Executive summary
On Saturday, 14 March 1998, at about 1802 hours a displaced stack of platform containers on Train 235, a Westfield to Wellington express freight train, struck a through-truss bridge at Ngaruawahia. As a result of the collision the train parted, six wagons were derailed, and major damage to the bridge occurred when five wagons and various loads concertinaed.
The cause of the collision was the movement of inadequately restrained stacked platform containers. Safety issues identified were:
• the serviceability and uniformity of integral interlocking devices fitted to platform containers;
• the standards for transporting stacked platform containers internationally; and
• the understanding of and compliance with requirements for transporting stacked platform containers by rail.
Three safety recommendations were made to address these issues.
The Commission investigated this incident because of the potential for loads which have moved in transit to endanger other trains and third parties adjacent to the track.
Related Recommendations
[the LTSA, MSA and OSH] Bring the problem of substandard connections between stacked bases to the attention of safety agencies in other countries where is considered the use of dissimilar interlocking systems could result in similar substandard practices.
[the LTSA, MSA and OSH] Bring the problem of substandard connections between stacked bases to the attention of safety agencies in other countries where it is considered the use of dissimilar interlocking systems could result in similar substandard practices.
[the LTSA, MSA and OSH] Liaise as necessary to immediately bring to the attention of the relevant sectors of the New Zealand land and sea transport industry the need to be alert to sub-standard connection of stacks of bases and replace such connections with a system which complied with an appropriate standard.
[the LTSA, MSA and OSH] Liaise as necessary to immediately bring to the attention of the relevant sectors of the New Zealand land and sea transport industry the need to be alert to sub-standard connection of stacks of bases and replace such connections with a system which complies with an appropriate standard.
[the LTSA, MSA and OSH] Immediately bring the potential of substandard connections between stacked bases to the attention of appropriate Australian transport safety agencies.
[the LTSA, MSA and OSH] Immediately bring the potential problem of substandard connections between stacked bases to the attention of appropriate Australian transport safety agencies.
[the LTSA, MSA and OSH] Liaise as necessary to immediately bring to the attention of the relevant sectors of the New Zealand land and sea transport industry the need to be alert to sub-standard connection of stacks of bases and replace such connections with a system which complies with appropriate standard.
[the LTSA, MSA and OSH] Liaise as necessary to bring the problem of substandard connections between stacked bases to the attention of safety agencies in other countries where it is considered the use of dissimilar interlocking systems could result in similar substandard practices.
[the LTSA, MSA and OSH] Immediately bring the potential problem of substandard connections between stacked bases to the attention of appropriate Australian transport safety agencies.