A loaded Watco grain train collided with a truck at the Gooray level crossing near Toobeah, Qld, in May. All involved survived, but the line was closed for more than a fortnight.
A POIGNANT remembrance event marked the beginning of National Rail Safety Week, honouring over 4500 rail workers who have lost their lives across Australia.
Held on Monday at the Australian Railway Monument in Werris Creek, the ceremony featured a minute’s silence and wreath-laying.
Attendees included representatives from Australia’s 165,000-strong rail workforce, NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison, and other key figures.
This was the first time such a broad group of national rail representatives gathered to reflect on past losses and commit to improving safety for rail workers and the public.
The event paid tribute to Pacific National freight train drivers Kevin Baker and Mick Warren, who died in a level-crossing crash near the South Australia-NSW border on 31 December 2023.
Their names were among over 800 recently added to the national Wall of Remembrance, honouring rail workers who have died since the 1850s.
The monument, managed by the Werris Creek Rail Journeys Museum, updated its records ahead of this year’s 19th annual Rail Safety Week, which runs 5-11 August, with around 100 organisations across Australia and New Zealand promoting rail safety awareness.
Hosted by the TrackSAFE Foundation and NSW TrainLink, the event also included representatives from Sydney Trains, freight operators Pacific National, Qube, Aurizon, the Australian Rail Track Corporation, the Rail Tram and Bus Union and family members.
Werris Creek station, established in 1878 as Australia’s first railway town, was a major NSW hub for about 70 years and remains vital today.
In the past 12 months, it has seen just under 10,000 passenger and freight services pass through, including trains transporting more than 24 million tonnes of coal, plus a large grain component.
“Rail Safety Week highlights our shared responsibility to ensure everyone, from rail employees to commuters, returns home safely every day,” Ms Aitchison said.
TrackSAFE Foundation executive director Heather Neil said any death or injury on the rail network was devastating for families, rail workers, and first responders.
“These incidents cause severe, lasting trauma to those involved, and most are preventable,” Ms Neil said.
“Regardless of where we live, it’s crucial we know how to be safe on and around rail.
“Together, our collective activities during this Rail Safety Week and beyond help reach audiences far and wide, reminding our community to how to stay rail safe.”
In a statement, Aurizon, which hauls grain for CBH in Western Australia, said National Rail Safety Week was a time when the rail industry, law enforcement, government and community groups united to shine a spotlight on the importance of safety on and around rail.
Aurizon is Australia’s largest rail-freight business and operates in all mainland states and the Northern Territory, primarily in regional areas with a customer base in agriculture and resources.
“Our train crew live and work in these regional communities and we want everyone in these communities to be safe when using level crossings.
“By taking extra care and paying attention when approaching level crossings, people will be safer and lives could be saved
Its Respect the sign. Lives are on the line campaign is told through the eyes of those directly impacted by level crossing events, namely train crew and first responders that see the trauma and devastation caused by near-misses and collisions.
“When our train drivers see a vehicle or a person on the tracks, they can’t simply stop or swerve to miss.
“A fully-loaded train carrying freight can take two kilometres to stop, even when the emergency brakes are applied.”
A number of contributing factors result in level-crossing incidents, and a range of initiatives are under way to improve level-crossing safety in Australia under the National Level Crossing Safety Strategy 2023-2032.
“This involves rail and road industries, regulators and enforcement agencies, safety advocates and government at all levels.
“Level crossing safety is a shared, collective responsibility and Aurizon is determined to play its part to support better safety for the community and our train drivers.”
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