Truck v train Dandenong South

[ozbob]

Some early as yet officially unconfirmed reports of serious incident on the ? Dandenong Dandenong south - Cranbourne line.  Train on side ..

[ozbob]

Twitter

52s Daniel Bowen ‏@danielbowen

Reports of truck crashed into train, carriage derailed, Dandenong Sth (Abbots Rd crossing?) Hope everyone OK. #MetroTrains

[ozbob]

Twitter

17s Metro Trains Metro Trains ‏@metrotrains

Trains to and from Cranbourne and Pakenham are suspended until further notice due to an accident involving a train and another vehicle.

[ozbob]

sh%t ...

--> http://twitter.yfrog.com/gzv8tmnrj

[ozbob]

Twitter

1m Nine News Melbourne Nine News Melbourne ‏@9newsmelb

BREAKING: CFA crews are working to rescue the driver from the train wreckage. http://t.co/1iDDEaSB

[ozbob]

Twitter

3m Clint Stanaway ‏@cstanaway

Extraordinary vision from the @9newsmelb Chopper of a nasty Metro train crash on Abbotts Road in Dandenong http://t.co/KDdMdFLA

[ozbob]

Twitter

Metro Trains ‏@metrotrains

Correction: Pakenham line services to continue running. Track suspended between Dandenong and Cranbourne.

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Truck, train collide, rail line suspended

[ozbob]

Twitter

4m Nine News Melbourne Nine News Melbourne ‏@9newsmelb

BREAKING: Emergency services say "A number of people" are being treated at the scene of a train crash in Dandenong. http://t.co/w9kpOKzu

[ozbob]

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[ozbob]

Twitter

Daniel Bowen ‏@danielbowen

OK good: Police say no fatalities or serious injuries. http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/truck-train-collide-rail-line-suspended-20121103-28qir.html ... #Dandenong #metrotrains

[ozbob]

Twitter

5m Daniel Bowen Daniel Bowen ‏@danielbowen

The Abbotts Road crossing was ranked 144th in the priority list (from 2008) http://j.mp/SmkNYJ  #metrotrains #Dandenong

[ozbob]

Twitter

5m Melissa Singer ‏@melsingerhack

Ambulance Vic has confirmed one person has died in the train/truck crash at Dandenong this morning

[ozbob]

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/one-dead-in-rail-smash-20121103-28qir.html

One person is dead and several others are injured in a collision involving a train and a truck in Melbourne's south-east.

The collision on Abbotts Road, Dandenong South, occurred at 11.41am.

Ambulance Victoria spokesman Ray Rowe said a person at the scene of the accident, presumably a passenger, was in a critical condition.

Paramedics gave the driver fluids and oxygen as emergency services worked to free him.

He has been taken to The Alfred hospital with lower body injuries where he's in a serious but stable condition. The male truck driver walked away uninjured.

Mr Rowe said the train driver had been taken to the Alfred Hospital in a serious but stable condition but the truck driver was uninjured.

He said a number of passengers were being assessed and some would be taken to Dandenong and Frankston hospitals.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/one-dead-in-rail-smash-20121103-28qir.html

[#Metro]

Just waiting to happen in Queensland

[ozbob]

Twitter

Katy Gallichio ‏@kgallichio

@3AW693 A train and a truck have collided at Abbotts Road, Dandenong. Thanks to listener Mark for sending in this pic. http://t.co/HuckcRa6

[ozbob]

Twitter

3m Daniel Bowen ‏@danielbowen

Sounds like the fatality is a passenger. :-( http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/train-derailed-passengers-wounded-after-collision-with-a-truck-in-dandenong-south/story-e6frf7kx-1226509695261 ...

[#Metro]

The SAME THING HAPPENED ALMOST EXACTLY A YEAR AGO at the next crossing over!!

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/truckie-battles-flames-to-rescue-traincrash-survivors-20111028-1mmp4.html



Clearly nothing changed!!

[ozbob]

Twitter

6m @peterrolfe ‏@rolfep

#metroaccident http://t.co/CpXhLIvi

[ozbob]

Victoria Police Online News

http://www.vicpolicenews.com.au/more-news/10771-man-dies-following-truck-and-train-collision-in-dandenong-south.html

Man dies following truck and train collision in Dandenong South

Saturday, 03 November 2012 13:50

A man has died and six others have been injured following a truck and train collision in Dandenong South today.

