I remember seeing this train going over the Seven Hills-Blacktown crossing bridge before it hit at Richmond. Don't know why, but I just remember seeing 42 on the side
Good video. For a little added detail, the two motor cars of the PPTV were, coincidentally to be registered as N5342 and N5442, but were instead mothballed. The two trailer-driver cars were retained as spares and registered as D6379 and D6479. As you correctly noted, D6379 now forms part of A42 while the fate of D6342 is decided.
Interesting , before the down line duplication between Heidelberg and Rosanna (Melbourne) a couple of years ago , there were 3 trip braking units fitted at intervals along the line at Heidelberg’s down platform , these would activate and trip the trains emergency braking system if the train arrived into the platform too fast . The home departure signals trip unit would not halt a train in time at speed , which would see a train Career onto the single line section.
Recently retired driver here. Firstly, going TWO or THREE (that's the tone of your voice rising) kms/hr over the speed limit is no big deal. Secondly, fatigue is the number one enemy of a train driver. It can hit you at any time of the day and/or any amount of time into your shift and unlike driving a car or truck, you can't pull off to the side of the road for a power nap. Also, on a suburban train you can't even get out of the seat to walk around the cab while the train is in motion because you have to hold the throttle or keep your foot on the pedal. In a locomotive, you only need to press a button every minute or so and as long as you do that, you can stand up and walk around. I've driven both and being able to get up and walk around while the train is moving helps greatly in staying awake but even though these trains have the button, they also have a deadman's pedal (which didn't work in the Waterfall crash). Utterly ridiculous.
My guess is ( and speaking as retired B Double Owner/Driver ) , the driver of this train had a microsleep ! Many truck accidents were caused by Fatigue , ( Microsleep ) , this incident has the hallmarks of a Fatigue Microsleep !
LOL neither 75 to 78 is too high nor is 50-52. The problem is that the driver just did know when to start applying brakes. Even if he was at 50 at richmond he would have still impacted the buffers.
Driver fatigue was to blame. The new changed timetable by this fucking government meant train crews were forced to do unsafe overtime, they were overworked and it was dangerous. Which lead to this "Accident"
26 km/h according to the report; about the same speed as the 2012 Argentina disaster, which killed 51. The Richmond train was lucky; the buffer (it's near the town's main road, it's quite thick) did its job, and being a late morning peak service nearing its far end (ie. away from the city), didn't have much people on it.
It was, my mothers neck was broken, many people in the train where waiting on the park nearby waiting for medical services including a helicopter, there was blood all over some of the cartridges.