Eagle Junction Derailment April 6

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Long delays as train derails

Long delays as train derails
Marissa Calligeros
April 6, 2009 - 8:07AM

Commuters waiting up to an hour after derailment near Eagle Junction.

Brisbane commuters can expect lengthy delays this morning as a result of a train which derailed near Eagle Junction.

A Translink spokeswoman said commuters could expect delays of up to an hour on northbound services between Bowen Hills and Caboolture.

The Shorncliffe, Doomben and Caboolture lines have been directly affected, although some commuters are expected to be left stranded at other inner-city stations.

The spokeswoman said airport services were also affected, although she could not confirm whether city-bound services would be delayed.

A train travelling onto the wrong track has been blamed for the derailment, but no one has been injured.

More to come...

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Derailment causes rail chaos

Derailment causes rail chaos
Article from: The Courier-Mail

April 06, 2009 07:45am

A TRAIN derailment at Eagle Junction on Brisbane's northside is causing delays across the City Rail network this morning.

No one is injured but the derailment is causing lengthy delays for commuters on the Shorncliffe, Caboolture and Doomben lines.

A Translink spokesperson said delays of up to an hour are expected.

No one was injured in the derailment which occurred about 7am.

Road traffic has alao been hit this morning with an accident on the Gateway Motorway causing massive delays for commuters coming from the north.

The accident occurred eaerly this morning near the Bruce Highway entrance and there is congestion almost 10km back to Anzac Avenue.

[ozbob]

Suburban unit might have split the points.  Minor derailment but major disruption ...

[ozbob]

Feedback received, thanks.

Yes, it looked as though one bogie on an early model SMU on the Down Main Line (Wooloowin side of Eagle Junction) had tried to take 2 roads.

When I came past, they were just getting the last few people off and walking them towards the platform at Eagle Junction.

The big problem was that they were running out of places to hold the trains between Bowen Hills and the derailed unit.  I counted about 6 between Bowen Hills and Eagle Junction with one on Bowen Hills platform, one between Fortitude Valley and Bowen Hills, one at Fortitude Valley and one at Central.

After that they would have to start  putting them all via 3 and 4 platforms at Central or else only taking passengers to Bowen Hills then put them back through the Electric Train Depot at Mayne or to Fortitude Valley and then via the Hole in the Wall adjacent to Bowen Hills and then around the Exhibition loop.


These are the sort of things that can very quickly blow their late running percentages out of the water.

[Derwan]

Passed by the train this morning.  Passengers were being evacuated through the driver cabin.  Plenty were taking photos with their phones - so we'll probably see a few appear on news sites.

It was an older IMU on Down Main.  I assume it was outbound.  There are points just before Eagle Junction in case trains need to change to Down Suburban.  The final bogey appeared to have started to branch off on the switch to Down Suburban - as though the points changed while the train was going over them.  The points appeared to be positioned for the switch.

The train must've been travelling very slowly and stopped as soon as it occurred.  The final bogey was still sitting on the points.

[ozbob]

From  Brisbanetimes update click here!

Long delays as train derails

Long delays as train derails
Marissa Calligeros
April 6, 2009 - 8:41AM

Rail authorities say 150 passengers were travelling aboard a city-bound train when it derailed near Eagle Junction this morning, causing chaos for morning commuters.

A Translink spokeswoman said rail commuters could expect delays of up to an hour on northbound services between Bowen Hills and Caboolture following the incident, which saw the Nambour train cross on to the wrong tracks on the Woolowin line about 6.15am.

None of the 150 passengers aboard at the time were hurt and Translink has described the incident at minor.

Queensland Rail breakdown crews are at the scene, attempting to move the derailed train, which is causing problems for city-bound commuters travelling from the northern suburbs.

The Shorncliffe, Doomben and Caboolture lines have been directly affected, although some commuters are expected to be left stranded at other inner-city stations.

A Translink spokeswoman said airport services were also affected, as were all inbound and outbound services from Albion and Doomben stations.

City-bound services from all northside stations have been delayed by up to 20 minutes.

A Translink spokesman could not confirm whether the incident was caused by a signalling error.

"The reason for the derailment will become clear once the train is moved,"  he said.

"Track crews are down there at the moment working to find the source of the problem."

[Derwan]

A city-bound Nambour train? 

[Derwan]

Having a think about it and seeing the different reports - it may have been a city-bound service that originated at Nambour - travelling on the "wrong" track (i.e. Down Main instead of Up Main) and the driver went through a red light at Eagle Junction, taking it onto points that were set the wrong way.  The driver may have made things worse by trying to reverse back and stopped immediately once he realised the front bogey was going the wrong way.

[ozbob]

Just received a SMS delays expected now till midday.

[ozbob]

Further update at CM.  Not sure if this is entirely accurate ...

