The Sunshine rail disaster occurred on 20 April 1908 at the junction at Sunshine railway station (in Sunshine, Victoria, Australia) when a Melbourne-bound train from Bendigo collided with the rear of a train from Ballarat. 44 people were killed and over 400 injured, almost all of them from the Ballarat train, as the Bendigo train was cushioned by its two locomotives.[2]
Diagram of track layout and signals at the time of the accident, showing distant (no. 25) and home (no. 24) signals
At 6:30 p.m. and 7:15p.m. on 20 April, two heavily loaded passenger trains left the regional cities of Ballarat and Bendigo respectively. 20 April was an Easter Monday and therefore the end of a long weekend in Victoria. Fine weather had encouraged large numbers of people to leave Melbourne by train on the Saturday,[6] and many were returning on the Monday evening. As a result, both trains were crowded, and the Ballarat train had been extended beyond its normal length.[7]
The Ballarat train was drawn by two locomotives– AA 534 and 'Old A' 202,[8] and consisted of a post van, guard's van and 11 passenger carriages.[9] The Bendigo train was drawn by AA 564 and AA 544,[8] and consisted of a post van, horse box, 6 passenger carriages and a guard's van.[9]
The Ballarat train reached Sunshine at 10:47pm, 43 minutes behind schedule, and, because of the extra carriages, was too long for the platform at Sunshine. The driver allowed passengers at the front of the train to disembark, then moved the train forward so the rear carriages were at the platform.[9]
The Bendigo train was also running late, and its driver, Leonard "Hell-fire Jack" Milburn–a nickname which his colleagues later denied had any connection to recklessness or speed[10]–was under instructions to operate the train as an express unless passengers needed to alight.
The Ballarat and Bendigo lines were both controlled by absolute block signalling from the Sunshine signalbox. At Sydenham, the preceding signalbox on the Bendigo line, Milburn was given a "line clear" signal, because the Sunshine signaller had indicated the line was clear up to and through the station.[11][12] The distant signal, 970 yards from the point of impact, and the home signal, 283 yards from the point of impact, were set at danger.[13][note 1]
Milburn stated the following day that when he sighted the distant signal set to danger, he applied the brakes, but they did not have any effect. He subsequently set the locomotive in reverse and applied as much power as possible in an attempt to slow the train.[14]
As the Ballarat train began to move away from Sunshine, it was struck by the Bendigo train. The impact destroyed the guard's van and four rearmost carriages of the Ballarat train, but only caused minor damage to the front of the Bendigo locomotive.[15][16] Debris from the collision was thrown across both tracks and platforms of the station.[17]
Aftermath
The wreckage on the platform on the morning following the accident
Immediately after the crash, lighting gas escaping from the damaged carriages caused a fire,[17] which was extinguished by bystanders and the volunteer Sunshine fire brigade. The fire delayed attempts to rescue injured passengers trapped inside the train.[18] Rescue efforts were further hampered by the lack of available equipment such as axes or stretchers, which had to be sourced from areas surrounding the station.[19]
Uninjured occupants of the two trains and railway officials (including the drivers and firemen of both trains) began to extricate others from the wreckage immediately after the crash.[20][21][22] In addition, a number of local residents who had seen or heard the accident ran to the station to assist with the rescue efforts.[23]
Immediately after news of the crash reached Melbourne, railway officials began organising a relief train to carry supplies and rescue workers, as well as 4 doctors, to the scene of the crash. According to the Chair of the Railways Commissioners, Thomas Tait, the train left Spencer Street Station at 11:30p.m. and arrived at Sunshine at 12:17 a.m.[24] Conflicting reports indicate that the train did not arrive until 12:45 a.m. or later,[18] and Tait later denied that there had been undue delay in the response.[25]
At 12:20a.m., the undamaged front section of the Ballarat train left Sunshine carrying survivors of the crash. A second casualty train departed at 2:10a.m. carrying 10 bodies as well as injured passengers requiring medical attention, and a third left at 3:35 with 22 bodies on board.[24][3]
When casualty trains arrived at Spencer Street, most of the badly injured were taken to the Melbourne Hospital,[26] while the dead were placed in waiting rooms for identification.[27]
After all the bodies had been recovered from the wreckage at Sunshine, work began immediately to clear the railway line, and one line was reopened by 7:00 a.m. the morning after the accident.[24] The Victorian Coroner visited the crash site through the morning of 22 April.[27]
Coronial inquiry
