Safety issue

Safety issue description

The Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board did not provide design and/or performance standards on modular cabin resilience and retention for locomotive crashworthiness.

Issue number RO-2019-017-SI-04
Issue owner Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board
Transport function Rail: Other
Issue status Closed – Adequately addressed
Date issue released 25/05/2023
Issue status justification

The ATSB is satisfied that the requirement to consider the retention of modular cabins in the Australian standard will reduce the risk of this safety issue.

Safety action

Action type Proactive action
Action number RO-2019-017-PSA-86
Organisation Rail Industry Safety Standards Board
Action description

Following the accident, the Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board advised the ATSB that they will feed the issue of modular cabin crashworthiness into the update of the relevant Australian Standards, which had already been underway. This would include industry engagement.

On 22 June 2022, the Rail Industry Safety Standards Board released an updated version of the Australian Standard AS7520.1:2022 Australian railway rolling stock - Body structural requirements - Part 1 – Locomotive. The update included reference to modular cabs:

15.3 Modular cabs

The retention of modular cabs within the limits of the rolling stock shall have at least one level of redundancy.

Action status Closed