Investigations continue into Pilbara derailment
INVESTIGATIONS are continuing into what caused a BHP iron ore train to travel more than 90km without a driver, before being deliberately derailed in WA’s Pilbara region.
The incident happened in the morning of 5 November, when the fully loaded train, spanning four locomotives and 258 wagons continued moving, after the driver left the train to inspect an ore car.
According to a BHP spokeswoman, the train was intentionally derailed near Turner.
It had been travelling from Newman to Port Hedland.
Dramatic images of the mangled wreckage emerged later that day. About 1.5km of track was also destroyed. The BHP spokeswoman said no one had been injured as a result of the runaway train, and operations restarted on 10 November.
“The wreckage from the site was cleared from the tracks on Friday and track repair is progressing well,” the spokeswoman said.
“Rail operations recommenced last night with additional controls in place to ensure safe operations.”
BHP put in place controls ahead of the rail operations recommencement to ensure operations would be safe, however the miner did not elaborate on what those controls were.
The mining giant would also not be drawn on the cost or possible cause of the incident while it was under investigation by the Australian Transport Safety Authority.
However, during its AGM on 8 November, BHP chief executive Andrew Mackenzie said the company would still fulfil its contracts to supply iron ore.
Coincidentally, a second iron ore train was derailed in WA within a week of the BHP incident.
On 11 November, about 30 empty Mineral Resources iron ore wagons derailed south of Norseman while travelling from Esperance to its Koolyanobbing Operations, 50km north of Southern Cross.
Mineral Resources managing director Chris Ellison said initial investigations suggested the derailment was caused by heavy rainfall and flash flooding the day before washing away a section of the track.