At 6:30 pm and 7:15 pm on 20 April, two heavily loaded passenger trains left the regional cities of Ballarat and Bendigo respectively.
20 April was an Easter Monday and therefore the end of a long weekend in Victoria.
Fine weather had encouraged large numbers of people to leave Melbourne by train on the Saturday, and many were returning on the Monday evening.
As a result, both trains were crowded, and the Ballarat train had been extended beyond its normal length.

The Ballarat train was drawn by two locomotives – Aᴬ 534 and 'Old A' 202, and consisted of a post van, guard's van and 11 passenger carriages.
The Bendigo train was drawn by Aᴬ 564 and Aᴬ 544, and consisted of a post van, horse box, 6 passenger carriages and a guard's van.

The Ballarat train reached Sunshine at 10:47 pm, 43 minutes behind schedule, and, because of the extra carriages, was too long for the platform at Sunshine.
The driver allowed passengers at the front of the train to disembark, then moved the train forward so the rear carriages were at the platform.

The Bendigo train was also running late, and its driver, Leonard "Hell-fire Jack" Milburn – a nickname which his colleagues later denied had any connection to recklessness or speed – was under instructions to operate the train as an express unless passengers needed to alight.

The Ballarat and Bendigo lines were both controlled by absolute block signalling from the Sunshine signalbox.
At Sydenham, the preceding signalbox on the Bendigo line, Milburn was given a "line clear" signal, because the Sunshine signaller had indicated the line was clear up to and through the station.
The distant signal, 970 yards from the point of impact, and the home signal, 283 yards from the point of impact, were set at danger.

Milburn stated the following day that when he sighted the distant signal set to danger, he applied the brakes, but they did not have any effect.
He subsequently set the locomotive in reverse and applied as much power as possible in an attempt to slow the train.

As the Ballarat train began to move away from Sunshine, it was struck by the Bendigo train.
The impact destroyed the guard's van and four rearmost carriages of the Ballarat train, but only caused minor damage to the front of the Bendigo locomotive.
Debris from the collision was thrown across both tracks and platforms of the station.
At 6:30 pm and 7:15 pm on 20 April, two heavily loaded passenger trains left the regional cities of Ballarat and Bendigo respectively. 20 April was an Easter Monday and therefore the end of a long weekend in Victoria. Fine weather had encouraged large numbers of people to leave Melbourne by train on the Saturday, and many were returning on the Monday evening. As a result, both trains were crowded, and the Ballarat train had been extended beyond its normal length.
The Ballarat train was drawn by two locomotives – Aᴬ 534 and 'Old A' 202, and consisted of a post van, guard's van and 11 passenger carriages. The Bendigo train was drawn by Aᴬ 564 and Aᴬ 544, and consisted of a post van, horse box, 6 passenger carriages and a guard's van.
The Ballarat train reached Sunshine at 10:47 pm, 43 minutes behind schedule, and, because of the extra carriages, was too long for the platform at Sunshine. The driver allowed passengers at the front of the train to disembark, then moved the train forward so the rear carriages were at the platform.
The Bendigo train was also running late, and its driver, Leonard "Hell-fire Jack" Milburn – a nickname which his colleagues later denied had any connection to recklessness or speed – was under instructions to operate the train as an express unless passengers needed to alight.
The Ballarat and Bendigo lines were both controlled by absolute block signalling from the Sunshine signalbox. At Sydenham, the preceding signalbox on the Bendigo line, Milburn was given a "line clear" signal, because the Sunshine signaller had indicated the line was clear up to and through the station. The distant signal, 970 yards from the point of impact, and the home signal, 283 yards from the point of impact, were set at danger.
Milburn stated the following day that when he sighted the distant signal set to danger, he applied the brakes, but they did not have any effect. He subsequently set the locomotive in reverse and applied as much power as possible in an attempt to slow the train.
As the Ballarat train began to move away from Sunshine, it was struck by the Bendigo train. The impact destroyed the guard's van and four rearmost carriages of the Ballarat train, but only caused minor damage to the front of the Bendigo locomotive. Debris from the collision was thrown across both tracks and platforms of the station.
Sunshine rail disaster