Australia train crash: Two killed after Sydney to Melbourne rail service derails

Two people have been killed and several others injured after a train derailed in Australia.

The express service came off the track near the Victoria town of Wallan as it travelled from Sydney to Melbourne on Thursday night.

Images and video shared on social media show a number of jackknifed carriages, including one lying on its side.

There were about 160 passengers on the train when five carriages left the tracks shortly before 8pm local time 47km (29 miles) north of Melbourne.

“It’s believed the train travelling from Sydney to Melbourne derailed near the Hume Freeway just before 8 pm,” police in the state of Victoria said in a tweet.

“Two people have died at the scene and a number of others are injured.”

One person was airlifted to Melbourne, while four others were taken to hospital in a stable condition, The Australian reports.

The two people who died are believed to have been travelling in the driver’s cabin, The Guardian reported.

Passenger Scott Rickard shared images from the scene on social media, writing: “The train crashed. We’re fine. Poor driver is injured though.”

She added: “Fortunately only a few ppl (sic) seem injured in our carriage. Stuff flew everywhere.

“Carriages crumpled at edges. We walked out. Most ppl (sic) able to walk out.

“We just suddenly slid into a fast stop, carriage at an angle stuff flying everywhere. Tray tables went flying.”

The train, which left Sydney at 7.40am, had been scheduled to arrive in Melbourne at 6.30pm but it was running two hours late at the time of derailment.