Safety barriers are unlikely to be installed at all Sydney train stations following a tragedy in which a baby buggy carrying two young girls fell onto the tracks.
Sydney commuters have called for better safety on platforms after a pram carrying two-year-old twins fell onto the tracks at Carlton station on Sunday.
The girls’ father, Anand Runwal, 40, jumped off the platform and bravely tried to save them. them, but a passing train hit him and killed him and one of his daughters, Hilal.
Mr Runwal’s wife, Poonam, watched in horror and screamed for her husband and children.
A woman had to hold Ms Runwal down as emergency services rushed onto the tracks to try to locate her family.
Miraculously, Hilal’s twin sister Hiya was rescued from under the train and escaped the accident “with just a scratch.”
Authorities have yet to determine what may have caused the stroller to overturn.
Three days later, Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland admitted that installing railings across the network would be a huge challenge.
Anand Runwal, 40 (pictured right), jumped off the platform and bravely tried to save his two young daughters, Hilal and Hiya, but a passing train hit him, killing him and Hilal.
He said the size of Sydney’s rail network, consisting of 500 platforms and several types of trains, posed significant logistical and structural challenges.
“The (train) doors are spaced at different intervals. So for a platform screen door to work effectively, it needs to be aligned exactly with the train doors when they stop at the platform,” Longland said. 7 News.
“And the signalling system must ensure that the train can stop at that exact point on the platform.”
The railings that commuters are asking for are glass barricades that separate a platform from the train tracks and are commonly used in subway stations around the world.
Barricades were installed at eight recently opened tube stations including Crows Nest, Victoria Cross, Barangaroo, Martin Place, Pitt Street, Central, Waterloo and Sydenham.
Barricades are also already in place at stations on the Sydney Metro North West line between Tallawong and Chatswood.
“The key to platform screen doors is to have a consistent fleet in operation and really design those platform screen doors based on the operation, as we’ve seen with the new Sydney Metro network,” Longland said.
He said several security measures are already being implemented across the network, including gap filling on the platform.
The rubber strip is inserted into the platforms to fill the gap between the platform and the train and prevents belongings and passengers from falling into the gap.
Authorities have yet to determine what may have caused the stroller to overturn, as police are still investigating the incident (pictured are police officers at the station).
Hilal (left) and Hiya (right) Runwal
Mr Longland said the fill had been spread across 19 stations and further security measures would be put in place when police concluded their investigations.
“We will obviously consider all recommendations to ensure that we are managing security across the network,” he said.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said he would not commit to installing the railings until he was told how they would be installed.
Earlier on Wednesday, Railway Safety 101 principal owner and consultant Michael Maartensz told Daily Mail Australia that the horrific accident was caused by a “tragic set of circumstances”.
Mr Maartensz said it appeared the pram had been left unattended for a moment and a gust of wind, combined with the tilt of the platform, pushed it onto the tracks.
He said safety doors for passengers or the platform would have prevented the accident.
“They are designed to prevent people from accidentally getting close to moving trains at railway stations,” Maartensz said.
“In this case, the stroller would have simply hit the passenger screen door and stopped. That’s the ultimate solution.”
The surviving girl was taken to St George’s Hospital with her mother, who was on the platform when the accident occurred. The couple have since been discharged.
NSW Police are investigating what caused the pram to overturn and believe a simple “gust of wind” could have caused the accident.
Passengers have suggested that glass barricades, which have been installed at Sydney’s new metro stations, should also be placed on train station platforms.
NSW Police are investigating what caused the pram to overturn and believe a simple “gust of wind” could have caused the accident (pictured, floral tributes laid at Carlton Station in Sydney)
Superintendent Paul Dunstan said the parents apparently took their hands off the stroller for “a very brief period” before it rolled onto the tracks.
Mr Maartensz said the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator would also launch an independent investigation into the deaths at Carlton station.
Mr Maartensz said investigations will determine the root cause of the incident and make key recommendations for the industry on how to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
“This is a serious incident that has resulted in fatalities, and there is no doubt that operators and the industry will take this seriously,” Maartensz said.
Sydney Trains advises passengers to remain behind the yellow line on platforms and wait until the train has come to a complete stop before boarding.
Passengers are also urged to consider space available before boarding or exiting the train.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Transport for NSW for further comment.
