THE 20th National Rail Safety Week was marked with a solemn ceremony at the Australian Railway Monument in Werris Creek on Wednesday.
The ceremony honoured rail workers who died in service on Australia’s rail network.
More than 100 families, friends, and colleagues of those who died, as well as representatives from across the rail industry, held one minute’s silence and lay wreaths next to the names that will be remembered forever.
Each of the more than 4500 names on the National Railway Monument at Werris Creek represents the loss of a railway worker since the 1850s.
This year, four new names have been added to the walls of the monument. One of them was Troy Ernst, a freight train driver who died in an accident in December last year.
The others are names of railway workers, one whose death dates back to early this century and two others from the 1920s and 30s.
Their names have only just been added to the monument due to recent research by volunteers from the Australian Railway Monument and Rail Journeys Museum.
Hosted by NSW TrainLink and the TrackSAFE Foundation, the event was a moment of reflection and a time for the rail industry to collectively commit to preventing future tragedies among Australia’s 165,000-strong rail workforce.
Following the memorial, event TrackSAFE hosted a national webinar on mental health fitness in the rail industry.
A special ceremony honouring rail workers who died in service on Australia’s rail network was held at Werris Creek on Wednesday as part of National Road Safety Week (Image: Liverpool Plains Shire Council).
Minister for Regional Transport Jenny Aitchison said National Rail Safety Week reminds everyone that behind every statistic is a person, a family, and a community that has experienced profound loss.
“Railways have powered our economy and connected communities for generations, but they also carry inherent risks.
“This week, during National Rail Safety Week, I reaffirm our commitment to keeping everyone safe, every day, in and around our railways.
“I want to thank drivers, engineers, station staff, maintenance teams, and many others who work tirelessly to keep our railways running and safe both now and into the future. Our government will continue to back them with the resources, support and safety measures they deserve.
“The National Rail Safety Week ceremony is a powerful and poignant reminder that safety must never be taken for granted.
“It must be lived, acted on, and protected – every day, in every decision we make,” she said.
TrackSAFE Foundation executive director, Heather Neil, said infrastructure upgrades and the use of new technologies help improve the safety of the network.
“As an industry, a community and as individuals, we all must play an active role in keeping ourselves and others safe around the rail network,” Mr Neil said.
“But we also need truck and car drivers, cyclists, motorbike riders and pedestrians to be aware of tracks, look for trains, tram and light rail vehicles and follow all signposted rules.
“Any death or injury on the rail network is devastating – not just for the family and friends impacted but also for rail workers involved in the incident and the first responders called upon in the rescue effort.
“Fatalities, incidents and near hits on the network can cause severe and lasting trauma to the rail employees involved, and most of these incidents can be avoided,” he said.
