Kembla Grange derailment

Kembla Grange derailment
Details
Date	20 October 2021 4:10 AM (AEDT)
Location	Kembla Grange, New South Wales
Coordinates	34°28′14.0″S 150°48′58.7″E / 34.470556°S 150.816306°E / -34.470556; 150.816306
Country	Australia
Line	South Coast
Operator	NSW TrainLink
Service	Kiama to Bondi Junction
Incident type	Collision and derailment
Cause	Collision with and derailment by a motor vehicle abandoned on track
Statistics
Trains	1
Vehicles	1
Passengers	10
Crew	2
Deaths	0
Injured	4

The Kembla Grange derailment occurred early on the morning of 20 October 2021 near Kembla Grange railway station, New South Wales, Australia, when a passenger train collided with an abandoned van and derailed.

Between approximately 3:26 and 4:05 am (AEDT), Allan Simpson drove a Nissan van along the train tracks 50–68 metres south-west of the level crossing at West Dapto Road, adjacent to Kembla Grange railway station.^{[1][2]: p 1} When it became stuck on the rails, Simpson exited the vehicle and sought assistance from passers-by to push it off the tracks.^{[1]: para [15]}

A northbound NSW TrainLink Tangara train, set T42, bound for Bondi Junction approached the site at 4:09 am.

Just prior to 4:10 am, the Tangara collided with the van while slowing down from approximately 90km/h, derailing its first carriage. Travelling another 125 metres with its wheels off the tracks, the front carriage hit an electrical stanchion and jackknifed. Uncoupling from the rest of the train, it fell to an embankment left of the train tracks, landing on its right side. The second carriage derailed but stayed upright, while the third and fourth carriages stayed on the track.^{[2]: p 3}

The train driver was trapped inside the driver's compartment, sustaining an L1 compression fracture of the spine, a collapsed lung, and bruising to the hips, leg, back, and a rib. In addition to the driver, there were three passengers travelling in the first carriage when it fell.^{[1]: paras [19]–[20]}

Two passengers were injured: one reported pain in the upper chest, and another suffered an L2 compression fracture of the spine.^{[1]: para [21]}

The first 000 call was made around 4:05 am, alerting police to the presence of the van on the tracks. Police were unable to warn the driver in time but arrived within minutes of the collision.^[2] The fire brigade received a call for assistance just after 4:15 am.^[3]

Rescue crews were required to free the train driver from the driver's compartment.^[4]

The train driver and two of the ten passengers on board were admitted to Wollongong Hospital. The train guard also attended Wollongong Hospital for observation.^[5]

Initial media reports indicated that the van was stolen^[6] and relayed Police concerns that it may have been deliberately left on the tracks to incur damage.^[4]

Simpson was arrested, charged with five offences, and refused bail on 27 October 2021.^[7][8] In the District Court of New South Wales he pled guilty to:^{[1]: para [46]}

• drive while disqualified ^[9]
• convicted offender enter land with intent to commit a serious indictable offence^[10]
• larceny^[11]
• endanger safety of person on railway^[12]
• cause obstruction to railway locomotive^[13]

and was sentenced to 4 years and 6 months imprisonment, with a non-parole period of 2 years and 6 months.

It is explained in the court judgement that the enter land and larceny charges relate to the events leading up to the derailment. Simpson cut through the fence of the nearby Wollongong Kart Raceway and stole a go-kart, wheeling it to a place adjacent to the train tracks.^{[1]: paras [10]–[11]} He had driven his partner's van^{[1]: para [8]} with the intention of carrying the go-kart, and it was while moving the van to retrieve the go-kart that the van became stuck.^{[1]: para [14]}

The Office of Transport Safety Investigations in New South Wales conducted the incident investigation on behalf of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.^{[2]: p 41}