mashup
