I'm pretty sure the line has not been totally accident free, but there hasn't been anything like that for a long, long time. Even the most recent in Sydney was a year or so ago out past the northern fringe (Hexham: goods train and inter-urban train collided; the cause is still unknown) and then 3 or 4 years ago on another line (Glenbrook: a Lithgow inter-urban ran up the back of the Indian Pacific; there were signal failures) and the one prior to that was, IIRC some 20 years prior (Granville; a suburban train jumped the tracks and hit a road bridge's central pillar). We've had train breakdowns a plenty, fortunately they usually stay on their rails!

Yesterday (i.e. the day before the accident) was very very hot: a lot of Sydney hit the low 40s. It is possible there was some line or equipment buckling. But I as I opened with, I very much doubt the South Coast line has been free from accidents all it's life. It was a very difficult line to build, with hideous grades and curves.

Wade.