Passenger train slams into gas bottle thrown onto Bulli tracks overnight

The northbound train had just passed Bulli station when it slammed into a nine-kilogram LPG gas bottle around 10.15pm on Sunday, April 28.

The train was unaffected and able to continue on its journey, with the driver issuing a warning to an approaching coal train. The second train was able to stop in time.

With the bottle damaged and gas venting into the atmosphere, a triple-o call was made for firefighters to attend.

"It was fortunate there was no ignition," Fire and Rescue NSW Bulli Station Officer Paul Campbell said. "It could have been a substantially worse situation if that gas had of ignited.

"It's a really silly thing for people to have done. They're doing something that could have led to significant property damage or worse."

It's the latest in series of incidents where trains have struck items left on the tracks, including a passenger train slamming into a shopping trolley and, separately, another passenger train clipping a e-scooter left on the tracks. Both incidents occurred in Woonona.

Sunday's collision in Bulli occurred around 200 metres north of the station, and the bottle was so damaged by the train that firefighters were unable to turn off the gas.

"We removed it into a safe location away from everyone and did some dispersing with our water fogs," Station Officer Campbell said.

Firefighters continued to disperse the gas into the atmosphere, using a fog nozzle on a hose, until the bottle was empty to prevent it from igniting.

Crews used a gas detector during the incident to make sure the environment was safe.

"How it got here we don't know but they don't get there on their own," Station Officer Campbell said.

A Transport for NSW spokeswoman said the rail corridor was cleared by 11.23pm and no further impacts were reported.