Rail services on TasRail’s Western Line between Launceston and Burnie have resumed overnight following a collision between a train and a truck.
The “very serious” smash at Westbury forced the closure of the main route between the north-west coast and the rest of the rail network since Monday afternoon.
TasRail CEO Steven Dietrich said infrastructure teams have worked alongside contractors to install pre-fabricated track panels and repair the level crossing to the extent that the line can be reopened for rail traffic.
“There is still plenty of work to do in the area,” Dietrich said.
“It is estimated that the level crossing will need to remain closed to road users for another 24 hours.”
Tasmania Police have indicated ‘inattention’ from the driver behind the wheel of the truck involved may have caused the incident.
It is not yet clear if any charges will be laid.
The crash follows a string of recent collisions and near misses between trains and heavy vehicles across Australia.
TasRail has reported 44 level crossing ‘failure to stop’ and ‘near hit’ incidents this financial year to date.
