Page:ATSB RO-2018-004 - Collision of passenger train A42 with buffer stop.pdf/17

ATSB – RO-2018-004

Leading up to the platform and under the train, the rail head was inspected for evidence of contaminants such as woody or leaf material, oils, grease, corrosion products, metals and other particles. The railhead appeared to have no significant degree of contaminants present.

There have been previous buffer stop collisions where contaminants have caused poor adhesion at the contact point between the train's wheels and the railhead. The investigation determined this was not the case at Richmond.

There have been a number of serious incidents involving passenger trains colliding with buffer stops, both in Australia and overseas.

The most significant recent Australian incident occurred on 31 January 2013, where a passenger train, T852, failed to stop at the Cleveland Station platform, in Brisbane, Queensland. The train collided with the buffer stop, the platform, and the station building at a speed of 31 km/h. A number of people were treated for minor injuries and transported to hospital for further examination.

The ATSB's investigation into the Brisbane accident found that local environmental conditions had resulted in the formation of a contaminant substance on the rail running surface. This caused poor adhesion at the contact point between the train's wheels and the rail head. The braking effectiveness of train T842 was reduced as a result of reduced adhesion and the train was unable to stop before hitting the buffer stop. It was found that Queensland Rail's risk management processes prior to the accident had not adequately assessed, recorded, managed and communicated the risks associated with operating trains on their network under low adhesion conditions.

Later that year, on 16 September 2013, an eight-car V-set interurban passenger train collided at low speed with a buffer stop at Platform 10, Sydney Terminal. As the driver approached the buffer stop at the end of the platform, he misjudged the brake application. This brought his train to a stand just prior to the buffer stop. The driver then engaged power and increased the train speed to 10 km/h. Due to the close proximity of the buffer stop and the driver's application of the sloweracting automatic air brakes, the train collided with the buffer stop. There were no injuries to the passengers or the driver. An investigation found that the contributing factors to the collision was train management by the driver and electro pneumatic (EP) braking abnormalities. These abnormalities were experienced earlier on the trip and prompted the driver to switch off EP braking and run under the conventional air brake system.

On 6 December 2016, Sydney Trains' passenger service 625H collided with the buffer stop at the end of No.2 Platform at Cronulla when terminating. The Tangara train pushed the friction-type buffer stop back approximately 2 m. There were no injuries to the train crew or passengers on board the train. The investigation found that low adhesion caused by wet weather and rail lubricator grease contributed to the train not stopping as the driver expected.

Other buffer stop collisions have occurred at Sydney Terminal on 27 October 2017, 22 December 2017, and 18 February 2018. These three collisions all occurred at low speed with drivers misjudging the approach to the end of the platform. No injuries occurred and minor to nil damage was reported as a result of these incidents.

Overseas, in the US, two significant buffer stop incidents occurred: one in 2016 and one in 2017. On 29 September 2016, at Hoboken, New Jersey, an accident on the New Jersey Transit railroad

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