The Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) has charged Queensland Rail with three offences relating to management of safe systems of work following a fatality in Westwood in 2021.
On June 18 that year, a Queensland Rail locomotive collided with the rear of a stationary Aurizon coal train about 45 kilometres west of Rockhampton.
One Queensland Rail driver was killed in the accident, and a second driver and a tutor driver were both injured.
ONRSR will allege that Queensland Rail failed to comply with its safety duties as an accredited rail transport operator under Rail Safety National Law (RSNL).
The matter is being pursued in the interests of rail safety as part of the regulator’s role to enforce compliance with the RSNL, and in the public interest to provide for the safe carrying out of railway operations and promoting public confidence in rail operations.
Under RSNL, the maximum penalty applicable to a rail transport operator for breaches of this kind is $1.5 million per offence.
In a statement, Queensland Rail said it remained deeply saddened by the incident and the loss of a colleague.
“We continue to support the family of the deceased as well as the other two drivers and their families,” it said.
“At Queensland Rail safety is paramount. We remain committed to operate a safe railway and to learn from this incident and do all that we can to prevent it from happening again — we want to ensure that when our people come to work, they work safe and go home safe.”
Since the incident, Queensland Rail has implemented a comprehensive program to improve safety on the network, including permanently codifying long-end leading restrictions into its Safety and Environment Management System for all operators on the QR network, and Signals Passed at Danger (SPAD) prevention activities.
The operator has worked cooperatively with the National Rail Safety Regulator (and other authorities) to improve rail safety and said it would continue to do so.
Queensland Rail said it would not contest the prosecution and would work proactively with the ONRSR in relation to the charges to resolve the matter promptly.
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