Grand-Pioneer

The Fremantle rail bridge has been closed after it was hit by the "AAL Fremantle" which broke from its moorings as well as the "Grand Pioneer" as s storm swept across Perth and the South West on Aug 17, 2014, at 10.15 p.m. The box ship "AAL Fremantle" and the "Grand Pioneer" were being unloaded in Fremantle harbour when both swung away from their North Quay berths about 10 p.m. The "AAL Fremantle" first allided with the bunker tanker before making contact with the Fremantle rail bridge, causing damage to scaffolding and an overhead power line. Thousands of people were without power and homes were damaged in the storm. Trains between Fremantle and North Fremantle have been cancelled and replaced by buses. The line could be closed for a week. The ship had just finished unloading a cargo of cars when the incident occurred. Another general cargo ship which went adrift after the stern lines broke, damaged a third vessel, the "Parmelia 1". The bridge was inspected by structural engineers after daybreak. Trains would run as normal to North Fremantle, but services between North Fremantle and Fremantle had been cancelled and replaced by buses operating between North Fremantle and Fremantle Station. There was likely to be some minor disruption to timetables over the rest of the line. One of the masts that support the train line’s overhead electrical power system was smashed and some of the supporting infrastructure sustained extensive damage in the crash. The disruption was likely to remain in place for at least a week while the damage was repaired and an investigation was completed to determine if there was any structural damage to the bridge. Reports with photos: https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/24738303/roofs-ship-and-trains-stricken-by-storm/ https://twitter.com/ben_j_hennessy/status/501153610948825088/photo/1 https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/24739390/container-ship-crashes-into-fremantle-bridge-as-wild-storm-lashes-wa/