Passengers were left in shock after the Spirit of Queensland train, travelling from Brisbane to Cairns, was involved in a collision with a road vehicle north of Mackay earlier this week.
The incident occurred at 8:40am on the morning of Tuesday, February 14 at the Pratts Road level crossing at Calen, just off the Bruce Highway.
Emergency services arrived on site shortly after as did Queensland Rail’s emergency response teams, maintenance and electrical staff.
The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle suffered head injuries and was taken to Mackay Base Hospital in a stable condition while 161 passengers were aboard the train, with some being treated for shock and minor cuts from broken glass.
One passenger reported that 18 windows were smashed across most carriages of the train.
“The impact sounded like (a) gun shot,” said the passenger.
The service was consequently cancelled and customers were transferred to their destination by bus.
Queensland Rail Acting Head of Regional Scott Cornish said Queensland Rail is committed to ensuring safety at railway crossings.
“The Pratts Road level crossing is fitted with active protection in the form of flashing lights, which were working at the time of the incident,” he said.
“The crossing also has warning signs on all approaches.
“This is an important reminder for road users to pay attention to the signs and signals in place for everyone's safety.”
Repairs to the level crossing were completed Tuesday afternoon and the line has reopened.
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