From the Courier Mail click here!

Eagle Junction derailment causes train delays across Brisbane

Eagle Junction derailment causes train delays across Brisbane
Article from: The Courier-Mail

Robyn Ironside

April 06, 2009 07:45am

A DERAILMENT caused by a packed commuter train going through a red light at Eagle Junction is causing delays across the City Rail network.

It appears the train went through a red signal to a part of the track that caused it to come off at 6.15am.

The four-carriage train was packed with commuters on their way to work in Brisbane city when the accident happened.

Nobody was injured.

The Courier-Mail saw up to 100 people milling around on the platform at Eagle Junction Station.

In a 30-minute period from around 8.10 only one city-bound train came past. It was empty and labelled "out of Service" and did not pick up any passengers.

No one is injured but the derailment is causing lengthy delays for commuters on the Shorncliffe, Caboolture and Doomben lines.

A Translink spokesperson said delays of up to an hour are expected.

One commuter told of having to change trains four times between Roma Street and Bowen Hills as services were terminated.

"Each time we were told to change trains due to the log jam and there would be delays of about  15 to 20 minutes."

No one was injured in the derailment which occurred about 7am.

Road traffic has also been hit this morning with an accident on the Gateway Motorway causing massive delays for commuters coming from the north.

The accident occurred early this morning near the Bruce Highway entrance and there is congestion almost 10km back to Anzac Avenue.

[Derwan]

The updated report and comments appear to support my theory:

"You couldn't tell what happened. It rolled forward a bit, and it rolled back a bit before it stopped,'' said Mr Cavanough, who was having his first train trip in Brisbane.

Comment by Erica Leston, who was in the front carriage:

One of the train wheels jumped the track after the driver reversed the train after going through a red light (for whatever reason).

[ozbob]

Update from the Courier Mail click here!

Eagle Junction derailment causes train delays across Brisbane


http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,6566033,00.jpg

Eagle Junction derailment causes train delays across Brisbane
Article from: The Courier-Mail

Robyn Ironside

April 06, 2009 07:45am

A PACKED train that derailed on Brisbane's northside has plunged the morning commute into disarray with many rail services delayed.
About 6.15am a packed passenger train bound for Roma Street came off the tracks between Eagle Junction and Wooloowin stations, apparently after going through a red signal.

Passengers Peter Cavanough and Mitch Hawes were among those trapped on the train for an hour after the derailment.

"You couldn't tell what happened. It rolled forward a bit, and it rolled back a bit before it stopped,'' said Mr Cavanough, who was having his first train trip in Brisbane.

Just after 7.15am, the passengers were evacuated from the train and walked 100m back to Eagle Junction station.

Two sets of train tracks were closed as a result of the derailment and commuters forced to wait up to an hour for services, including the Airtrain.

Kelly Mason, 23, of Ascot said she would be late for work in the city.

"It's a bit frustrating but these things happen I suppose,'' Ms Mason said.

A Queensland Rail spokesperson said investigations were continuing into the cause of the derailment.

Transport authority TransLink apologised for any inconvenience to commuters.

Normal services are due to restart at noon.

[ozbob]

From Brisbanetimes click here!

Train services back on track for afternoon commute

Train services back on track for afternoon commute
Marissa Calligeros
April 6, 2009 - 3:12PM

TransLink is confident the derailment of a city-bound train on Brisbane's northside this morning will not cause a repeat of peak-hour commuter chaos, which saw rail services delayed for up to an hour on some lines.

Services on the Shorncliffe, Doomben and Caboolture lines were returning to normal this afternoon, however, delays of up 15 minutes were still being experienced several hours after a train on the Wooloowin line crossed onto the wrong tracks near Eagle Junction about 6.15am.

About 150 passengers had been aboard the train from Nambour when the incident occurred, although no one was injured.

While TransLink said the derailment had been a minor mishap, the incident had a ripple-effect across the network, causing lengthy delays from the Gold Coast to Roma Street and Ipswich and disrupting airport services.

QR said the derailed train had been righted at 10am, but track workers were still investigating the cause of the accident.

"Obviously this is the last thing any passenger wants on a Monday morning but I thank commuters for their patience while QR resolves the problem," TransLink spokesman Adam Nicholson said.

[Arnz]

The service involved (#U902, usually a 3-car IMU) leaves Nambour at 4:49am, arrives Brisbane Central at 6:20am.

[brad C]

Given the volume of trafic on both the down suburban and down main at that time of the morning (many empty cars to the north), it is very unusual that this service was routed via the down main, which is set up for bi-directional working.
There are no up signals on the down main between the Junction Road overbridge (where this signal states to a driver to 'check AWS" and the northern end of Wooloowin platforms.
The red signal observed by some of the 'passengers' may have been on the adjacent up tracks, although in this location the signals are located on overhead gantries.
If a SPAD had occurred, it is worrying that a legitimate down service (which would have been routed over to the down suburban at that point) could in theory have collided with this up service.
It is interesting to note the delays on the down suburban, which from my observations was not physically affected.
Thankfully no injuries!!

