WA Police have confirmed a train driver has died after a freight train was driven into the back of a grain train north-east of Perth in the early hours of Tuesday morning, disrupting rail services into the city.
The rail operator, Arc Infrastructure, said the train crash occurred about 2:00am in Jumperkine in the Avon Valley, about 25 kilometres from Perth CBD.
A Pacific National freight train ran into the back of a stationary grain train and aerial footage from the crash site showed wreckage strewn across multiple tracks.
One rail car could be seen standing in the air with the Pacific National locomotive pushed underneath it.
A large pile of grain could also be seen spilling from the wreckage.
A police spokesman said the driver died as a result of the crash and a report would now be prepared for the coroner.
Multiple investigations underway
The railway line is the main freight artery from Perth to the eastern states and there is no word yet on when it will be reopened.
The crash is in the vicinity of the popular Bells Rapids tourist site.
Forensic officers are at the scene to the north of Bells Rapids in the Walyunga National Park.
The Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) has deployed staff to the scene and is investigating the crash site, along with investigators from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.
A spokesman said the ONRSR had begun an investigation to determine whether or not there had been a breach of national rail safety laws.
He said the investigation was in its early stage so it was too early to speculate on the cause of the accident.
Arc Infrastructure, formerly Brookfield Rail, runs a network of freight lines which transport mainly grain throughout the south-west of the state.
One of their biggest customers is CBH — Western Australia's grain cooperative.
WA Rail Tram and Bus Union secretary Craig McKinley said WA's rail freight industry was a close community and would be hurting at the news of the accident.
"We are a family and we all feel the pain," he said in a statement.
"Our hearts and thanks also go out to the recovery crews who will work this Christmas."
Train delays into Perth expected
The affected rail line also carries passenger trains linking Perth with the eastern states and with major inland towns such as Kalgoorlie and Northam.
Passengers on the Indian Pacific, Prospector, AvonLink and MerredinLink trains are being told to expect delays.
WA's Public Transport Authority said it had replaced the AvonLink and MerredinLink services with a bus, as well as a 250-kilometre stretch of the Prospector journey to Kalgoorlie.
An Indian Pacific train is scheduled to depart Sydney for Perth on Christmas Day and arrive on Saturday afternoon.
A spokeswoman for the train's operator said it was monitoring the situation.
It is unclear at this stage when timetables for the passenger services will return to normal.
