Granville rail disaster
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| Date | 18 January 1977 |
|---|---|
| Time | 08:10 |
| Location |
Granville, New South Wales 19.06 km (11.84 mi) WNW from Sydney |
| Country | Australia |
| Rail line | Main Western line |
| Operator | Public Transport Commission |
| Type of incident | Derailment |
| Cause | Poor track condition |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 1 |
| Deaths | 84 |
| Injuries | 213 |
The Granville rail disaster occurred on Tuesday 18 January 1977 at Granville, a western suburb of Sydney, Australia, when a crowded commuter train derailed, running into the supports of a road bridge that collapsed onto two of the train's passenger carriages. It is the worst rail disaster in Australian history: 84 people died, more than 210 were injured, and 1,300 were affected.
The crowded Sydney-bound eight carriage commuter train, having left Mount Victoria in the Blue Mountains at 6:09am, was hauled by a New South Wales 46 class locomotive, No. 4620. It was approaching Granville railway station when it left the rails at approximately 08:10am and hit a row of supports of the overhead Bold Street bridge, which were constructed of steel and concrete.
The derailed engine and first two carriages passed the bridge. The first carriage broke free from the other carriages. Carriage one was torn open when it collided with a severed mast beside the track, killing eight passengers. The remaining carriages ground to a halt with the second carriage clear of the bridge. The rear half of the third carriage, and forward half of the fourth carriage, came to rest under the weakened bridge, whose weight was estimated at 570 tonnes (560 long tons; 630 short tons). Within seconds, with all its supports demolished, the bridge and several motor cars on top of it crashed onto the carriages, crushing them and the passengers inside.
Of the total number of passengers travelling in the third and fourth carriages, half were killed instantly when the bridge collapsed on them, crushing them in their seats. Several injured passengers were trapped in the train for hours after the accident, with part of the bridge crushing a limb or torso. Some had been conscious and lucid, talking to rescuers, but died of crush syndrome soon after the weight was removed from their bodies. This resulted in changes to rescue procedures for these kinds of accidents. Rescuers also faced greater difficulties as the weight of the bridge was still crushing the affected carriages, reducing the space in which they had to work to get survivors out, until it was declared that no one was allowed to attempt further entry until the bridge had been lifted. That the bridge split while being lifted and collapsed back onto the train did not make things any easier.
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Wikipedia