Driver errors led to Tas derailment: ATSB

The derailment of a freight train in southern Tasmania which damaged engines, nine wagons and the track, was caused by driver inattention, investigators say.

In November 2014 the service between Burnie and Brighton on the outskirts of Hobart derailed on a left-hand turn near Colebrook while travelling at 65km/h, almost double the speed limit.

"The train's excessive speed as it traversed the curve, created forces that caused the locomotives and wagons to roll over and derail," the Australian Transport Safety Bureau said in a report published on Tuesday.

"It was apparent that the driver of train 735 made inappropriate decisions regarding managing the momentum of descent."

TasRail's driver training was found to be adequate and not in need of amendment, with the incident described as atypical.