Derailment near Melbourne, Australia 20 Feb 2020

[whole diary]

[SandTEngineer]

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/sydney-to-melbourne-train-derails-north-of-melbourne-20200220-p542vz.html

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-20/two-dead-in-train-derailment-melbourne-wallan/11986230

[SandTEngineer]

Early reports:

Several passengers said the train was gaining speed at the time of the accident after being stopped due to a signalling issue.

Lets hope its not a repeat of the recent Italian High Speed derailment.

Here is a signalling map of the area: http://www.sa-trackandsignal.net/Pdf%20files/ARTC/AR208.pdf

[SandTEngineer]

Speculation Alert: Looking more like an overspeed or something similar at the loop turnout:

Leon, who did not want his surname used, also said the the train was stopped minutes before the crash, with staff saying a signalling issue was causing delays.

After the accident Leon, who has experience in rail transport, said he walked back to where he thought the train had derailed.

He said the tracks, which police said were badly damaged following the crash, were set to divert the train onto an adjacent parallel side track. Leon said signals should have alerted the driver to slow down to be able to move into the side track, but he did not notice the train slowing prior to the derailment.

"If the driver knew that, and the signalling told him that, there's no way he would have been travelling at the speed he was travelling at," Leon said.

"You have to slow down at that point ... And this train didn't."

Passengers said they felt a sharp bump before the train derailed.

....and.....

The Border Mail reported on Thursday that north-east train travellers were being asked to allow an extra 60 minutes for trips after a signal hut at Wallan was destroyed by fire earlier this month.

[SandTEngineer]

Looks more certain that the derailment was caused by the train being overspeed passing through a turnout from the main running line to a loop line.

Health Warning. Video contains some scenes that some viewers might find harrowing: Appologies about the advert at the begining. https://youtu.be/4eiq86F8Cm4

[grahame]

Looks more certain that the derailment was caused by the train being overspeed passing through a turnout from the main running line to a loop line.

Indeed.   Though whether it was driver, pilotman, signalman error, a fault with the signalling system or permanent way, something else, or a combination or misunderstanding, we have yet to learn. Lots on the video, including concerns about the state the railway is in near where that accident happened.

Remarkable strength of an XPT (Australian HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) derivative) that it came off at around 80kph on a 15kph turnout, the whole train jackknifed behind the leading power car and only the two in the front cab died. 157 passengers on board, just 11 injured only one seriously (but not life threatening).

[SandTEngineer]

The prelininary report has now been published: https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/5777548/ro-2020-002_prelim.pdf

Preliminary report from the ATSB

At about 1943, XPT ST23 was approaching the northern end of Wallan Loop at about the track’s line speed. Recordings from the train indicate an Emergency brake application a short distance before the points. This slowed the train a small amount before it entered the turnout travelling at a speed in excess of 100 km/h. The train was not able to negotiate the turnout to the loop track at this speed and derailed. All vehicles derailed excepting the rear power car.

[Oxonhutch]

I see that the route had been changed the day of the derailment from the straight - line speed - route through Road 1 to the 15 kph restricted divergence into Road 2. The straight route had been used for the previous 13 days.