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Brisbane Citytrain driver missed red light in derailment

Brisbane Citytrain driver missed red light in derailment
Article from: The Courier-Mail

Ursula Heger and Robyn Ironside

April 07, 2009 12:00am

THE driver of a Brisbane train which derailed with 150 people aboard, sparking commuter chaos, had to be told by the rail control centre he had run a red light.

An incident report obtained by The Courier-Mail reveals a call was made to the driver after he missed a signal near Eagle Junction on Brisbane's northside at 6.16am.

The train derailed when the driver tried to reverse the locomotive back behind the red light.

Passengers yesterday told how they feared the train would topple over after the morning's peak hour derailment.

Erica Lestin, who was in the front carriage of the Nambour to Roma Street service, said the train drove through a red light and then stopped for a few minutes before reversing.

"It didn't reverse very far before there was a bump, much like going through a big pothole in the car, and the train carriage tilted to one side. And that's where it stayed," said Ms Lestin.

"Luckily he didn't reverse any more or I suspect there may have been a possibility of the carriage tilting into the ditch next to the rail line."

The latest signal breach continues a disturbing trend of train drivers in Queensland running red lights.

According to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, there were 133 Signal Passed at Danger incidents in Queensland last financial year, up from 106 the previous year. And at least 10 drivers have been sacked over SPAD incidents in the past five years.

While several trains were near the station at the time of the incident, Queensland Rail yesterday insisted that commuters were never in danger.

The impact of the derailment was felt across the CityTrain network as 40,000 commuters were affected across the network.

Seven services from the Airtrain, Nambour, Shorncliffe and Doomben were cancelled and a further 51 delayed for up to an hour.

Queensland Rail Passenger Executive general manager Paul Scurrah said the driver of the train had been stood down with pay pending a full investigation into the incident.

"We treat signals passed at danger with the upmost levels of seriousness," Mr Scurrah said.

Ms Lestin said passengers sat in carriages for several minutes wondering what had happened.

"We heard that a wheel had come off (the track)," Ms Lestin said.

Commuters then waited for another hour before they were evacuated via "a tiny ladder at the front of the train".

"QR needs to get its act together in respect of emergencies and have some form of emergency access points," Ms Lestin said.

Premier Anna Bligh said Queensland had a safe rail network and described the accident as "very unfortunate".

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Train driver ran red light

Train driver ran red light
Marissa Calligeros
April 7, 2009 - 8:37AM

A driver who ran a red light at Eagle Junction has been blamed for the derailment of a city-bound train carrying 150 passengers yesterday.

The incident threw the network into disarray during the morning peak as Queensland Rail (QR) workers scrambled to right the train, causing delays of up to 60 minutes for some CityTrain commuters.

QR today confirmed initial investigations into the incident showed the driver has "passed a red signal" at Eagle Junction at 6.16am.

The Nambour train derailed about 200 meters south of Eagle Junction station after the driver tried to reverse the locomotive behind the red light.

The incident brought the rail network to a standstill, with passengers left stranded on platforms between Caboolture and Bowen Hills.

Robert Dow, of commuter group Rail Back on Track, said the incident highlighted deep-seated problems within QR, but stopped short of laying responsibility with the rail control centre.

"It is a significant issue when a train crosses a red signal, but we are more concerned about network reliability," Mr Dow said.

He said latest statistics from QR's annual report showed on-time running figures had decreased annually since 2005, with one in 10 services now being delayed.

"That has impacts in terms of child care costs; it has impacts in term of lost job hours; and it has impacts in term of missed appointments," Mr Dow said.

"At the moment we are seeing a continual degradation in performance. We anticipate, through our observations, that for 2008-2009 on-time running figures will be less than 90 per cent.

When compared to Hong Kong's rail network, which boasts a 99.9 per cent on-time rate, Mr Dow, said the frequency on Brisbane's CityTrain service was "mediocre".

An estimated 40,000 commuters were affected across the network as aresult of yesterday's derailment, with only 68.2 per cent of services running on time.

Seven services from the Airtrain, Nambour, Shorncliffe and Doomben lines were cancelled and a further 51 were delayed for up to an hour.

Mr Dow said lengthy delays could have been avoided if QR Passengers department, which manages CityTrain services, had control of urban and suburban tracks.

"If (QR Passenger) needs to put on extra services then they can do that in a more seamless manner than having to go through different groups within the organisation," he said.

It has been reported the driver of the train which derailed yesterday has been stood down with pay, pending a full investigation.

