Executive summary
At about 0900 hours on Friday, 25 October 1996, a gangway fell from a Steam Incorporated passenger excursion train being operated by Tranz Rail Limited between Paekakariki and Wairoa. The gangway fell clear of the track near Opapa. The carriage doors on either side were locked as a safety measure and the train continued its journey.
The gangway fell off because it was ineffectively restrained. Safety issues identified were the suitability and dissemination of standards applying to other rail service operators using Tranz Rail Limited's railway line, the lack of procedures for ensuring compliance with such standards, the suitability of the Tranz Rail Limited carriage supplied, and the lack of procedures, training and supervision to ensure that all persons were capable of carrying out their responsibilities within the safety system applicable to rail charter operations.
Related Recommendations
Require Tranz Rail's safety system to include procedures which ensure compliance by other rail services operators with the requirements of Company Procedure C/024 "Private Rail Vehicle Interoperability Standards" and any other appropriate standards covering other rail service operators using Tranz Rail's railway line.
Review all relevant safety systems submitted for rail service licences to ensure that they include safety standards covering other rail service operators using the same railway line, and adequate procedures to ensure compliance with such standards.
Review the procedures for incident reporting to ensure that incidents such as the loss of a gangway are immediately reported to allow the necessary timely notification to the Land Transport Safety Authority.
Review the suitability of procedures for disseminating the requirements of standards to those responsible for compliance, and take such steps as are necessary to ensure that the relevant Tranz Rail persons are aware of and capable of carrying out their responsibility within the system to achieve the intent of such standards.
Ensure that all such procedures for ensuring compliance with standards by other rail service operators using the same railway line clearly define the respective rail service operators' responsibilities with regard to safety and thus allow the relevant safety systems to provide a programme of training and supervision which ensures that all persons for whom each operator is responsible are capable of carrying out their responsibilities within the system.