Report by Giselle Wakatama

From ABC Newcastle

About Rail Transport

On Wednesday, August 5, 2026, at 3:29 pm

Updated on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, at 3:48 pm

A coal train moved without a driver and stopped 20 kilometers away.

In short:

A coal train with no one on board traveled 20 kilometers through the Hunter Valley on July 25.

It reached speeds of up to 90 kilometers per hour with 96 wagons.

What's next?

A final report will be given to the NSW parliament.

A report on a runaway coal train in the Hunter Valley found it went over the safe speed limit and stopped after rolling backwards for 5 kilometers.

The Office of Transport Safety Investigations released its report on the incident on July 25.

The Pacific National train traveled about 20 kilometers on the rail line.

It stopped on a hill.

The train started at Newdell Junction, reached 90km/h, and stopped near Camberwell Junction.

The train stopped near Glennies Creek after rolling backwards 5 kilometers.

The safe speed for a loaded coal train is usually 60km/h.

The report found damage to the train and minor track damage.

Investigation looks at brakes and crew

The investigation will check the train's brakes and crew actions.

Investigators will review the crew's actions and the company's procedures.

They will also look at maintenance and incident response systems.

Risks are being examined

An investigator will find out why the train ran away and if it could have been predicted.

Pacific National said it is cooperating with investigators.

The company said safety is its top priority.

Pacific National is working with authorities to understand what happened and prevent it from happening again.

The final report will be given to the minister to present to the NSW parliament.

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