Glenbrook train disaster

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The Glenbrook train disaster was a railway accident in New South Wales, Australia on December 3, 1999. It happened on a curve of track east of Glenbrook station on the CityRail network between Glenbrook and Lapstone.

In the accident, an interurban passenger train restarted after stopping at a red signal and shortly after collided with the rear of the Indian Pacific long distance passenger train waiting at a failed signal. A number of factors were involved, from equipment breakdown to poor phrasing of the rules. The most important factor was that the interurban picked up too much speed after restarting from the signal at stop, and was not able to see the rear of the long distance train around a sharply curved and deep cutting in order to stop in time to avoid a collision.

Seven people were killed in the accident. A Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice McInerny investigated the accident.

All seven people who died were in the front compartment of the first carriage of the interurban train. After the driver saw the stationary Indian Pacific consist, he ran through the front compartment (the dead-man's brake was automatically activated) and ran to the downstairs part of the carriage yelling "Get down!". Though the driver was badly injured he survived. As the driver ran through, a man from the front compartment ran upstairs to warn people there, and because of this he survived^{[citation needed]} .

[edit] The train

Main article: DIM8067

The train was a 4-car standard interurban 'V' Set, labelled V21.

[edit] Similar accidents

Other accidents involving "Stop and Proceed" include:

• Liverpool train disaster
• Regents Park train disaster
• Lindfield train disaster

[edit] See also

• List of disasters in Australia by death toll
• Railway accidents in New South Wales