NEW VIDEO: A CAIRNS motorist last night told how he tried in vain to help a still-conscious train driver inside the wreckage of his locomotive after the horror crash between the tilt train and a semi-trailer.
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Steve Reig rushed to the smashed front engine moments after the collision at a level crossing about 20km south of Cardwell just before 3pm.
The train driver and his assistant died after the engine bore the brunt of the collision, while the 63-year-old male truck driver suffered chest injuries and was airlifted to Cairns Base Hospital where he remains in a stable condition.
Speaking to The Cairns Post last night, Mr Reig said: "They were trapped in the tangled wreck of the loco … one guy was dead and the other was stuck by his legs. But he was conscious.
"We put a pillow under his head and tried to comfort him … it was all we could do and then emergency services arrived."
Hours later, Mr Reig found out the second train driver had also died.
"It was traumatic … he was alive but we couldn’t help him," he said.
"The poor fellas were just doing their job."
Mr Reig was in the fourth car on the scene and described people standing at their vehicles in shock to see a semi-trailer split in two and the train, with its smashed front and overturned engine, across the highway.
"I’ve seen a few pretty traumatic scenes but nothing like that," he said.
"There was a train full of people and people were hurt and worse."
Tilt train passenger Kalo Fainu, who was in the first carriage, said the train shuddered before impact.
"It was really shuddery. It just felt like the brakes were going on and off, and then it was just came to one big, giant halt," Ms Fainu said.
Fellow passenger Colin, who was in the front carriage, said: "I wouldn’t suggest we were going any more than 40km/h, but I couldn’t really tell.
"It looks a lot worse than it felt."
Far Northern Region Traffic Co-ordinator Insp Bob Waters last night said the exact cause of the crash was yet to be determined.
Unconfirmed reports suggest the warning lights at the crossing were faulty and had been flashing continually since midday but no traffic control measures were put in place.
Queensland Transport Minister John Mickel has called for an independent investigation and will be on site this morning with transport and rail chiefs.
"I’ve been to very bad crashes involving multiple fatalities," Insp Waters said.
"This one is unique because of the extent the damage."
Nine of the 81 passengers on board the train were taken to Ingham Hospital with minor injuries and the remaining passengers were checked by medical staff before being loaded on to buses and driven to Cairns, after stopping at Cardwell for counselling and a meal.
Paramedics were also on the buses monitoring the passengers, a Queensland Health spokesman said.
Queensland Rail chief executive Lance Hockridge expressed sympathy to the families of two people who died in the crash.
"QR is shocked and saddened by this tragic accident," Mr Hockridge said.
"This is a terrible accident and our heartfelt condolences go to the families of the victims."
The Bruce Highway was closed immediately after the collision, causing traffic to back up for kilometres in both directions.
One lane was reopened late last night.
