Latest news with #train
ABC News
5 hours ago
- ABC News
Train derailment disruptions continue in Melbourne as last carriage removed from tracks
The final carriage of a derailed train that has shut down services for tens of thousands of Melbourne commuters has been removed from the tracks, but services are still not expected to return to the Hurstbridge and Mernda lines until Monday. Five carriages came off the tracks when a train carrying 55 passengers derailed as it approached Clifton Hill station, on the north-eastern edge of Melbourne's CBD, on Sunday night. The driver safely brought the train to a stop and no one was injured. But the incident caused substantial damage to the rails and overhead equipment and wiring. All train services to Melbourne's north-east and parts of the north have been suspended. Metro Trains on Tuesday apologised to commuters but said any decision on compensation would not be made until the end of the month, when punctuality and reliability data would be assessed according to normal contract arrangements with the state government. Replacement buses will continue to operate all week. A significant recovery operation has been underway since Monday and the last of the carriages was lifted off the tracks overnight. That work required a partial closure of the busy Hoddle Street thoroughfare. It has now fully reopened. A Metro Trains spokesperson on Wednesday morning said re-wiring and other overhead works would now take place ahead of track repairs. The works have been described as significant and would require testing and recommissioning of the line, which was expected to take place on Sunday. The cause of the derailment was still unknown but Metro said it did not believe it was related to recent maintenance works.
Times
7 hours ago
- Times
Ex-Celtic player's son kicked police officer and hurled sectarian abuse
The son of the former Celtic player Willie McStay has pleaded guilty to attacking a police officer after a row over a train ticket. Marc McStay, 35, kicked Paul Sweeney, a British Transport Police officer, at Glasgow Central station on June 12, 2024. McStay — whose father was also a Celtic reserves coach — earlier called the officer a 'terrible orange bastard'. McStay pleaded guilty on Tuesday at Glasgow sheriff court to assaulting the officer after a family celebration. Willie McStay, 63, was in the public gallery of the court as it was told that he, his son and wife had planned to travel away from Glasgow Central station. Marc McStay had travelled over from Dubai, where he works in the software industry, to attend a family gathering with his parents. McStay's mother and father had purchased paper tickets for the train while his own was bought online. McStay was not allowed on the train as his phone, which contained his ticket, had run out of battery. This led to words with a member of staff and the police got involved. McStay was initially charged with a railway bylaw and taken out of the station by officers to make his own way home. He briefly returned to the station to get his parents but was tailed by officer Sweeney. Leo McGinn, for the prosecution, said that McStay told the officer he was a 'terrible orange bastard'. The fiscal depute also said that when he was ushered to a police vehicle, McStay gave a 'petulant kick' from behind towards the officer. McStay spent the night in custody. Garvey McArdle, for the defence, told the court that his client had been drinking that day. Sheriff Allan McKay called McStay's behaviour 'absolutely disgraceful' and fined him £900. Willie McStay played for Celtic from 1979 to 1987, making 65 league appearances and scoring two goals. He transferred to Huddersfield Town in 1987 and later played for Notts County. McStay's uncle Paul McStay is also a former Celtic player who made 678 appearances for the club.
RNZ News
8 hours ago
- RNZ News
Police investigate death on railway line, Hutt Valley services still disrupted
Emergency tape blocked the entrances to Lower Hutt's Waterloo Station on Tuesday afternoon. Photo: RNZ / Nick James Hutt Valley train services are still disrupted after a person died on the railway tracks at Waterloo Station . Police are investigating and said officers were providing support to the family. Train services were suspended between Petone and Upper Hutt on Tuesday. On Wednesday morning, the Hutt Valley line was running with reduced capacity affecting several stops. Buses also replaced trains for some Wairarapa line services, or were operating with reduced capacity.
