Inquiries & Recommendations

Ngā ketuketutanga me ngā tūtohunga

On Monday 31 October 2005, at about 0827, a set of bi-parting doors on Train 3056, a Connex Papakura to Britomart diesel multiple unit passenger service, closed on a passenger boarding at Papatoetoe. The passenger became trapped, but was freed when the doors were prised open by a locomotive maintainer who was travelling on the train. The passenger suffered minor leg injuries. Safety issues identified included: • the door control and operating mechanisms • the use of a defective safety critical component • the fault recording processes.

On Sunday 30 October 2005 at about 1820, wagon UKR84 on Train 246, a Wellington to Auckland express freight service, derailed at 32.08 km, South Junction, between Pukerua Bay and Paekakariki, on the North Island Main Trunk. The wagon derailed as its leading bogie passed over a set of trailing points.

On Friday 28 October 2005, at about 1547, Taieri Gorge Railway passenger Train 1910, travelling from Middlemarch to Dunedin with a crew of 4 and 21 passengers, parted between the leading passenger car XPC412 and passenger car XPC562 as the train approached Dunedin Station. After the train parted, the brakes applied automatically and the 2 sections of the train stopped about 40 metres (m) apart. The train parting resulted from the catastrophic failure of the buffer at a flash butt weld that connected the cast coupler head and forged tail.

On Thursday 27 October 2005 at about 1410, mainline shunting service Train M52 passed through a protected worksite between Te Rapa and Horotiu on the Up Main line of the North Island Main Trunk without authority from the protector of the worksite. The site protector was alerted to the imminent arrival of the train and cleared the track before the train arrived. There were no injuries or equipment damage. Safety issues included: • the Conditional Stop Protection rules

[Assisting overseas investigation - no TAIC report published]

On Thursday, 20 October 2005 at about 1900, eastbound express freight Train 834 was scheduled to cross with westbound express freight Train 841 at Cora Lynn on the Midland Line. Train 841 was berthed on the loop when Train 834 also entered the loop and collided head on with Train 841. The locomotives on each train were extensively damaged, but there was no damage to the wagons on either train or to the track infrastructure. The locomotive engineers suffered minor injuries. The safety issues identified included:

On Saturday 8 October 2005 at about 1312, the container ship "Spirit of Resolution" collided stern first with the Old Mangere Bridge as the ship departed Onehunga when control of the unberthing manoeuvre was lost during high winds. There were no injuries. The ship, old road bridge and wharf all sustained damage during the incident. Safety issues identified included: - bridge resource management - contingency planning for emergency situations on board - ambiguities in the pilotage exemption requirements and training for Manukau Harbour.

On Thursday 6 October 2005 at 1451, the locomotive engineer of empty passenger Train 4356 was unable to operate fully the automatic air brake valve to stop the train at a conditional stop board erected at the entrance to an infrastructure work area near Meadowbank. The locomotive engineer operated an emergency brake button instead, but the train overran a conditional stop board by about 170 metres. There was no damage or injuries. Safety issues identified included: • the procurement, inspection and maintenance of safety-critical components

On Wednesday 5 October 2005, at 1441, ZK-MCJ, an Aerospatiale Alenia ATR 72-212A, landed at Queenstown Aerodrome, where it inadvertently left the runway. On board were 47 passengers and 2 cabin crew, and 2 pilots and a maintenance engineer on the flight deck. There were no injuries, and no damage to the aeroplane.

[A preliminary investigation showed that the circumstances were not likely to have significant implications for transport safety. Consistent with section 13 of the TAIC Act the Commission discontinued the investigation and no report was published.]

On Sunday 18 September 2005, the "Milford Mariner" was on a cruise of Milford Sound with the Master, 9 crew and 56 passengers on board. At about 1438, both of the ship’s main propulsion engines stalled and just as they were restarted the ship ran aground.

On Friday 2 September 2005 at about 1600, the locomotive engineer of express freight Train 354 reported to train control that a school bus had passed over Caverhill Road level crossing, Awakaponga, immediately in front of his train. The level crossing had passive protection that included limit line road markings and compulsory stop signs on both sides of the crossing. The incident was caused by the bus driver not stopping at the level crossing. No safety deficiencies were identified in the level crossing layout or in the rail system.