Sleepers suspect in disaster inquiry

Press, 23 February 1977, Page 6

Sleepers suspect in disaster inquiry

NZPA Sydney . Faulty sleepers may have! contributed to the train disaster in the western Sydney suburb of Granville in which 83 persons were killed, an inquiry in Sydney has been told. The driver of the train, Mr. Edward Olencewicz, said' that maintenance had been, carried out on the track near the Bold Street bridge (the[ bridge that fell on two; carriages) some months be-' fore the disaster. The 51-year-old driver said he thought the maintenance; crew had been replacing; sleepers. He was shown a ! photograph of sleepers taken from that part of the track. ( and said that ir was unusual to see them in such I poor condition. But, he said, the maintenance work had made the| track firmer. Mr A. D. Collins, Q.C.J assisting - the inquiry, said there was nothing in the [! driver’s statement to suggest; neglect. He told the inquiry that ■ Mr Olencewicz and his wife, had been constantly abused!'

and threatened since the' [crash on January 18. I Mr Olencewicz told the second day of the inquiry that the engine dropped off the track immediately’ after he had heard a “very loud ' crack.” He said the engine had hit , the front stanchion of the [ bridge and had gone right i through, taking all the stan-s chions with it. Mr Olencewicz is the first witness called at the public [judicial inquiry ordered by The State Minister for Transport (Mr Cox). ; Mt' Olencewicz said that [on the day of the crash, after lallIall preliminary checks had; been completed, he had left' I the shunting yard at 5.52' a.m. ' Mr Olencewicz said the; train had left Mount Victoria for Sydney at. 6.09. and! [ everything had gone per[fectly until he had reached, 1 Parramatta. “About 8.10 a.m. I left; Parramatta and proceeded towards Granville,” he said. He said he was still ac-l celerating after he left Hat ! (ris Park. “About 100 yards I west of the home signal I

attained a speed of 48 miles an hour," he said. Mr Olencewicz -.aid he had shut the throttle and had been preparing to reduce speed for the 20 km/h restricted area on Lhe Gran* vilie side of the Clyde I station. “Soon after that, approximately at the diverg'ng point, I heard a very loud crack and at the same time the engine dropped off the rail on to the sleepers,” he said. "As 1 already had my hand on the brakes. I hit the emergency brake.” he said. "The engine started to | rock and roll sideways and upward-, and wa- heading towards the stanchion. We hit the bridge with the front of [the loco nearest to me. lhe front of my engine hit the !first stanchion, and then it went through, taking all the stanchions in front of it. “It went right along the foundations which support the stanchions.” Mr Olencewicz said he did I drink alcohol socially, but had not consumed any for at least 48 hours prior to the accident.