Debris on the track may have caused a collision between two trains at Altona.
Police said the city-bound Metro train was stopped near the Maidstone Street level crossing when a Geelong V/Line VLocity train rear-ended it about 7pm last Friday.
The trains were separated on Saturday afternoon. It’s believed police received reports there was an attempt to stop the Metro train so it could be graffitied.
“The driver of the Metro train reported hearing a bang underneath the carriage and lost air pressure, which applied the brakes,” a well-placed source said.
“If he heard a bang, the train may have run over something that had been placed on the tracks or fallen onto them.
“The brakes on a Metro train would have been fully locked-on.
‘‘It’s a fail-safe on a train that if you lose air pressure, instead of the brakes not working they actually come on, which is a good thing.”
About 60 passengers were on the suburban train. Only the driver and conductor were on the Geelong train. Seven people were treated at the scene and four were taken to hospital, including the Geelong train driver and conductor, who suffered minor injuries.
Both drivers involved in the crash were experienced and tested negative for drugs and alcohol, another source said.
Public Transport Victoria chief executive Mark Wild said the trains were separated about 2pm on Saturday, more than 19 hours after the collision.
Mr Wild said Metro and V/Line engineers had to inspect the vehicles to determine the best way to clear the scene.
Investigators from the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) and the transport safety chief investigator’s office were on the scene.
“All aspects of the signalling system are included in the scope of the investigation,” ONRSR spokeswoman Gail Sambidge-Mitchell said. She did not know how long it would take to complete the probe.
