Everything about The Granville Railway Disaster totally explained
The
Granville railway disaster occurred on
18 January 1977 at
Granville, a suburb west of
Sydney, the state capital of
New South Wales,
Australia, when a crowded
commuter train travelling to Sydney derailed, running into the supports of a road bridge which came down onto two of its passenger carriages.
It is the most severe
railway disaster in Australia with 83 fatalities.
The crash
The crowded 6:09 am Sydney-bound
commuter train from
Mount Victoria, in the
Blue Mountains, was approaching
Granville railway station when it left the rails at approximately 8:10 am and hit a row of supports of the overhead Bold Street
bridge, constructed from steel and concrete.
The derailed engine and first two carriages passed the bridge; the first carriage broke free from the other carriages, but was torn open by the bridge supports. 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, vulnerable bridge. After a matter of seconds, with all its supports demolished, the bridge and several motor cars on top of it crashed down onto carriages, crushing them and the passengers inside.
In all, 83 people died and more than 210 were badly injured.
The passengers killed were in the first, third and fourth carriages. Many of those who died were killed instantly when the bridge crushed them in their seats; some of the survivors in the crushed carriages saw those killed one seat ahead. The train driver, second man, and the motorists driving on the bridge all survived. There were a number of people trapped in the train for hours after the accident by part of the bridge crushing a limb or torso; many of these people were conscious and lucid, talking to rescuers, but died of
crush syndrome soon after the crushing weight was removed from their bodies due to the sudden release of muscle
myoglobins having built up in the limb, causing renal failure. This resulted in changes to rescue procedures for these kinds of accidents.
Aftermath
The bridge was rebuilt as a single span without any intermediate support piers.
Other bridges similar to the destroyed bridge had their piers reinforced.
The inquiry into the accident found that the primary cause of the crash was "the very unsatisfactory condition of the permanent way", being the poor fastening of the track, causing the track to spread and allowing the left front wheel of the locomotive to come off the rail. How this happened was related to the high turnover of staff combined with a lack of standard procedures for track inspections. The posted limit for the track wasn't shown to be too high, provided appropriate track inspection and maintenance was occurring.
The disaster triggered substantial increases in rail maintenance expenditure.
Memorial Trust
The Granville Memorial Trust was established in the wake of the accident to commemorate the victims and campaign for improvements to rail safety.
The Trust organises an annual memorial service on the anniversary of the crash. Families and friends of the victims gather with surviving members of the rescue crews in a march through Granville to the Bold Street bridge where the accident occurred. The ceremony ends with the throwing of 83 roses on to the tracks to mark the number of passengers killed.
Trust members also make submissions on rail safety issues, including recommending that fines for safety breaches be dedicated to rail safety improvements, and campaigning for the establishment of an independent railway safety
ombudsman.
Telemovie
An Australian telemovie made in 1998,
The Day of the Roses, follows the
coronial investigation. Before his sudden death from bowel cancer in 1996, Coroner Tom Weir was corresponding with
Beyond Television Productions about the pressure applied on him during the inquest into the disaster. Whilst the coroner didn't live to see the telemovie, his recommendation of a major upgrade to the rail network was his lasting legacy.
The telemovie detailed select victims, the many courageous people who risked their lives to save the victims, and the outpouring of sorrow and ongoing memory of that day that lives on by the annual dropping of roses from the bridge site.
Further Information
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