Brisbane train driver ran red light during sneezing fit
A Brisbane train driver with COVID ran a red light when they suffered a sneezing fit in the inner-city a little more than two years ago, according to a new Australian Transport Safety Bureau report.
The incident, in which the driver had to apply emergency brakes to avoid another train on the track, prompted the ATSB to urge Queensland Rail to conduct a review of risks on the network.
During the morning peak of May 24, 2023, the passenger train on a Coopers Plains to Ferny Grove service ran past a red light between Fortitude Valley and Bowen Hills stations.
The driver only noticed the red light as the train passed the signal, at which point the emergency brakes were applied.
The train came to a stop 64 metres past the signal, within sight – 296 metres – of another train ahead.
The ATSB found the driver had acknowledged an automatic warning system (AWS) alert as the train approached the stop signal, but did not then recognise the signal to stop.
Investigators were later told the driver could not remember acknowledging the alert.
'This was likely influenced by the habitual nature of AWS alerts which were … frequently presented during traffic congestion, as well as the driver's brief impairment,' ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
an hour ago
- West Australian
‘Don't soldier on': Cook's message to those with flu symptoms as cases spike
Roger Cook has urged West Australian's who have flu-like symptoms not to 'soldier on' and go to work as cases soar across the State. Mr Cook's comments came after it was revealed there had already been more than 8000 registered cases of the influenza in Western Australia in 2025, more than double that of the same time last year. Nearly one fifth of those cases have ended up in hospital. Speaking on Wednesday, Mr Cook said those with symptoms should stay at home. 'This winter if you're feeling unwell, don't soldier on,' he said. 'Make sure you stay away from your workplace, keep yourself and your family as healthy as you can. 'Don't take your influenza, your contagious, infectious diseases to work.' The message was one echoed by chief health officer Andrew Robertson who urged anyone feeling sick to look after themselves. 'If you have flu symptoms, the message is obviously stay at home, don't go to work, don't go out shopping, don't go to sport,' he said. 'Obviously they need to rest they also need to, if they become unwell, and particularly if they have any other health issues, consider going to the GP and to our emergency department, noting that it is a busy time of year for all of our hospitals.' Dr Robertson said the State had a large number of flu cases earlier in the year, likely from travellers returning from Europe where cases had also spiked. He said vaccination rates in the State were low at just under 25 per cent, but the figure was around 2 per cent higher than this time last year. 'People have become a little complacent over the period of time (since COVID), we got very good at washing our hands, wearing masks if we were feeling unwell, sneezing into our elbows, all of those things,' he said. 'We've gotten a lot less complacent and probably more so people coming back to work when really they are unwell.' Dr Robertson said the Department of Health were looking at a number of ways to improve vaccine uptake. 'There are a number of things that could be done, we're looking at increasing the number of practitioners who can provide vaccines, we're looking at how do we better target the communications to to the different groups,' he said. 'We appreciate that targeting younger age groups and targeting older age groups requires different sort of communications, so they're a key factor we are continue to look at.' Mr Cook was emphatic in his advice to get vaccinated for the flu season. 'I warned you, I told everyone make sure you get take advantage of the State Government's free flu vax program,' he said. 'We know it's going to be a tough flu season if we're not all doing our bit, that puts our hospitals under pressure and you have seen that uplift of flu cases in our hospital system.'
The Age
4 hours ago
- The Age
Brisbane train driver ran red light during sneezing fit
A Brisbane train driver with COVID ran a red light when they suffered a sneezing fit in the inner-city a little more than two years ago, according to a new Australian Transport Safety Bureau report. The incident, in which the driver had to apply emergency brakes to avoid another train on the track, prompted the ATSB to urge Queensland Rail to conduct a review of risks on the network. During the morning peak of May 24, 2023, the passenger train on a Coopers Plains to Ferny Grove service ran past a red light between Fortitude Valley and Bowen Hills stations. The driver only noticed the red light as the train passed the signal, at which point the emergency brakes were applied. The train came to a stop 64 metres past the signal, within sight – 296 metres – of another train ahead. The ATSB found the driver had acknowledged an automatic warning system (AWS) alert as the train approached the stop signal, but did not then recognise the signal to stop. Investigators were later told the driver could not remember acknowledging the alert. 'This was likely influenced by the habitual nature of AWS alerts which were … frequently presented during traffic congestion, as well as the driver's brief impairment,' ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said.
Sydney Morning Herald
4 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Brisbane train driver ran red light during sneezing fit
A Brisbane train driver with COVID ran a red light when they suffered a sneezing fit in the inner-city a little more than two years ago, according to a new Australian Transport Safety Bureau report. The incident, in which the driver had to apply emergency brakes to avoid another train on the track, prompted the ATSB to urge Queensland Rail to conduct a review of risks on the network. During the morning peak of May 24, 2023, the passenger train on a Coopers Plains to Ferny Grove service ran past a red light between Fortitude Valley and Bowen Hills stations. The driver only noticed the red light as the train passed the signal, at which point the emergency brakes were applied. The train came to a stop 64 metres past the signal, within sight – 296 metres – of another train ahead. The ATSB found the driver had acknowledged an automatic warning system (AWS) alert as the train approached the stop signal, but did not then recognise the signal to stop. Investigators were later told the driver could not remember acknowledging the alert. 'This was likely influenced by the habitual nature of AWS alerts which were … frequently presented during traffic congestion, as well as the driver's brief impairment,' ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said.
