MFS crews as Keswick Railway Station this morning. Picture: Stephen Laffer
Source: News Corp Australia
A MULTI-million dollar fire has ripped through a Ghan train carriage, causing a rail worker to be hospitalised with smoke inhalation.
The fire took hold about 8am in the kitchen area of a dining railcar at Keswick Railway Station, off Sir Donald Bradman Drive.
A railway worker, who fought the fire and assisted others to unlock the carriage from the rest of the train to prevent the blaze from spreading, was treated for smoke inhalation and later taken to hospital for precautionary checks.
It is understood the American-built, refurbished 1960s railcars are worth about $3 million each.
Metropolitan Fire Service incident controller Peter Reynolds said the quick-thinking of rail staff to isolate the carriage may have prevented further damage.
“The cars were being prepared for transit later today, rail staff did attempt to extinguish the fire and it is my understanding that one employee was overcome by smoke while attempting to extinguish the fire,” he said.
Despite the blaze, the train will still depart at midday today with up to 200 passengers in 33 railcars, after a replacement kitchen carriage was attached this morning.
The electricity supply on the carriage was in the process of being “charged” over the weekend but fire cause investigators are yet to determine what sparked the blaze.
Police, however, are not treating the fire as suspicious.
The Ghan fire causes up to $3 million damage to kitchen carriage
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