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| Clifton Hill derailment | |
|---|---|
 Derailed carriage 1627T after the leading carriage was removed. | |
| Details | |
| Date | 13 July 2025 Approximately 22:30, exact time TBC |
| Location | Clifton Hill, Victoria, Australia |
| Line | Mernda line, Hurstbridge line |
| Operator | Metro Trains Melbourne |
| Owner | VicTrack |
| Incident type | Derailment |
| Cause | TBC |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 1 |
| Passengers | 55 |
| Injured | 0 |
At approximately 10:30 pm, Sunday, 13 July 2025, an X'Trapolis 100 train on a downward Mernda line service carrying 55 people partially derailed Rushall and Clifton Hill stations, near the junction between the Mernda and Hurstbridge lines, which form part of Melbourne's suburban train network. The derailment occurred when one of the train's pantographs become caught in the overhead wiring, causing one of the stanchions to collide with the train, which in turn caused one of its bogies to swivel, pulling five of the six total carriages off the track. [1] [2] Significant damage occurred to "about 100 metres of track" between Rushall and Clifton Hill stations, overhead infrastructure, and one of the train's carriages. [3] Services on both lines were suspended for a week to allow a crane to remove the damaged train and the damaged infrastructure to be repaired. [2] [4] [5] No injuries were reported.
It is the first derailment to happen in Victoria since the Wallan derailment in 2020. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is investigating the incident. [6] Angus Mitchell, the Chief Commissioner of the ATSB, noted to ABC Radio Melbourne that some maintenance works were carried out on the tracks in the weeks leading up to the derailment, and that there was "sparking on the line" after the derailment. [7] The train was travelling at 30 km/h, well below the 40 km/h speed of the track section where the derailment occurred; investigators have ruled out speed as a factor. [2] The bogie swivelling out is expected to be a significant point of interest in the investigation. [8]
