An investigation has found a triple-0 call warning about an abandoned vehicle on train tracks was not treated as an emergency before a commuter train ploughed into the vehicle and derailed south of Wollongong.
In the early hours of October 20, 2021, the southbound train hit the van just south of the Kembla Grange Station.
The front carriage left the tracks, separating from the other carriages and sliding along the rail corridor until it collided with a power pole.
The driver was rushed to hospital with serious injuries and two passengers in the front carriage were also injured.
There was significant damage to the train, rail infrastructure and overhead wiring as a result of the collision.
In 2022, Allan Simpson was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in jail after he admitted to abandoning the vehicle that caused the collision.
Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation found a member of the public called triple-0 four minutes before the collision.
“The call was not treated as an emergency by all parties involved,” the investigators found.
“The actions taken to alert the train crew of the motor vehicle on the rail line did not allow the train crew time to act and avoid the collision.”
The driver was seriously injured in the crash and two passengers were also injured. (Supplied: TNV)
‘Valuable time’ lost
The ATSB investigation found “there was an opportunity for the collision and derailment to be avoided” when the triple-0 call was made at 04:05:52am.
Police alerted Sydney Trains approximately two minutes later, and it took another two minutes until the local signaller attempted to hail the train at 04:09:35am.
This was almost the exact time the four-carriage train, which was travelling at approximately 90 kilometres an hour, applied its emergency breaks before colliding with the van.
The damaged front carriage of the commuter train. (Supplied: Australian Transport Safety Bureau)
Investigators found the train crew was not told about the abandoned vehicle in time to avoid a crash.
The ATSB said first point of contact for Sydney Trains, the Security Control Centre Operators (SCCO), spent “valuable time” confirming the vehicle was stuck on the tracks, “taking up critical time to potentially stop a collision”.
“The audio recording of these calls highlighted emergency awareness as an area for improvement,” the ATSB found.
“If the message had reached the driver of C012 in time, they could have slowed or stopped the train which could have prevented the collision from occurring or lessened the outcome.”
The investigators found the SCCO receives training to identify rail emergencies.
A Sydney Trains’ internal investigation revealed the operators had not received emergency response training since 2017.
“Their appreciation and understanding of how to react in an emergency was likely not at a competency level required for an effective response,” the ATSB said.
“A report of a motor vehicle stuck or any significant object on the rail line poses an immediate threat to life and the safety of train services and should be treated as an emergency.”
Camera upgrade not complete
Investigators said there was another opportunity to prevent the crash when two CCTV cameras were tampered with.
Simpson had been attempting to steal a Go Kart from a nearby raceway when his van became stuck on the tracks.
Around 45 minutes before the crash Simpson moved two security cameras to face away from the West Dapto railway crossing.
However, Sydney Trains did not know that the cameras had been moved until more than three minutes after the crash.
Investigators said if the camera movements had been detected there may have been an opportunity for security or police to intervene.
A carriage of the derailed train at Kembla Grange. (ABC News: Billy Cooper)
A project upgrading security cameras on the rail network with tamper alarms began in 2015.
Sydney Trains found the tamper alarm functionality had not been fully implemented at the West Dapto crossing at the time of the derailment, even though it was identified for activation.
An internal review by Sydney Trains made 14 recommendations to address safety issues after the incident.
Sydney Trains reported that each of the recommendations had been completed.
