<span class="" id="parent-fieldname-description"> </span> <p><strong>Adelaide to Darwin railway reopens</strong><br />Services on the Adelaide to Darwin rail line reopened on Monday after a derailment last Thursday. 300 metres of track was damaged when more than a dozen freight wagons came off the track near Cadney Park in South Australia’s far north.</p><p>220 passengers were left stranded on the Ghan, which uses the same rail line, because of the derailment.</p><p>Ghan operator Great Southern Rail said the train had arrived at Alice Springs about an hour after the derailment, where passengers were moved by buses and planes. Some passengers reportedly stayed on the train by choice or because of lack of alternative transport.</p><p>FreightLink acting chief executive Paul Astley reportedly said while the incident was now subject to an investigation and report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, extreme wind and storm conditions appeared to have been the cause.</p><p><strong>QR National wants slice of Galilee Basin action</strong><br />QR National coal operations chief executive Marcus McAuliffe has reportedly told the Galilee Basin Coal & Energy conference that his company “can play a powerful role” in the greenfields rail infrastructure development in the region.</p><p>Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Coal, India’s Adani Group and Clive Palmer’s Mineralogy are all planning competing railway developments to link the Galilee Basin to the port at Abbott Point, the <em>Financial Review</em> reported. <br /><strong><br />QLD boom gates completed</strong><br />All of the boom gates at 66 high risk level crossings in Queensland have now been installed as part of the Federal Government’s $150m Boom Gates for Rail Crossings Program.</p><p>100 accidents occur at level crossings in Australia every year, with 18 collisions, five fatalities and 4 serious injuries occurring during 2008 in Queensland alone.</p><p>Upgrades to 300 level crossings around Australia have occurred under the government’s program.<br /><br /><strong>Railway Safety and Standards Board (RISSB) update</strong><br />RISSB Draft Management Standards AS 7640 have been released for open review. The standard comprises three parts: Rail Management General, Rail Welding and Stressing and Mechanical Rail Joints.</p><p>Industry is invited to submit comments on the first consultation draft which can be downloaded from RISSB’s website under the infrastructure tab by January 21: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.rissb.com.au">www.rissb.com.au</a></p><p>Comments can be emailed to Bob Vanselow: bobvrail@bigpond.com.au or Kevin Taylor: ktaylor@rissb.com.au </p><p>Draft RISSB Rolling Stock Standards for Interior Environment have been released for their first open review. The standards prescribe requirements for noise, vibration, ride comfort and air inside locomotive, passenger and infrastructure maintenance rolling stock. Visit: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.rissb.com.au">www.rissb.com.au</a><br /><br /> </p>
