Trains were stopped on the main southern line on Saturday following a fire in a Pacific National locomotive.
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Firefighters were called at 9.30am to the train which was stopped 10 kilometres west of Harden near Nubba on Saturday.
The southbound train with four locomotives and around 1.5 kilometres in length had been stopped near a crossing.
Harden’s Fire and Rescue NSW brigade Captain Wal Leonow said the fire was in the fourth engine near the front of the locomotive.
“One of the generators and compressors had caught fire and appears to have done quite a lot of damage,” Captain Leonow said.
Trains were stopped on the line at Wallendbeen and Harden as firefighters battled the blaze and to allow the eventual recovery of the train, which is believed to be hauling steel.
“We’re very lucky it wasn’t any earlier, there were and flames sparks being sent everywhere,” Captain Leonow said.
Black smoke was reportedly seen coming from one of the locomotives as it passed through Harden.
Captain Leonow praised the efforts of the train’s drivers.
“The train driver has done a really good job, he’s shut the engine down, isolated all the power and fuel and trained to extinguish it himself,” he said.
Harden’s Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) brigade were assisted by NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) crews from Cootamundra, Harden, Nubba and Wallendbeen.
“The RFS and FRNSW crews worked very well together,” Captain Leonow said.
“We appreciate the assistance the RFS provided.”
The 7.35am XPT service from Sydney’s Central Station to Melbourne’s Spencer Street station was listed as delayed on Saturday.
An Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) spokesman said the train had since been moved off the main line near Wallendbeen and services had been restored around 11.30am on Saturday.
The spokesman said the only delays had been experienced were by another freight train which was held up for 80 minutes and normal services had had resumed.
Pacific National have been contacted for comment.