One good thing is that there is nobody out there in the Pilbarra region of Australia, and thus no significant danger to the public.
However, it appears almost certain that the Driver did not properly secure the train in the manner prescribed by the Company rules before stepping off for the inspection. The chance that this resulted from an equipment failure is minuscule.
I am surprised that the dispatching office was not able to initiate an emergency brake application by radio. The technology for that exists, and due to the remoteness of the area served by this railroad, it would seem that there would be options for stopping a train in the case of incapacitation of the Driver. And surely this locomotive is equipped with an electronic alertness device requiring periodic acknowledgment from the Driver when the train is moving (and at least tattling by radio if disabled by anyone). (?)
There are questions not answered by the news release.
