Another photographer pays the price for being careless near trains

[WhoDo]

It has often been repeated around here that it is ILLEGAL to enter a rail corridor without authority, much less to photograph trains. Here is the latest incident that, unfortunately, did not have a happy ending. AP will NOT allow photographs taken inside rail corridors without authorisation to be published, so hopefully we won't be losing any members this way anytime soon. Story courtesy of PetaPixel.

http://petapixel.com/2013/09/09/camera-view-may-confused-rail-buff-new-zealand-train-death/#more-122348

[JDFSandH]

Make me sad. I'm a qualified Protection Officer, ex-Rail Safety Officer and well and truly aware of how nasty they can be (I'm not without my experience attending fatalities). They are so bloody dangerous. When you are down there, a train can be right up on top of you before you even hear it. I don't think people understand that. Or how fast they go. 80 odd tonne of metal hitting you at [usually] at least 60kmph, you are going to come off second best. Even with quals, I avoided going down there as much as I could. Not worth it.

[Warbler]

Actually, I remember when I was up the bush fishing many years ago, that the only way across the river was via a walk over the rail bridge or a 30 kilometre diversion in the car. We walked over the bridge. On the way back we got a hell of a fright when a train "snuck" up on us. Didn't hear it until the driver sounded the horn. Looked around, and it was on the bridge with us. Only place to go was those little refuges off the side. Soon found out which of us could run fastest. I couldn't believe who much those wooden trestle bridges move with a fully loaded train crossing them. All had to go to the pub for a steadier after that. After a while the train crew came in. They used to swap crews at this place. They said they blew the horn to alert the station staff of their arrival, not because they saw us, because they didn't see us at all. I couldn't believe I'd not heard the train coming. Not worth the risk, I'd say now.

[Kym]

I know we mods can come over as a bit #### in terms of safety, but that article is exactly why we do.

I am very sensitive to this topic as I work in the Rail industry and have a bit to do with the safety and investigations teams.

[freelancer]

I've never heard of a rail corridor, does this mean we aren't allowed to photograph trains from stations etc.
freelancer

[Granville]

Definition from Queensland Rail

Rail Corridor - The land on which a railway is built, comprising all property between property fences, or, where there are no fences, 10 metres from the outside rail of the outside track.

[ameerat42]

I've never heard of a rail corridor, does this mean we aren't allowed to photograph trains from stations etc.
freelancer

From safe, public areas on stations you CAN photograph rolling stock, also from overpasses.

[Kym]

I've never heard of a rail corridor, does this mean we aren't allowed to photograph trains from stations etc.
freelancer

You can take photo's from public areas like stations/platforms, but not on places like crossings, or near the actual track (other than the station, and then behind the yellow line)

[Kym]

Definition from Queensland Rail

Rail Corridor - The land on which a railway is built, comprising all property between property fences, or, where there are no fences, 10 metres from the outside rail of the outside track.

15 metres is the ARTC (National) rule

[freelancer]

Thanks for the info, once again this site has quickly and easily given me my answer.
Cheers Jon

[Mathy]

How sad for the photographer's family :( However, it's the train driver and their colleagues that I feel the most for, what an awful experience.

[Mark L]

^ I agree with Mathy.

My dad was a stream train fanatic. He also get into movie film in the late 60's. As a kid, I remember getting carted all over the countryside to get movies of trains. Way back then there was a basic rule. Don't encroach on the rail corridor.
Now I do stuff for the Rural Fire Service. Some of our crews have to work around railway lines, which can be a good place to make a stand against, or get access to a fire. They won't go near the tracks until they know that we have called ARTC (the rail people around here) and ensured all trains have been stopped.

[Kym]

Now I do stuff for the Rural Fire Service. Some of our crews have to work around railway lines, which can be a good place to make a stand against, or get access to a fire. They won't go near the tracks until they know that we have called ARTC (the rail people around here) and ensured all trains have been stopped.

There are well established protocols for emergency services interacting with all rail authorities.
Train control is a 24/7 safety critical service (akin to air traffic control).

[doc]

The train sounded it's horn twice and he still didn't look up or move? Being a train buff you would think he would understand how fast they move. Sad story.

[geoffsta]

?Live view? You see so many with point and shoot's doing the same thing... And many are funny to watch as they walk into things... But this is Horribly sad, and easily preventable....
Next the powers to be will want to remove the screens to prevent something like this happening again... :(