Southern Shorthaul Railroad (SSR) came under scrutiny following the derailment of a freight train in the Southern Highlands near Berrima on Saturday. The incident involved five carriages carrying cement leaving the tracks, prompting immediate action from the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR), which issued a stop work notice to the company.
The derailment occurred less than 24 hours after representatives from the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) met with SSR to address safety concerns. At the meeting, union officials reported receiving numerous complaints from members regarding SSR’s safety practices, highlighting issues such as inadequate procedures and training, aging rolling stock, and a workplace culture in which employees reportedly fear retaliation for raising safety concerns.
Farren Campbell, secretary of the RTBU’s locomotive division, praised the regulator’s prompt suspension of SSR’s accreditation and indicated plans to present their safety concerns to the New South Wales government. Campbell noted the disproportionate number of incidents linked to SSR, saying the company accounts for about 20 percent of freight movements on the Sydney Trains network but is responsible for nearly half of all safety incidents.
Campbell emphasized that SSR employees describe a significant disparity between documented safety measures and the realities they face in day-to-day operations. According to the union, areas of concern include training quality, fatigue management, safety procedures, and the condition of equipment.
The derailed train had recently left a Boral factory, which produces half of the cement used throughout New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, causing substantial disruption to the facility’s operations. A Boral spokesperson confirmed that the site remains under the control of NSW Police and rail regulatory authorities as investigations continue.
SSR operates freight services across New South Wales and holds multiple contracts with the state government. The recent derailment and the issues highlighted by the RTBU have raised serious questions about the company’s safety management and regulatory compliance. Authorities and the union are expected to continue scrutiny of SSR’s safety practices in the coming weeks.