As a community in Sydney’s south tries to come to terms with the death of a father and his toddler daughter who died when a pram rolled onto the tracks at a local station, rail transport experts have shared insights into how the tragedy may have been prevented.
Witnesses watched on in horror when a pram carrying twin two-year-old girls rolled onto the tracks at Carlton railway station as an oncoming train bore down on Sunday afternoon.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Father killed in Carlton train tragedy remembered as ‘heroic’.
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The girls’ father, Anand Runwal, 40, jumped onto the tracks and tried to save his daughters, as bystanders tried to alert the train, but it was too late.
Anand and the pram were struck by the train, killing him and one of the girls, as his wife Poonam Runwal watched on in horror from the platform.
7NEWS has been told the two-year-old girl who survived the tragedy was pulled from between the wheels of the train.
Now, rail transport experts say they believe platform screen doors or reverse slopes away from train tracks could have prevented the deaths
Multiple investigations into the tragedy — including a coronial inquiry — will identify any necessary changes to improve safety.
Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland said the train, which was not due to stop, had approached the station with caution as drivers were instructed to do, but its speed would form part of an investigation into the incident.
All the relevant information, including CCTV footage from the station, had been handed over to police, he said.
The National Rail Safety Regulator confirmed rail safety officers were conducting inquiries to confirm initial indications that all relevant operational safety processes and procedures were in place and adhered to.
Rail expert and director of Rail Safety Consulting Australia, Phillip Barker, described the incident as “a legacy issue across railway platforms” and noted it was not the first time this sort of incident had occurred in Australia.
“They slope towards the track to aid water drainage away from the station building,” he told AAP.
“Later designs generally have improved drainage which allows a reverse slope away from the track.”
University of Sydney transport professor David Levison said platform screen doors, such as those used by Sydney Metro, could prevent these types of incidents.
However, such technology was not only expensive but difficult to implement.
Meanwhile, shocked locals continue to react to the horrific accident, leaving flowers and tributes at the station.
“I don’t know what to say … it’s heartbreaking,” a local told 7NEWS. “Even my daughter, she said, when she dropped me off this morning, Mum, please, be careful with the pram.
“I feel so sad for the family and, you know, I feel so sad for the mother.”
Another local, Sam Barrington-Smith, told 7NEWS: “It’s a pretty small community around here … so when things like this happen, you just sort of just feel for everyone regardless of whether we knew him or not.”
“It’s very hard to console yourself with the idea that this has happened,” another local added.
The mother and girl were discharged from St George Hospital on Sunday night.
7NEWS understands Anand and his wife Poonam had moved from India to Sydney after Runwal secured a new job.
M.K Singh, who runs a Hindi language school where Poonam occasionally volunteers, told 7NEWS Anand worked as an IT engineer and was a “very social and very pleasant kind of person”.
Poonam is currently being supported by friends and family and the local Indian community.
– With AAP
