A truck was stuck on the tracks for 4.5 minutes before being hit by a train. No one called 000

June 25, 2026 — 2:41pmA B-double truck was broken down on the tracks in Brisbane’s south for almost five minutes before a morning peak hour train carrying 300 people smashed into it.No bystanders or the driver called Triple Zero to alert network officers in the Queensland Rail control room.It was a Thursday, just before 7am on August 14, 2025 when the express train to Doomben crashed into the rear trailer of a B-double after the truck became stuck on the Bonemill Road level crossing at Runcorn.Police, the fire department and an ambulance in the aftermath of the collision.NineThe Wiltons Transport truck was travelling empty after delivering a load of cardboard at a nearby recycling facility.An investigation by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau found the truck became frozen on the level crossing after trying to turn left onto Beenleigh Road due to a sudden air line failure between the A and B trailers.The wheels skidded, and the prime mover came to a sudden stop.Footage released by the ATSB shows several motorists driving around the broken down truck, across the level crossing, while the boom gates were still up.The truck driver tried multiple times to move it, then exited the cab to inspect the trailers, with the B-double stuck on the rail lines for about 4.5 minutes while no one called the QR incident reporting number displayed on yellow signs at the crossing, or Triple Zero.As a result, Queensland Rail network control officers did not know about the issue and were unable to alert the train driver.The rail management centre first heard about it when the train driver called them after the crash.Terrifying footage released by Queensland Rail showed the B-double’s hazard lights flickering as the level crossing’s boom gates descended.The driver can be seen jogging towards the train lines and stepping between the two truck trailers – only stepping clear about two seconds before the impact by the train, which had moments earlier been travelling at 99km/h.Despite the crash, the train remained on the tracks and was able to move at walking speed to the next station at Runcorn so passengers could get off.The train driver, train guard and truck driver were uninjured, but six passengers were treated for minor injuries.The train, truck and rail infrastructure sustained substantial damage, and commuters experienced significant delays on the Gold Coast and Beenleigh lines.The ATSB’s final report noted the colour of the trailer was difficult to see against the background environment, making it hard for the train driver to spot the blocked track early.When they did see the truck, the train driver sounded a loud “country” horn and applied the emergency brake and other measures – likely reducing the severity of the crash – before bracing for impact, the ATSB found.ATSB Transport Safety director Kerri Hughes said the crash fortunately did not result in serious injury.“[It] serves as a reminder that accidental obstruction of railway tracks should be treated as an emergency, and reported to authorities as soon as vehicle occupants have been moved clear of the tracks,” she said.Hughes said rail operators were encouraged to consider adopting available technology to identify track blockages to reduce the risk of crashes.Queensland Rail head of SEQ Neil Backer said it was critical for people to report any obstruction on railway tracks via the operator’s emergency number, or Triple Zero.“The incident reporting signage at the Runcorn level crossing includes a 24-hour emergency phone number directly connected to our rail management centre, which has the ability to immediately stop rail traffic,” he said.“That number is 1800 079 303.“Queensland Rail is also extremely proud of the actions of the highly experienced train crew.”Queensland Rail is updating its level crossing strategy, which includes an independent review of its current methods benchmarked against other rail operators.It has also recently collaborated with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator on compliance and communication campaigns.Wiltons Transport was contacted for comment.Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.More:Queensland RailPublic TransportBrisbaneFor subscribersPublic transportTraffic incidentRoad safetyTrainsTruckingFrom our partners