| From 1 July 2019, report Category A rail occurrences directly to the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) on 1800 430 888 (24 hrs / 7 days). |
The ATSB is the single national rail safety investigator in Australia.
The ATSB’s rails safety investigation role occurs concurrently with the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) overseeing rail safety regulation in every Australian state and territory.
The ATSB investigates selectively, as do many equivalent organisations overseas. The aim is to concentrate ATSB’s resources on those investigations considered most likely to enhance rail safety. Because many accidents are repetitive in nature, investigating these in any detail may not be justified, given the ATSB’s limited resources. In such cases, the ATSB will not necessarily attend the scene, conduct an in-depth investigation or produce an extensive report.
When the ATSB investigates an accident or incident, investigators will seek to determine its circumstances, identify any safety issues, and encourage relevant safety action. The aim of all ATSB investigations is to prevent the occurrence of other accidents and incidents, rather than to assign blame or liability. This approach helps ensure the continued free flow of safety information for the purposes of improving safety in the future.
As required under the Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003 (TSI Act), train operating crew, rail and track owners and operators must report accidents and serious incidents (Category A occurrences) that occur as soon as practicable and by the quickest means possible. All Category A occurrences need to directed to ONRSR by calling 1800 430 888 (24 hrs / 7 days).