Work continues to clean up the scene of a Mount Isa train derailment but Mount Isa Police say workers on the scene of the overturned train engine in Mount Isa have removed all the diesel from the engine.
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The engine overturned around 1.50pm Sunday – barely 20 minutes after the bi-weekly train to Townsville left the station.
Emergency workers and rail staff worked all day to remove the diesel which leaked from the engine causing road closures in the Parkside area near the railway end of the Irish Club
Police say the driver of the train and his assistant were taken to Mount Isa hospital for observation but neither suffered major injuries and both have been released.
Police say workers at the scene managed to lift the engine upright on Tuesday so it could be taken away on a low-loader for further examination.
There is no word on the cause of the accident as yet.
All roads around the scene re-opened on Sunday evening.
The engine has QR on its logo but Police say it is the property of Aurizon.
Aurizon issued a brief statement on Monday saying at around 1.50pm on Sunday February 12 a single locomotive derailed on a railway siding in Mount Isa.
“There were no injuries, and the cause of the incident is being investigated,” the Aurizon statement said.
“There is no impact on mainline services.”
Aurizon said it was working with the network owner, Queensland Rail, to recover the derailed locomotive and recommence services on the siding.
Queensland Rail said t was advised of a freight train derailment at a privately owned rail siding in Mount Isa around the same time.
“Fortunately, the incident involved a locomotive only, with no wagons attached, meaning there was no spillage of cargo,” a QR statement said.
“As a precaution only, emergency services requested for rail traffic to be temporarily suspended on the main line through Mount Isa.
“No passenger services were impacted, however several freight services experienced delays.”
QR said the main line was re-opened to rail traffic just after 10pm on Sunday and an investigation was underway to establish the cause of the incident.