Great Southern Railway seeks $18m for Ghan crash

<p>Great Southern Railway is seeking $18,212,556 from the owner of a B-double that crashed into The Ghan at Ban Ban Springs in the Northern Territory last December, according to news reports yesterday (Wednesday, August 15).</p> <p>The train operator said it wanted Katherine’s Downes Graderways to cover the cost of damage to The Ghan and its reputation after the crash. </p> <p>Defence lawyer Peter Maley told Darwin Magistrates Court that Great Southern Railway had sent the letter to the company and driver of the road train, Thomas John Bohning, 57, in June, the <em>Australian</em> reported.</p> <p>Mr Maley told the court the case had become "very complicated".</p> <p>&#8220There are going to be some ongoing rather large pieces of litigation between the respective insurance companies," he said.</p> <p>He made the comments in defending charges against Downes.</p> <p>One of the road train’s three trailers was unregistered and uninsured at the time of the crash, the newspaper said.</p> <p>The company pleaded guilty and Mr Maley asked the court to take the "significant consequences" Downes Graderways was facing into account.</p> <p>The company was convicted and fined $1,000.</p> <p>Mr Bohning faces court in October.</p> <p>Great Southern Railway chief executive Tony Braxton-Smith told the ABC he would not comment because it could prejudice the court case against the driver of the truck.</p> <br />