Investigators have been told that a prime mover and trailer attempted to drive across the Abbott Street level crossing when it was struck by a passenger train, which was travelling outbound about 11.40am.

As a result of the collision, one of the train carriages tipped over while three other carriages derailed.

Emergency workers located a man in cardiac arrest near the train cabin. Despite attempts by paramedics to treat the man, he died at the scene.

The male train driver has been conveyed to The Alfred hospital with a lower leg injury.

The truck driver, a man aged in his 30s, received minor injuries.

He was assessed by paramedics at the scene but did not require hospital treatment.

Six other passengers have been conveyed to local hospitals with minor injuries.

Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives are at the scene and will investigate the collision.

Police will prepare a report for the Coroner.

Provisional Road Toll

2012 – 237

[ozbob]

Form your own conclusion ...

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Twitter

Daniel Bowen ‏@danielbowen

Boom gate is down. Working perfectly then? MT @andrew_lund: what's left of truck trailer after Dandenong train crash. http://t.co/YMXXiV5D

[ozbob]

Twitter

Andrew Lund ‏@andrew_lund

Premier Ted Baillieu and Transport Minister Terry Mulder have just arrived at the scene of the Dandenong train crash pic.twitter.com/nvm0ZUGi

[ozbob]

Twitter

Sarah Abo ‏@_SarahAbo

3 trains are stuck at Cranbourne end if line, @metrotrains expects train derailment to cause commuter chaos for 5 days #tennews

[ozbob]

The Victorian Premier has described it as tragedy. How true ... a tragedy how successive governments have allowed festering grade separation issues to remain unresolved,  a tragedy how they have failed to enforce basic road rules with aggressive fines and serious sanctions.  Red light running is all too common as the tally of hundreds of near misses reported by operators all over mounts.

It is only going to get worse as traffic intensity, train and road increases.  Yes, tragedy all right Premier, yours and governments past and present ...

[ozbob]

The line from Dandenong to Cranbourne was the first part of the South Gippsland Line, a line I travelled on frequently once.  There are some long term plans to reopen to Leongatha, track still in situ.

Having the Cranbourne line out of operation might cause some minor issues with turnbacks at Dandenong but I am sure they can work around.  The Cranbourne services do there fair share of heavy lifting, particularly between Dandenong and Melbourne City.

Reasonable numbers travel peak between Dandenong and Cranbourne, but hopefully they can rustle up Bertie and friends ...

[ozbob]

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/one-dead-in-rail-smash-20121103-28qir.html

... Assistant police commissioner Robert Hill, speaking at the scene, said the lights and gate were operating correctly when the crash happened.

''The bells were ringing. The boom gates were down. For some unknown reason the truck has travelled through the boom gate (when) it is already down,'' he said.

''The truck has collided with the first carriage. It has t-boned the first carriage.''

The 59-year-old truck driver, from Narre Warren North, is assisting police with their inquiries after reportedly walking from the crash ...

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/one-dead-in-rail-smash-20121103-28qir.html

[ozbob]

Very odd comment from the Assistant Police Commissioner.  In all the photographs I have seen the boom gates appear intact?  Possibly one photograph that might show a broken boom on the Age site. Just checked again, definitely broken off about one third way along.

If the truck has entered the crossing then it must have gone  through the boom gate, either a deliberate dangerous move, loss of concentration or forced by a brake failure or something.

[ozbob]

Herald Sun --> Witness Mick McGuigan, 54, describes horror of fatal Dandenong train versus truck crash

... "You could hear his (the truck driver's) brakes lock up, then all this smoke came up and then he tried to move around the boom gates," he said. ,,,

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Safety fears after fatal crash

" ... Last week, Fairfax revealed a significant increase in near misses between trains and vehicles at Victorian level crossings, with Dandenong recording the highest number of incidents.

Across the state, there were 170 near misses in 2011-12, compared with 146 the previous year. The number of incidents involving trains and track-side workers at level crossings went from 160 to 290 in that time.

Dandenong recorded nine near misses between vehicles and trains, Noble Park seven, and Springvale four, leading to concerns of increasing motorist frustration along the heavily congested Dandenong corridor. ... "

[ozbob]

Sent to outlets:

4th November 2012

Level crossings ....

Greetings,

Another serious level crossing incident at Dandenong South Victoria -->   http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=9221.0

Governments all over Australia are kidding themselves if they think their safety campaigns and token fines and sanctions are effective.  They are not.  Near misses continue to increase and the risks resulting from idiots loose on the roads with killing machines just exacerbates.

