Granville train disaster remembered

The 83 victims of Australia's worst train disaster have been remembered in a moving ceremony that also honoured the victims of the Sandy Hook school massacre in the US.

The packed 6.09am train from Mount Victoria to Sydney derailed and crashed as it approached Granville station about 8.10am on January 18, 1977.

The train smashed into a bridge, which collapsed on two carriages. In addition to the death toll, 210 people were injured.

About 250 survivors, relatives, emergency service workers and dignitaries gathered near the crash site on Friday to mark the 36th anniversary.

"The thing that surprised me is that crowds are still very large, even after all these years," said John Hennessey, president of the Granville Memorial Trust.

"It's still very raw and you could hear that in their voices and the stories they tell you."

The ceremony was held around a large granite memorial stone with the names of all the victims inscribed on it.

Twenty-six roses were laid on the stone to commemorate the teachers and children who died in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in the US in December.

The lord mayor of Parramatta, John Chedid, described the Granville tragedy as a "very, very sad day".

The national secretary of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union, Bob Nanva, said the lessons of the crash must never be forgotten.

"The Granville Rail Disaster will live in our memories forever," he said in a statement. "We must ensure we never see another disaster on the same scale."

He urged the NSW government to put more funding into rail maintenance.

A report into the Granville crash concluded that a derailment was "inevitable" because the condition of the track was poor.

Friday 18 January 2013

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/granville-train-disaster-remembered-20130118-2cz0l.html#ixzz2IMNfETAX