Executive summary
On Monday 9 March 1998 at about 2359 hours, nine wagons of Train 928, a northbound Dunedin to Christchurch express freight, derailed near Purakanui at low speed. The train continued for approximately four kilometres before a brake application alerted the locomotive engineer to the problem. The point of the derailment coincided with that of an almost identical derailment involving Train 928 on 3 March 1998. Safety issues identified were the ability of track staff to identify and understand track related factors contributing to derailments and to make timely and safe decisions as to the remedial track work required before reopening the track to traffic.
Related Recommendations
Ensures systems are in place to assess the competency of any appointed or acting Track and Structures Manager or Ganger who make such decisions.
Reviews the training, knowledge, and experience of Track and Structures Managers, Gangers, and those required to act in such positions, in respect to their ability to identify and understand the track related factors contributing to derailments and to make timely and safe decisions regarding the track geometry improvement required, and speed to be applied, before the track is reopened for traffic.
Ensures that any necessary track geometry improvements required following derailments which show obvious signs of likely track related factors are carried out based on an understanding of the detailed site measurements taken following the derailment and take appropriate account of the latest track evaluation car data available.