The Victorian Premier has described it as a tragedy. How true ... a tragedy how successive governments have allowed festering grade separation issues to remain unresolved,  a tragedy how they have failed to enforce basic road rules with aggressive fines and serious sanctions.  Red light running is all too common as the tally of hundreds of near misses reported by operators all over mounts.

In Victoria as reported in the Melbourne Age  http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/safety-fears-after-fatal-crash-20121103-28qir.html

" ... Last week, Fairfax revealed a significant increase in near misses between trains and vehicles at Victorian level crossings, with Dandenong recording the highest number of incidents.

Across the state, there were 170 near misses in 2011-12, compared with 146 the previous year. The number of incidents involving trains and track-side workers at level crossings went from 160 to 290 in that time.

Dandenong recorded nine near misses between vehicles and trains, Noble Park seven, and Springvale four, leading to concerns of increasing motorist frustration along the heavily congested Dandenong corridor. ... "

It is only going to get worse as traffic intensity, train and road increases.  Yes, tragedy all right Premier, yours and governments past and present all over Australia ...

Universal grade separation is not going occur anytime soon.  Governments need to get fair dinkum, level crossing breaches first offence  minimum 12 months licence suspension, second offence life.  This will greatly assist no doubt in bringing these idiots under control.

Place traffic signals additional to the standard railway crossing warning lights, booms and signs on approaches to higher risk crossings.  See here for some examples -->  http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=2391.msg110697#msg110697

More needs to be done in terms of education - more education targeted directly to motorists and heavy vehicle operators, and of course ongoing grade separation.  Prominent ' red light ' cameras.

Pedestrians and cyclists also need to obey rules and regulations.

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Photographs at the Melbourne Age --> http://www.theage.com.au/photogallery/national/metro-train-fatal-crash-in-dandenong-south-20121103-28rf0.html

[somebody]

Seems like harsher penalties aren't going to stop these problems; they're already fairly harsh in Vic.

One blogger after the Sandgate incident mentioned the UK has an "amber light" as well as barriers across the full width of the road i.e. departure side is covered as well.  The latter does remove incentive to try to run the crossing.

[ozbob]

Three months automatic licence suspension in Victoria, need to ramp that up all over.  12 months will certainly focus a few minds. No point in having automatic licence suspensions unless they are actually enforced.  Red light cameras will do that and in place police enforcement.

Traffic lights will help.  I watched closely at Murrumbeena and Carnegie last week, motorists were actually very well behaved and stopped as required.

The near misses are just accelerating everywhere though overall.

[ozbob]

Daily Telegraph --> Calls to abolish level crossings following fatal train versus truck crash in Dandenong

[ozbob]

172 level crossings Melbourne suburban network.  Roughly $100M average per grade separation = $17 billion dollars.  Not going to happen tomorrow hence additional measures must be taken  ...

[Gazza]

If the money earmarked for east west tunnel in melbourne was put towards grade sepping you'd still please all the motorists, but at the same time help bus routes crossing rail lines, allow for increased rail frequency, and it would actually spread the benefits to traffic flow and movement across the entire metro area, not just a small section around the proposed freeway tunnel.

172 level crossings Melbourne suburban network.

Bear in mind in some places you might be able to get away with say grade sepping surrounding roads, and just closing the crossing at the minor one, the figure might be less.

[ozbob]

Financial Review  --> Melbourne needs to lower the boom on all those crossings

[ozbob]

Financial Review --> Cash cocktail for Melbourne's rail crossings: report

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> No rail fault in fatal truck-train crash, preliminary investigation suggests

... Transport Safety Victoria director Alan Osborne says preliminary results from the crash scene reveal that nothing was wrong with the train, the rail or the level crossing warnings before the crash ...

... Seaford plumber Mick McGuigan was travelling behind the truck when it entered the intersection.

"He tried to brake. He locked it up just at the last minute. I don't think he realised the barrier was down because I was behind him and he's locked the back brakes and the trailer brakes came on.

"Then he realised that he couldn't stop and he tried to negotiate the barrier. He tried to drive around it. I think that's when he saw the train ... "

[ozbob]

Rear carriage being towed away from Dandenong South crash scene @9newsmelb twitter.com/andrew_lund/st...

— Andrew Lund (@andrew_lund) November 4, 2012