CityRail Train Fire
Reverend the Hon. Dr GORDON MOYES: I ask the Minister for Transport Services a question without notice. Is the Minister aware that CityRail staff ordered passengers to remain in a train that caught fire while standing stationary at Engadine station last Saturday? Is the Minister aware that the doors remained shut for a considerable period of time, locking a number of passengers inside the carriages? Is it correct that the train guard, as he was quoted as saying, was following CityRail procedures by leaving passengers locked in their carriages while the train was on fire?
The Hon. MICHAEL COSTA: I am aware of the story because I noted the Opposition tried to run it yesterday in my absence. The fact of the matter is that there has been a press comment put out by RailCorp. I can go through that if the honourable member wishes, or I can present that comment to him. That is the appropriate body to deal with the matter. According to RailCorp:
… there was no risk to passengers aboard the 10.00 p.m. Bondi Junction to Waterfall service on Saturday. RailCorp says that vandals set fire to a bundle of newspapers in the front carriage of the eight-carriage train at around 11.00 p.m. as the train entered Engadine station. Closed-circuit television footage shows two young men—
The Hon. John Della Bosca: Were they Liberals?
The Hon. MICHAEL COSTA: Maybe they were not going to the Punchbowl branch of the Liberal Party. Railcorp’s statement continues:
That CCTV footage shows two young men running from the first carriage and jumping the station fence and going into the nearby national park. The train guard then noticed smoke coming out of the first carriage, and alerted the driver, who then extinguished the fire. The guard closed all of the train doors to reduce the wind flow into the first carriage, to help contain the fire and smoke. There were no passengers in the front carriage after the youths fled. The train was delayed for about 30 minutes, and police were called, attended and are investigating.
