A Northern Territory pastoralist has called for safety upgrades to an outback railway crossing where a truck carrying his cattle collided with The Ghan tourist train.
Police and NT WorkSafe are investigating the crash, which occurred at about 10am on Sunday at the Arltunga crossing, 60 kilometres north of Alice Springs.
According to the NT Police Force, The Ghan was travelling southbound through the intersection when a cattle truck collided with the train's second locomotive.
The cattle truck driver was treated for shock and taken to hospital, but the train passengers and cattle escaped without serious injury.
Emergency services attended the scene on Sunday. (ABC News: Xavier Martin)
Garden Station cattle producer Andy Hayes, whose cattle were onboard the truck, said the level crossing had a reputation for being dangerous.
He said it was difficult for drivers to see trains approaching the level crossing because the tracks dipped down a hill crest, hiding oncoming trains from view.
"You don't see the train, and then you look to the south and … just out of the corner of your eye, you see the train coming and it gives you a bit of a fright," Mr Hayes said.
Andy Hayes says the undulating terrain makes it difficult for drivers to see oncoming trains. (ABC News: Xavier Martin)
He said scrub growth along the train line also hindered visibility.
"It's a pretty dangerous spot," he said.
"We've been lucky there hasn't been an accident before now, and we were lucky yesterday — the driver's okay, the people on the train are okay and the cattle are all good."
NT Road Transport Association chief executive Louise Bilato said some level crossings in the NT had suffered years of neglect.
"Some of these level crossings have had no boom gates or no lights since [they were] constructed 20 years ago now," she said.
"We need to use every technological solution we can find to ensure that level crossings are safe across the territory."
She also urged rail operators to assess potential overgrowth of fuel load and vegetation along the track, following heavy rainfall in Central Australia earlier this year.
'Extremely lucky' no one was injured, police say
Police Assistant Commissioner Travis Wurst said police were continuing to investigate the cause of the crash.
He said the cattle truck had "failed to stop" at the train crossing before it struck the second locomotive.
The front of the cattle truck sustained serious damage. (ABC News: Xavier Martin)
"It shouldn't have happened in the first place," Assistant Commissioner Wurst said.
"The mere fact it struck the locomotive and not the passenger carriages … it's extremely lucky no one was injured."
He said the train crossing was marked and that it was concerning an incident had occurred.
"If there's things that need to be done to make those crossings safer, then we'll certainly assist with any assessment and pass that information on to the relevant authorities," he said.
The Ghan is set to resume its journey to Adelaide. (ABC News: Xavier Martin)
Ghan set to resume journey
On Monday afternoon, a spokesperson for the company that operates The Ghan, Journey Beyond, said rail freight operator Pacific National had cleared the train to resume its journey to Adelaide after conducting final checks.
They said passengers were due to board The Ghan on Monday evening, before arriving in Adelaide on Wednesday morning, one day later than originally planned.
"[Our] train staff have been in regular communication with all guests since the incident and are assisting them in coordinating any necessary changes to their onward travel plans," the spokesperson said.
The Ghan's scheduled departure from Adelaide to Alice Springs on Wednesday was unlikely to be impacted, the spokesperson said.