The inquiry began in the following May and did not conclude until July. Conflicting evidence was given as to the adequacy of the brakes on the lead locomotive of the Bendigo train. It was given in evidence that a report had been made the previous January that the siting of the home signal (protecting a train standing at the platform) was poor. That report went on to say, however, that the starting signal (at the Melbourne end of the platform) could be seen further out.[28][9]
The driver of the lead locomotive on the Bendigo train had been working for 12 hours and 25 minutes at the time of the accident. He stated that the brakes had been working satisfactorily as far as St. Albans, the prior station. He applied the brakes gently upon passing the distant signal; about 200m from the Home signal, however, "the train shot me forward as though the brakes had come off" and "the train appeared to run into the engine". Realising that his train was not going to stop prior to reaching the Home signal, the driver put the locomotive into reverse and opened the steam regulator to apply as much power as possible.[5]
Conjecture exists as to whether the Sunshine Stationmaster had acted in accordance with the regulations then in force in accepting the Bendigo train from Sydenham whilst the Ballarat train was standing at his station. He had 20 years of service, including 20 months at Sunshine, but was alone. He had been continuously on duty for 10 hours without relief prior to the accident. He had applied repeatedly, but in vain, for qualified assistance.[15]
Result
Memorial plaque commemorating the incident at Sunshine platform 1
The Coronial jury found that the drivers of both locomotives on the Bendigo train, together with the Stationmaster at Sunshine, had a case to answer. The charge of manslaughter against the stationmaster was later dropped; however, the drivers appeared before the Supreme Court from 24 September on that charge. The trial lasted two weeks.
In his summing up, the judge addressed the Court to the effect that the Crown case was that the driver of the lead locomotive had deliberately run past the distant signal at too great a pace and, expecting that the passage through the station would be clear, he found the home signal at danger and a train at the platform too late to stop clear. The judge concluded, however, that not one word of aspersion on a man's character had been suggested. The jury agreed with the judge's view and brought in a verdict of not guilty for both drivers of the Bendigo train.[5]
Compensation
The Victorian Railways Commissioners admitted liability and paid claims aggregating £125,000 by way of compensation. In addition, there was another £50,000 damage to rolling stock and tracks, plus the costs of the inquest and subsequent legal proceedings, which were borne by the State.[15]
Related Research Articles
Sunshine railway station is a commuter and regional railway station on the Sunbury, Geelong and Ballarat lines, serving the western suburb of the same name in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Sunshine is a ground level, premium station. It has four platforms, an island platform with two faces and two side platforms, connected by a footbridge and concourse. The station opened on 7 September 1885, with the current station provided in 2014 when it was rebuilt as part of the Regional Rail Link project.
The Violet Town rail accident, also known as the Southern Aurora disaster, was a railway accident that occurred on 7 February 1969 following the incapacitation of the driver of one of the trains, near the McDiarmids Road crossing, approximately 1 km south of Violet Town, Victoria, Australia. The crash resulted in nine deaths and 117 injuries.
V/Line is a statutory authority that operates regional passenger rail and coach services in the Australian state of Victoria. It provides passenger train services on five commuter routes and eight long-distance services from its major hub at Southern Cross railway station in Melbourne. It also provides coach bus services across Victoria and into New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and South Australia. In addition, V/Line is responsible for the maintenance of the Victorian freight and passenger rail network outside of the areas managed by Metro Trains Melbourne and the Australian Rail Track Corporation.
Rail transport in the Australian state of Victoria is provided by a number of railway operators who operate over the government-owned railway lines. The network consists of 2,357 km of Victorian broad gauge lines, and 1,912 km of standard gauge freight and interstate lines; the latter increasing with gauge conversion of the former. Historically, a few experimental 762 mm gauge lines were built, along with various private logging, mining and industrial railways. The rail network radiates from the state capital, Melbourne, with main interstate links to Sydney and to Adelaide, as well as major lines running to regional centres, upgraded as part of the Regional Fast Rail project and the Regional Rail Revival project.
