Probe pinpoints causes in fertiliser train derailment

Findings have been released from investigations into the 2020 derailment of an Aurizon freight train carrying fertiliser product from Incitec Pivot's Phosphate Hill operation to Townsville. The transport safety watchdog said the derailment after heavy rainfall near Charters Towers highlighted the importance of adequate and well-maintained drainage. On December 30, 2020 the fully loaded train derailed after encountering a 'washout' caused by flooding between Charters Towers and Sellheim on the Mount Isa rail system. The two hauling locomotives and the first two wagons of the train passed through the washout, however the following 13 wagons derailed on their sides spilling fertiliser along the rail corridor. The remaining 20 wagons remained upright on the tracks. While neither of the crew were injured, damage to the track and rolling stock was substantial. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau found that a series of rainfall events the previous day compromised the drainage system at the accident site. Water over-topped the track and a corrugated metal pipe that was an element of the drainage system at that point likely had rainwater throughput restricted. The pooling of rainwater on the upstream side of the culvert led to it over-topping the track, which very likely undermined the track infrastructure, such that it could not support the weight of the train early the next morning. “While the rainfall was heavy, the ATSB’s calculations did not indicate it exceeded the design flow of the culvert itself,” ATSB director transport safety Dr Stuart Godley said. “It is therefore likely the pipe’s throughput was restricted.” Dr Godley noted the culvert had been cleaned and cleared on December 6, just over three weeks prior to the derailment. “The throughput restriction could have been due to sinking, debris blocking the pipe, collapse of the pipe itself due to an exceedance of its service life – or a combination of the three,” he said. Track owner Queensland Rail has since significantly improved drainage at the site, with the single 1,050 mm pipe now replaced with three new 900 mm pipes. Queensland Rail has also had a contractor conduct a hydrology study along the rail line from Stuart, through Hughenden to Cloncurry, Mount Isa and Flynn to Phosphate Hill. The ATSB noted that Queensland Rail had identified a further 44 sites for new and upgraded weather monitoring equipment, and progressed a business case for required capital expenditure. The safety watchdog's safety message arising from the probe was that rail infrastructure managers should ensure their drainage systems were fit for purpose, were clear, open, and in serviceable condition. Source: Geoscience Australia, annotated by the ATSB

Probe pinpoints causes in fertiliser train derailment

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