CBH responds to complaint over rolling stock that had “clearly missed” routine cleaning and maintenance

CBH Group has responded to criticism concerning the maintenance of its locomotive fleet, insisting the co-operative is “committed to improving the safety” of its teams and local communities.

It comes after Murchison pastoralist Lara Jensen drew attention to several CBH locomotives she said had “clearly missed any routine cleaning for a very long time” in a letter published in the West Australian on November 14.

She said the apparent lack of cleaning and maintenance had resulted in lighting either being obstructed by dirt or being left inoperative.

“I would like to know if WA rail operator Co-operative Bulk Handling (CBH) has any scheduled routine cleaning and maintenance schedule in place for their locomotives or rolling stock,” she wrote.

“This is not acceptable when you consider these trains interact with the travelling public at more than 490 unlit crossings in regional WA and the peak agricultural traffic time of harvest is already well under way around much of the State.”

In response, a CBH spokeswoman told Countryman the co-operative conducted regular inspections and cleaning programs through its rail service provider, Aurizon.

The spokeswoman also mentioned there would be new additions and lighting upgrades to CBH’s rolling stock, including the purchase of nine fleets “that will arrive with lighting consistent with what CBH is upgrading (its) existing fleet to”.

Ms Jensen said she acknowledged and appreciated the work CBH was doing for train visibility improvements, but noted videos of the new locomotive lighting operating at night were “never forthcoming” despite requests for footage.

“So, our families who have all lost loved ones to rail crashes in WA and who attended the CBH lighting trials in Goomalling in February 2023 still have no idea what the final locomotive lighting array looks like following this trial,” Ms Jensen said.

“It is therefore difficult to comment with any real authority as to how effective the new lights will be as we haven’t seen them in operation.”