Punch marks were not made on the rail and documented with references to monuments at the 9 km mark following the realignment of track west of the Ashley Street rail bridge. This omission precluded the detection of rail creep that may have been present during the October 2008 maintenance inspection.
The ARTC have not provided a response to this minor safety issue prior to publication of the final report. ARTC have advised that a response will be provided in due course.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau advises that the ARTC should consider the implications of this safety issue and take action where considered appropriate.
