Martin issues stern warning to truckers as track reopens

<p>The Adelaide-Darwin rail line will re-open tonight (Friday, December 15) as repairs continue after Tuesday’s crash. </p> <p>Northern Territory chief minister Clare Martin said maintenance crews were working around the clock to fix the line, which was torn up when the <em> Ghan</em> passenger service derailed after a level crossing collision with a truck about 130 km south of Darwin.</p> <p>&#8220We’ve all seen the pictures of the damage done &#8211 it’s remarkable that maintenance crews can get the trains back on track so soon,&#8221 Ms Martin said. </p> <p>&#8220It’s important to get the trains running as soon as possible.&#8221</p> <p>A freight train to Darwin was cancelled as a result of the damage to the track, while another train from Adelaide was unloaded at Katherine to be transported by road. </p> <p>The weekly <em>Ghan</em> passenger service would leave as scheduled from Adelaide tonight and would arrive in Darwin on Sunday, Ms Martin said.</p> <p>&#8220The government has been in regular talks with GSR and FreightLink since the crash and will follow up their concerns about the behaviour of some truck drivers at level crossings,&#8221 she said.</p> <p>&#8220We’ll await the outcome of the investigation for the cause of this particular crash but in the meantime, we’ll meet the road transport industry to talk about driver behaviour.</p> <p>&#8220If there are rogue drivers out there, we want them off our roads &#8211 if the industry needs to provide better training, it’ll need to provide it.&#8221</p> <br />