The V/Line VLocity, sometimes called the VLocity 160, is a diesel multiple unit train built by Bombardier Transportation and, later, by Alstom in Dandenong for V/Line, the regional rail operator in the Australian state of Victoria. Continuously in production since 2003, the VLocity is the highest-speed train in the V/Line fleet, with a top speed of 160 km/h (100 mph). As of January 2025, with set 127 about to enter service, 126 3-car sets were in revenue service, one collision damaged set was in storage, and 14 more were under construction under the current contract for a total of 141 three carriage sets.
Ballarat railway station is a regional railway station located on the Ararat and Mildura railway lines. It serves the city of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, and opened on 11 April 1862 as Ballarat West. It gained its current name in 1865.
Ararat railway station is located on the Ararat and Western standard gauge lines in Victoria, Australia. It serves the town of Ararat, and opened on 7 April 1875.
The Deniliquin railway line is a broad-gauge railway line serving north-western Victoria, Australia. The line runs from the New South Wales town of Deniliquin into Bendigo, before turning south-south-east towards Melbourne, terminating in Docklands near the central business district. It is a major trunk line both for passenger and freight trains, with many lines branching off from it.
There have been a number of train accidents on the railway network of Victoria, Australia. Some of these are listed below.
The railways of New South Wales, Australia have had many incidents and accidents since their formation in 1831. There are close to 1000 names associated with rail-related deaths in NSW on the walls of the Australian Railway Monument in Werris Creek. Those killed were all employees of various NSW railways. The details below include deaths of employees and the general public.
The Vline Sprinters are diesel railcars which are operated by V/Line on its Seymour line service with some also leased to Metro Trains Melbourne for its Stony Point line commuter service. They were built between 1993 and 1995 by A Goninan & Co in Broadmeadow, New South Wales.
The Victorian Railways' (VR) Royal Trains operated to transport members of the royal family on their numerous tours of Australia on the Victorian rail network. The same carriages were also used for a number of vice-regal trains for the governor-general of Australia and the governor of Victoria. The last Royal Train ran in 1988.
The Victorian Railways B class was a class of 2-4-0 passenger locomotives operated by the Victorian Railways (VR) between 1862 and 1917, built by various builders. The B class locomotives are regarded as the first mainline VR motive power, and were highly successful in passenger operations.
The Slough rail accident happened on 16 June 1900 at Slough railway station on the Great Western Main Line when an express train from London Paddington to Falmouth Docks ran through two sets of signals at danger, and collided with a local train heading for Windsor & Eton Central. Five passengers were killed; 35 were seriously injured, and 90 complained of shock or minor injuries
There have been a number of train accidents on the South Australian railway network. The first known incident in this list occurred in 1873 in Smithfield.
The Bendigo line is a regional passenger rail service operated by V/Line in Victoria, Australia. It serves 14 stations towards its terminus in the regional city of Bendigo. It is the third most-used regional rail service in Victoria, carrying 2.06 million passengers in the 2022-23 financial year.
On 3 February 2003, a Comeng electric multiple unit train rolled away from Broadmeadows station in Melbourne, Australia, before it ran for nearly 17 kilometres (11 mi) out of control without a driver and eventually crashed into another train about to depart Spencer Street station. Train controllers attempted several times to stop or redirect the train, but were limited in their ability to intervene, instead being forced to alter the route of other trains to avert a more serious collision. Eleven people on board the stationary train were injured; authorities did not know until after the crash if any passengers were on board the runaway. An investigation identified driver error as the cause of the accident, but the runaway event prompted significant debate about the role of government authorities and private operators in ensuring safety and reliability on the Melbourne rail network.
The Salt Clay Creek railway disaster was one of Australia's first railway accidents involving multiple fatalities. It occurred on the evening of 25 January 1885, when a mail train from Albury to Sydney failed to negotiate a flooded creek, around 5km from Cootamundra. Seven people were killed and dozens seriously injured.
Regional Rail Link (RRL) is the name of a project to build a 47.5-kilometre (29.5 mi) length of railway through the western suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria. The name is also colloquially used to refer to the rail alignment constructed as part of the project.
References
↑ "LIST OF VICTIMS". The Age. No.16, 570. Victoria, Australia. 22 April 1908. p.7. Retrieved 7 December 2018– via National Library of Australia.
‡ indicates railway accidents and incidents resulting in at least 20 fatalities § indicates the deadliest railway accident in Australian history
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
