Commuters have called for more safety provisions at train stations after a pram rolled onto the tracks at Carlton Railway Station on Sunday afternoon, killing one of twin girls and their father, who tried to save them.
But Sydney Trains CEO Matt Longland has explained why the city’s 500-platform network would struggle to implement some safety solutions — adding officials are already working on rolling out others.
It is unclear what caused the pram to roll onto the tracks as an oncoming Bondi-bound train approached — but was unable to stop in time.
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Locals have suggested guard rails to prevent similar incidents.
These platform barriers have already been installed at priority locations along the Sydney Metro Network. Circular Quay was the first station to be fitted 18 months ago.
But Longland said the size of the Sydney Trains network, and the variety of the trains that operate on it, make a similar solution difficult.
“We’ve got almost 500 platforms in operation across Sydney on the rail network — it’s a large network, and we operate services from different types of trains,” he told 7NEWS.
“With different types of trains operating across the rail network, the doors are spaced at different intervals. So for a platform screen door to operate effectively, it needs to line up exactly with the train doors as they stop at the platform.
“And the signalling system needs to ensure that the train can stop at that exact point on the platform.
“The key for platform screen doors is having a consistent fleet operating and really designing those platform screen doors in with the operation, as we’ve seen with the new Sydney Metro network.”
Other, more simple, safety measures are being rolled out already, Longland said.
”Safety at train platforms is one of our key priorities. We’re rolling out platform gap filler across the network,” he said.
A “gap filler” is a rubber strip bolted to the platform to fill the space between the platform and the train “to prevent things and people from falling in between,” Longland said.
“We’ve rolled out 19 stations to date … we’re continuing to roll that out across the Sydney Trains network.”
He said that once the police investigation into the incident at Carlton has been completed, Sydney Trains will also look at implementing any further safety recommendations made.
“We’ll obviously consider all of the recommendations to ensure we’re managing safety right across the network,” he said.
“And I want to remind everyone to please stay safe on the train platform. Stay well behind the yellow line and clear of the platform edge, particularly if you’re managing young children.”
NSW Premier Chris Minns said he would not immediately commit to any measures, such as the installation of glass barricades used on Metro stations, until he knew how they could be implemented.
“We will take steps that we need to take to keep people safe,” he said.
Mother and twin survive the tragedy
Witnesses watched on in horror when the pram carrying twin two-year-old girls rolled onto the tracks at Carlton Railway Station as an oncoming train continued towards them.
The girls’ father, Anand Runwal, 40, jumped onto the tracks and tried to save his daughters, as bystanders tried to alert the train but it was too late.
Anand and the pram were struck by the train, killing him and one of the girls, as his wife Poonam Runwal remained on the platform.
Just days after the tragedy, Anand’s wife Poonam Runwal and her surviving daughter face deportation as they were dependants on her husband’s working visa.
7NEWS understands the immigration minister is seeking more information from police before deciding whether they can stay in Australia.
The Department of Foreign Affairs told 7NEWS.com.au it “actively works with visa-holders to ensure they can maintain their visa status — particularly where the visa-holder or their family has been impacted by adverse or tragic circumstances”.
Meanwhile, shocked locals are reacting to the horrific accident, leaving flowers and tributes at the station.
“I don’t know what to say … it’s heartbreaking,” a local told 7NEWS. “Even my daughter, she said when she dropped me off this morning, ‘Mum, please, be careful with the pram’.
“I feel so sad for the family and, you know, I feel so sad for the mother.”
Sam Barrington-Smith told 7NEWS: “It’s a pretty small community around here … so when things like this happen, you just sort of just feel for everyone regardless of whether we knew him or not.”
“It’s very hard to console yourself with the idea this has happened,” another local added.
The mother and girl were discharged from St George Hospital on Sunday night.
7NEWS understands Anand and his wife had moved from India to Sydney after he secured a new job.
M.K Singh, who runs a Hindi language school where Poonam occasionally volunteers, told 7NEWS Anand worked as an IT engineer and was a “very social and very pleasant kind of person”.
Minns said the man made an instinctive and heroic effort to save his children.
“It’s devastating for that family … I can only imagine what they’re going through,” he said on Monday.
Longland said the train, which was not due to stop, had approached the station with caution as drivers were instructed to do, but its speed would form part of an investigation into the incident.
All the relevant information, including CCTV footage from the station, had been handed over to police, he said.
The National Rail Safety Regulator has been notified and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
NSW Police Superintendent Paul Dunstan said the father of the twins went into “parent mode”.
“In doing so, it’s cost him his life, but it’s an incredibly brave and heroic act by the dad,” he said on Sunday.
The girl who survived was saved by “good luck more than anything”.
“The police that climbed under the train said she was sort of in between the tracks, the way that she’d fallen, and she was largely untouched,” he said.
Poonam is currently being supported by friends and family and the local Indian community.
“But she’s clearly in a state of shock and struggling with what’s happened,” Dunstan said.
– With AAP