Gizmodo
8 hours ago
- Gizmodo
Hackers Can Tamper With Train Brakes Using Just a Radio, Feds Warn
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an advisory last week warning that a key train system could be hacked using nothing but a radio and a little know-how. The flaw has to do with the protocol used in a train system known as the End-of-Train and Head-of-Train. A Flashing Rear End Device (FRED), also known as an End-of-Train (EOT) device, is attached to the back of a train and sends data via radio signals to a corresponding device in the locomotive called the Head-of-Train (HOT). Commands can also be sent to the FRED to apply the brakes at the rear of the train. These devices were first installed in the 1980s as a replacement for caboose cars, and unfortunately, they lack encryption and authentication protocols. Instead, the current system uses data packets sent between the front and back of a train that include a simple BCH checksum to detect errors or interference. But now, the CISA is warning that someone using a software-defined radio could potentially send fake data packets and interfere with train operations. 'Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow an attacker to send their own brake control commands to the end-of-train device, causing a sudden stoppage of the train which may lead to a disruption of operations, or induce brake failure,' the CISA wrote in its advisory. The CISA credits researchers Neil Smith and Eric Reuter for reporting this vulnerability to the agency. However, Smith wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that he first alerted the Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team (ICS-CERT), which is now part of CISA, of the risk in 2012 and no action was taken to address the issue at the time. 'So how bad is this? You could remotely take control over a Train's brake controller from a very long distance away, using hardware that costs sub $500. You could induce brake failure leading to derailments or you could shutdown the entire national railway system,' Smith wrote on X. According to Smith, there was a stalemate between ICS-CERT and the Association of American Railroads (AAR) between 2012 and 2016. He claims that the AAR found the risk too theoretical and required proof that it could actually happen in the real world before taking action. In 2024, Smith brought the issue up again with the agency. Smith wrote on X that the AAR still felt the issue was not a big deal, but in April, the industry group announced that it would finally start upgrading the outdated system in 2026. Acting Executive Assistant Director for Cybersecurity Chris Butera downplayed any current risks stemming from the EOT's vulnerabilities in a statement emailed to Gizmodo. 'The End-of-Train (EOT) and Head-of-Train (HOT) vulnerability has been understood and monitored by rail sector stakeholders for over a decade,' wrote Butera. 'To exploit this issue, a threat actor would require physical access to rail lines, deep protocol knowledge, and specialized equipment, which limits the feasibility of widespread exploitation—particularly without a large, distributed presence in the U.S.' Butera added that CISA is working with industry partners on mitigation strategies and confirmed that a fix is on the way. The AAR did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Gizmodo.
The Sun
10 hours ago
- The Sun
Busy UK train line to shut for a WEEK sparking ‘severe disruption' for thousands of passengers – check dates to avoid
A BUSY UK train line is set to shut for a week causing severe disruption. Passengers using the mainline links in the Midlands are being reminded that no trains will run for seven days this month. 1 Train bosses have apologised in advance for the inconvenience after announcing the northern section of the Cross City Line between Birmingham and Lichfield is shutting down for repairs. There will be no services between Birmingham New Street and Lichfield Trent Valley from Monday July 28 until Sunday August 3 inclusive. The line will reopen as normal on Monday August 4. The latest shutdown follows a number of delays and cancellations earlier this month. Damaged electrical wires meant some lines in and out of Birmingham were blocked, causing disruption to services. To help keep passengers moving during the seven-day closures at the end of this month, there will be temporary measures in place. These include: A rail replacement bus service will run between Birmingham New Street and Lichfield Trent Valley, and between Birmingham New Street and Tame Bridge Parkway. Train services will continue to run as normal between Birmingham New Street and Redditch/Bromsgrove on the southern section of the Cross City line. Services to Rugeley Trent Valley will be diverted via Aston, with slightly extended journey times. The original closure was needed to install an HS2 viaduct, with further Network Rail work – including earthwork repairs, cutting back vegetation, track maintenance and improvements – planned to make the most of the line being closed. While the viaduct will now be installed at a later date, the other work will continue. This is in addition to Birmingham City Council's ongoing strengthening and refurbishment work on the A38(M) Tame Valley Viaduct. The viaduct runs directly above the railway. HS2 finally gets under way as world's longest tunnelling machine prepares to start digging Denise Wetton, Network Rail's Central route director, said: 'Everything was done to plan this work to cause the least disruption to the fewest number of people, while completing the most amount of maintenance work as possible. "There is never a good time for closures like this and I am sorry for the inconvenience, but school holidays and summer breaks means passenger numbers will be lower than normal. 'Passengers should check with West Midlands Railway and National Rail Enquiries for travel information, and I want to thank passengers in advance for their patience.' Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director for West Midlands Railway, said: "I'd like to thank our customers for their patience while the northern section of the Cross City Line is closed. "We'll be running replacement buses throughout the work to keep our customers moving and I'd urge passengers to check their travel before setting out and allow extra time for their journeys.' Passengers can plan their journey and check before they travel at and with West Midlands Railway at
