NSW: Coronial Inquest into Glenbrook disaster held

AAP General News (Australia)
04-30-2001
NSW: Coronial Inquest into Glenbrook disaster held

A Coronial Inquest into the Glenbrook rail disaster has formally adopted the recommendations
of the Special Commission of Inquiry into the fatal crash.

At the inquest, that lasted just 90 minutes, Acting Justice PETER MCINERNEY recorded
a finding of death from multiple injuries for the seven victims of the December 1999 crash
in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney.

He told a packed Supreme Court the accident, that could only be described as catastrophic,
was avoidable and shouldn't have happened.

In his final report handed to the NSW Government on April 11 this year, Justice MCINERNEY
found the State Rail Authority was more interested in timetables than safety.

He made 95 recommendations to turn around what he described as a culture that focused
on on-time running.

Justice MCINERNEY extended the court's sympathies to the 51 injured, saying he hoped
they'd be able to put the tragedy behind them.





Earlier this month, victims of the disaster scored a major victory in their legal battle
for compensation when the SRA admitted liability.

Their class action has been stood over until September 17.

AAP RTV dmc/rp/hn/klw

KEYWORD: GLENBROOK (SYDNEY)

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