Today marks 50 years since the tragic Southern Aurora train accident, when nine people were killed and a further 117 passengers were injured.
At just after 7am, Australia’s overnight express passenger train between Sydney and Melbourne, the Southern Aurora, collided with an Albury-bound goods train at Violet Town, 174km north of its Melbourne destination.
The Southern Aurora bore the brunt of the collision, with two drivers, one electrician, one conductor and five passengers dying.
CFA’s thoughts are with the families, relatives and friends of those who were impacted by the accident.
While we should never forget those souls lost and the impact on families and friends, the efforts of our CFA members who were one of the early responders at this incident, should also be remembered.
Local, district, regional and state teams from all facets of the broader community provided steadfast and diligent service during a tragic time in this state’s history.