The Weekly Reflektion 26/2025

In our Reflektions, we often talk about signals. Signals, both weak and strong are being sent continuously from all operations. It is up to the management to look for and interpret these signals and take action if an accident may be imminent.

Is looking for signals and taking action one of your management tasks?

The Granville Train Disaster in Sydney, Australia, occurred on January 18, 1977, and serves as an example of how missing or ignoring warning signals and improper safety protocols can lead to devastating consequences. The train was traveling from the city of Sydney to the western suburbs, and the incident resulted in 84deaths and over 200 injuries.

The train, consisting of 8 wooden bodied carriages in addition to the locomotive, was crossing under a bridge, when the locomotive derailed and struck one of the steel-and-concrete pillars supporting the bridge over the railway. The derailed locomotive and first two carriages passed the bridge. The first carriage was separated from the other carriages and torn open when it collided with a severed overhead stanchion from beside the track, killing eight passengers instantly. The second carriage was clear of the bridge, but carriages 3 and 4 came to rest under the weakened bridge. Most of the bridge supports were damaged in the crash and after about 15 seconds the bridge including several motor cars that were driving across at the time, collapsed on top of the carriages. The wooden carriages under the bridge were destroyed and the passengers crushed inside. Another major danger came from liquid petroleum gas (LPG), as cylinders were being kept year-round on board the train to be used in the winters for heating purposes. Several of the trapped passengers were overcome by the gas leaking from ruptured cylinders, reducing the amount of available breathable air in the area underneath the bridge, some died. This leaking gas also prevented the immediate use of powered rescue tools due to the risk of explosion. The recovery operation took almost two days. Some of the injured were conscious and lucid, and talked to rescuers while the operation was underway. Unfortunately, most died of crush syndrome soon after the weight was removed from their bodies.

The bridge and the track had been weakened by years of corrosion, and earlier warnings had been raised about its condition. However, these warnings were ignored by both the train company and authorities. In the weeks leading up to the disaster, engineers had expressed concerns about the structural integrity of the bridge but again these concerns were not acted upon. Train drivers on the routealso attempted to report issues with the train and the bridge, but due to poor communication protocols, the reports were not properly escalated or addressed.

A Royal Commission was established to investigate the cause of the collapse, which led to reforms in safety standards and policies in the Australian railway system. The Commission’s report revealed multiple failures in communication, maintenance, and the lack of proper safety procedures.

This disaster highlights how failing to register and address warning signs, whether they are structural, mechanical, or human can have catastrophic consequences. The lack of proper action turned an avoidable situation into a tragedy. Are you on the look-out for signals, and do you take the necessary action?