RO-1998-114 Train GR7 (EM 80 track evaluation car) and a Hi-rail vehicle, near collision, Pines, 10 September 1998

On Thursday, 10 September 1998, an on-track maintenance group had just finished packing up their two hi-rail vehicles for off-tracking when they noticed Train GR7, the EM80 track evaluation car, approaching from the north and approximately 2.7 km distant. The ganger managed to contact the locomotive engineer using the train control radio and the train was brought to a stop well clear of the hi-rail vehicles. The cause of the near collision was the drawing of a maintenance occupation on the train control diagram approximately 10 km south of its actual location. The safety deficiency identified was the lack of procedures to ensure that movements and occupations were correctly plotted on the train control diagram.