Railway accidents in New South Wales
In the ensuing investigation, reported in the Sydney Morning Herald, it was suggested that the problem was caused by damage to the hollow-cast rails which were not able to withstand the weight of the locomotive.
Rail workers, some of whom witnessed the derailment, claimed that the problem was caused, at least in part, by the practice of loose-coupling the lightweight third-class carriages in the same way as heavy goods trucks.
On 25 April 1890, an Up mixed train, after shunting at Kelso, climbed the 1 in 50 grade to Raglan where it again stopped to unload parcels as well as pick and set down passengers.
The Goulburn-bound train was only travelling at an estimated 10 kilometres per hour, however the accident was devastating in terms of damage, injury and loss of life.
[15] Seven people were killed, including the fireman, and twenty six injured when a steam locomotive and two passenger cars derailed just south of Sydenham station.
[18] On 27 November 1909, the fireman on engine T727 was scalded to death by escaping steam spewed from its funnel in the Ardglen Tunnel (between Werris Creek and Murrurundi.
[28] Total of sixteen were killed and at least four others critically injured following a collision on 15 January 1944 between the Tamworth mail train and a bus at a level crossing a short distance from Hawkesbury River station.
[30] On 24 December 1947, a man was struck and killed by a train near Sefton station probably whilst crossing the line to visit his daughter's home.
[30] On 23 December 1947, an army private, Bryan Williams (18), was killed on the roof of a train a result of his head striking an overhead bridge.
The explosion happened when a railway embankment, weakened by heavy rain, collapsed, and the locomotive, with several trucks, plunged into a 30 ft deep cavity near Bathurst.
[41] On 31 July 1970, the Silver City Comet passenger express had a head-on collision with a stationary Indian Pacific train at Borenore, near Orange.
The heritage train (led by steam locomotive 3801) had stalled on the Cowan Bank, and dropped sand onto the track to increase traction resulting in a wrong side signal failure.
[54] On 9 August 1998, two rail maintenance workers, 31 and 50 years, were killed when an empty coal train rounded a sharp curve at 70 kilometres per hour (43 mph) and smashed into their truck, picking it up & spinning it into a cliff face.
The train derailed and, with the crushed semi trailer underneath the leading locomotive, travelled 144 metres further onto and over the timber and concrete rail bridge over the Back Creek watercourse.
[70] A northbound goods train lost its brakes heading down Cowan Bank and ran into a stationary light engine stopped at Hawkesbury River station.
[72] On 24 January 1945, an electric passenger train travelling from Liverpool to the city jumped the track on the bend approaching Merrylands railway station, causing the first four carriages to derail.
[73][74] At about 7.45 am on 19 November 1946, the front two carriages of the 7.08 Liverpool to Wynyard service jumped the points and diverted onto the Sydney Abattoirs branch line, near Rookwood station.
[76][77] On 25 June 1948, the crew of the early morning coast milk train were slightly injured when their locomotive overran a stop signal at exit points and derailed.
[79] On the morning of 28 July, there was a serious dislocation of train traffic caused by the overhead power wiring fouling the down and up lines at Auburn, resulting in a complete recast of the affected electric services.
[100] On 6 October 2000, an eight car Tangara train derailed at low speed near Kingsgrove station on the East Hills line, causing the rear three carriages to topple onto its side.
[103] In the early hours of the morning of 17 January 2007, two diesel locomotives hauling a Melbourne to Brisbane freight train derailed at Sefton junction in the western suburbs of Sydney.
The Driver was relatively inexperienced and it is probable that his driving and situational awareness were adversely affected by fatigue brought on by insufficient quality rest and sleep.
[citation needed] At about 11:13 am on 5 May 2010, XPT passenger train WT27, travelling from Sydney to Orange, New South Wales collided with a track-mounted excavator on the main line between Bathurst and Newbridge.
Firefighters worked for almost an hour to remove the man, who veered off Beechworth Road in Pymble and landed 10 metres down an embankment on the train tracks.
[111][112] At 2:30am AEST on 15 April 2021, a SCT Logistics freight train carrying non-dangerous general goods derailed in Bomen on the Main Southern line.
[119] Garratt class locomotive driven into turntable pit, resulting in disruption to services for days while cranes were brought in to remove the loco.
On 17 April 1956, early in the afternoon a Goods Train drawn by two diesel locomotives rounded a bend on a steep down-grade at slow speed and ten trucks jumped the line.
[121] On 11 May 1974, a southbound freight train derailed when it collided with a "wall of red clay mud, rocks, trees and branches sealing off the exit of the tunnel".
[129] At about 1545 on Wednesday 13 July 2011, freight train 3SP7 collided with a road-rail vehicle in the Kaleentha to Menindee section of track, located in western New South Wales (NSW).
[131] On 6 November 2011, a passenger train derailed near Mittagong in the New South Wales Southern Highlands after hitting an abandoned ute which was left on the railway track after becoming bogged there.
