Given that it is now nearly 12 months since this derailment, the damning contents of the ATSB report and the statement that major rectification work would be undertaken in 2015, what has been done to date and what is the National Rail Safety Regulator doing about the actions (inaction) that allowed the track condition to occur in the first place?After a couple of false starts over the last year or so, track maintenance on the Port Lincoln Division was finally taken in-house by GWA on 1 October, replacing Transfield Services as contractor.
ATSB report into the 23 October 2014 derailment of the gypsum train between Penong Junction and Thevenard has been completed ...It was evident from the ATSB’s investigation that defect monitoring and reporting was not being conducted as specified in the relevant Code of Practice. As such, awareness of the rail condition and deterioration was reduced and remedial maintenance actions were not being planned or implemented.Full report at Derailment of train 5DD2 at Ceduna, South Australia on 23 October 2014
The ATSB also found that Genesee & Wyoming Australia’s maintenance oversight had been limited, allowing the track to deteriorate to a point where trains could not be run safely.
Richard.
What would it cost to replace every 4 sleepers on a line for lets say 1 kilometer?Say something around $250/sleeper in the track.
There are sleepers and sleepers....but I would suggest there would be date nails in sleepers there and that project ceased in 1972.Can anyone confirm if the sleepers in that section are really from the early 1970's, considering a wooden sleepers lifespan is 20 years maximum?
Heath, in the real world theoretical lifespans don't necessarily mean much. 20 years would be right for a heavily-trafficked main line, but in a lightly-trafficked line in a low-rainfall (borderline arid) area, sleepers can last a lot longer. Yes, they deteriorate, but on lines such as Wudinna-Penong Junction, track crews replace say every third sleeper over time and leave the other older sleepers in place. Speed restrictions also reduce the impact trains have on the track.
So yes, it is highly likely that there are 1970s sleepers in this section. It is also certain that quite a few would have been replaced with new sleepers over the years. This is what is called "fit for purpose" - there's no economic justification for spending vast amounts on superb trackwork if the revenue traffic passing over it won't even come close to paying for it.
50km/hr is a huge increase! Over double the speed for much of the way I believe. Does that mean there can be an extra loading in a 24 hr period or is that putting too much pressure on the locos available?Still 3 return trips in 24 hours, but the train is now longer and heavier including the ex-Whyalla hoppers so more tonnage carried. Four locos on the train now when possible instead of three, with a fifth being refuelled and serviced at any one time.
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