A track worker was put in danger of being hit by a train at Lake Macquarie earlier this year, according to a new investigation by the federal transport safety authority.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau released a report on Thursday into the incident, which took place during repair and maintenance work on the Dora Creek rail bridge on May 9 and involved a passenger train on its way from Newcastle to Sydney.
According to the report, a rail worker was told by the person on the worksite in charge of safety to remove two track signals in order to allow an approaching train to pass unimpeded. But the authority found that the order put the worker at risk of being struck by the train. The worker removed one signal before the train arrived and ran over the second signal.
The worker got himself off the tracks and to safety after hearing the whistle of the approaching train.
The train driver applied the emergency brakes and the locomotive stopped about 60 metres down the tracks.
An investigation began after the driver reported the incident to the Network Control Officer at the Broadmeadow signal box.
The authority's report released this week found that "no warning or other information was relayed to the worker in relation to the proximity of the train".
The signals are designed to protect rail workers and the report noted that their removal during repairs and maintenance was not approved practice - the signals are supposed to be replaced immediately after rail traffic passes so the driver of the next train to come along can see them.
"This practice put the track worker involved at risk as there was no defined process or method for protecting this worker," the report said.
Office of Transport Safety Investigations chief investigator and CEO Dr Natalie Pelham said network rules and procedures had been developed so work could be safely managed on train lines.
"This practice was not part of Sydney Trains' recognised methodology for using a Track Work Authority," Dr Pelham said.
"If protection is removed to allow trains to run unimpeded, then effectively there is no Track Work Authority in place, and this practice put the hand signaller at risk as there was no defined process or method for protecting this worker.
"When practices develop that deviate from the established procedures, care needs to be taken to ensure these practices do not introduce unintended risk. Rail safe working practices should only be implemented as approved by the rail infrastructure manager."
