RO-1999-107

On Monday, 10 May 1999, at approximately 1825 hours, Train 211, a southbound express freight, pulled out of the Auckland Freight Centre and stopped to have a defective tail end monitor replaced. While it was stopped, a DSG shunt locomotive that was operating on a converging road ran into the rear of the train. The remote control operator who was operating the shunt from the rear refuge of the locomotive was thrown off by the impact. Safety issues identified included the suitability of the procedures, and compliance monitoring in place to ensure safe operation of remote control locomotives, and the suitability of procedures to control conflicting movements in the Auckland Freight Centre. Three safety recommendations were made to the operator.