NSW; Derailed train's black box may not have been on - report

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NSW; Derailed train's black box may not have been on - report

The cause of the fatal derailment in Sydney's south may never be known, after it wasreportedly disclosed that the train's black box could have been switched off.

The crucial data recorder was yesterday located undamaged in the wreckage of a commutertrain that derailed four kilometres south of Waterfall Station, killing eight people.

But The Daily Telegraph's reported that New South Wales Transport Minister CARL SCULLYhas conceded it's possible the black box may not have been operational.

The newspaper's reported that an audit of State Rail's inner-city fleet late last yearfound that not all the devices had been turned on because of union resistance.

Mr SCULLY reportedly says the programming and installing, implementation and conditioningof the data loggers wasn't completed.

But he says he can't advise whether this was the case in the train involved in yesterday'sderailment.

However, Mr SCULLY says that even if the black box was turned off, investigators shouldbe able to determine the train's speed by analysing the crime scene.

AAP RTV hn/smb

KEYWORD: DERAIL BOX (SYDNEY)