1989 Wentworthville derailment

1989 derailment in AustraliaMay 2026May 2026 1989 Wentworthville derailment 27 December 1989 11:40 am AEDT Wentworthville railway station Australia CityRail Derailment Faulty track maintenance and buckling 1 1 7 The 1989 Wentworthville derailment was a fatal derailment that occurred on the Main Western railway line in Sydney on 27 December 1989. The accident resulted in 1 death and 7 injuries and was the first major incident involving a Tangara set, which had entered service with CityRail the previous year. Accident CityRail received complaints of rough riding as a result of railway tracks buckling in the heat near Wentworthville railway station on 26 December. In response, maintenance crews were dispatched to repair a section of track and the bridge over the Cumberland Highway, 300 m away from the station.2018-12-10 Train derailment at Wentworthville Station involving a Tangara... https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/train-derailment-at-wentworthville-station-involving-a-news-photo/1080115346 2026-05-24 Getty Images en-usJune 2026 At 11:40 am on 27 December, while repair work remained ongoing, an eight-carriage Tangara T set heading to Emu Plains was approaching Wentworthville station from the east when the track misaligned underneath the train. This caused the rear three carriages to derail. These struck and brought down several stanchions supporting the overhead wires. The rearmost carriage of the train, numbered D6127Tangara derails at Wentworthville February 1990 Railway Digest 29 Australian Railway Historical Society NSW Division 2 49 0157-2431 English rolled onto the ramp at the end of the platform, overturned and was completely destroyed by the impact. Three people on the platform received minor injuries during this sequence. Four people were trapped inside the wreckage of the train for up to two hours. In the rear carriage, debris from the fallen powerlines pierced through the lower deck, where a 41-year-old Blacktown man suffered severe spinal injuries. He was extracted and transported to Westmead Hospital for treatment but died later the same day.28 December 1989 Tracks may be to blame https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/120869071 24 May 2026 The Canberra Times 1Tangara derailment at Wentworthville https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB5fgfLYstM&t 24 May 2026 NBN News 28 December 1989New South Wales Year Book 1990 Australia 152 72McGinty Michael 27 December 2024 NSW Railways - Past and Present https://www.facebook.com/groups/NSWRailwaysPastandPresent/posts/28920247240907714/ 24 May 2026 FacebookJune 2026https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rK2cxQrVRac 1989 Wentworthville Train disaster 32 years later 2021-02-07 griffin rails 2026-05-24 YouTubeJune 2026 Aftermath After the accident, the State Rail Authority launched an inquiry, with CityRail general manager Rob Schwarzer stating that the investigations revealed the cause to be related to the track. The Tangara was believed to have been travelling at a speed of 95 km/h, below the 115 km/h speed limit. The investigation raised questions over whether that speed limit should have been lowered in the area given the ongoing track maintenance. Transport minister Bruce Baird suggested maintenance procedures were the primary cause of the accident. An independent government investigation and coronial inquiry were also announced following the accident. See also 1998 Concord West derailment – Involved a Tangara under similar circumstances. Railway accidents in New South Wales – List of incidents. References -33.8075 150.9737 type:event_region:AU-NSW title Category:1989 disasters in Australia Category:1989 in New South Wales Category:Derailments in Australia Category:Disasters in Sydney Category:December 1989 in Australia Category:Railway accidents in 1989 Category:Railway accidents and incidents in New South Wales