[mufreight]

Seems that many are making much out of this incident so lets clear the air a little.
First there is no question that the train overan a red light and at this stage the driver is being blamed but a point that should be being considered is less apparent.
Did the driver have the road for an inappropriate movement which was then reversed by the control centre in which case the driver could have had the signal thrown back to red with insufficent distance to brake.
Having overun the signal the driver would have contacted the control centre for permission to set back behind the signal.
Did the control centre authorise or instruct the driver to set back?
Tracklocking should have ensured that the points over which he had passed were not released and remained set for the same direction.
The interlooking should not allow for a train to be routed in such a manner as to be directed to a set of trailing points on a main line that a train would have to trail these points.
It would seem that this was the case in this instance or that the points were reversed under the train as it set back, something of a concern as the driver would have been setting back under the authority of train control and the interlocking should have prevented the reversal of the points unless released by the control centre.
We now move to the next point the control centre is operated by QR Network not QR Passenger which creates the situation of a movement of the blame rather than an objective resolution of what actually caused the problem and the problem having occoured the failings of both equipment and staff in attempting to resolve the situation and remedy the failings would seem to have worsened the situation rather than rectified it.
A problem brought about by the operations of the system being controlled by different authorities and different divisions within those authorities and a problem that leads to inneficency and ultimate failure. 
A problem that could be resolved by placing full control and responsibility for the citytrain network under the control of one authority, in this case the logical authority being QR Passenger.
A recent report on delays over one day showed total delays to passenger services amounting to some 741 minutes of which there were 11 delays totaling 98 minutes that were related to matters over which QR Passenger as the service operator had involvment.  The other delays which saw 7 services canceled and delays totaling some 651 minutes were as a result of infrastructure faults, track, signalling and power supply all under the control od QR Network not QR Passenger services who get the flack.
It is interesting to note that of the 11 delays relevent to QR Passenger 9 were related to passenger problems including disabled access but QR Network is still rebuilding old platforms, and building new platforms without raising them to carriage floor height which would improve disability access and reduce station dwell times.
The argument that there should be a single adequately resourced authority responsible for all aspects ofthe operation of the Citytrain network become stronger every day with increasing numbers of failures in a much deteriorated railway system reinforcing the public perception.

[ozbob]

Channel 7 Online Video news piece click here!

[brad C]

I am still of the opinion that the running of a service on the bi-directional track (which unlike the NCL does not feature pairs of signal masts facing in opposite directions at every signal point) within a peak hour time slot was very unusual.
As for the armchair 'experts' on the train that saw the driver run the red light - a complete fallacy as all the signals in this vicinity are on overhead gantries and are not observable by passengers.

Has it occurred to anyone that this driver may not have been familiar with the road?

Consider the route taken:
(1) a cross over from the middle road just before Northgate to the down main and via platform 3 at Northgate
(2) a cross over from the down main to the up main between Northgate and Nundah with a junction indicator and screen advising "UM"
(no signalling between Nundah and Eagle - just the AWS to indicate a clear road or otherwise)
(3) a signal at the southern end of Eagle with a check AWS board (most likely the SPAD)
(4) his next signal would have been a 4 aspect colorlight at the northern end of Wooloowin.
(5) no signals for the up directional running on this road before the actual crossover.

Consider this challenge to his colleagues on the 'right roads' where signal sections are at 100 - 200m intervals over the same distance.

It is quite obvious that the road was set for a movement along the down main, with a junction indicator to cross back to the down suburban at the said points.
I would have assumed that the controller would have set the previous signal to the junction indicator back to danger (an EJ prefixed signal at the northern end of Wooloowin) to halt the down service at that point, thus avoiding a collision.

This appears an unfortunate human error on the part of the driver of the IMU, which may have been attributed to lack of tuition for the said working.
No amount of 'ownership' of the control centre or otherwise could have prevented such a mishap (my analysis is just pure speculation BTW)

To use another analogy, if the derailed service was a PN freighter, would there be callls afoot to have the control centre taken over by PN because it is deemed unsafe.

One must respect the quality and perseverence of the train control centre staff. I sometimes am fortunate to sit in the rear car of an EMU and listen in to the communications between controllers and train crew from the rear drivers cab during peak periods. These are professionals at work!!!

Thank God that the incident was injury (and fatality) free!!!

[ozbob]

Yes, an incident without injury or fatality.  The bright thing is it might lead to some improvements in procedures when the investigation is completed to cover this eventuality should it arise again.

I too suspect that the unusual running may have been a factor.  I think there may have also been some confusion on the reversing manoeuvre.  Again speculation on my part.

Guess in time we will find out.

Regards
Bob

[Silent Bob]

I too suspect that the unusual running may have been a factor.  I think there may have also been some confusion on the reversing manoeuvre.  Again speculation on my part.

Guess in time we will find out.

I can tell you that you are right on the money on both counts.