Executive summary
On Thursday 25 April 2002 at about 1242 hours, a near collision occurred between passenger express Train 700 TranzCoastal and an empty petrol tanker, at Vickerman Street level crossing, near Blenheim. As the train approached the level crossing, the locomotive engineer saw the tanker obstructing the crossing and immediately sounded the horn and applied the emergency brakes. The train stopped about 5 m short of the crossing, by which time the tanker had reversed clear.
There were no injuries.
The safety issue identified was the lack of adequate stacking distance for long road vehicles waiting to turn on to State Highway 1 after negotiating the level crossing.
No safety deficiencies in the rail system were identified.
Safety recommendations were made to Land Transport Safety Authority, Transit New Zealand and Marlborough District Council.
[The report repeats safety recommendation 064/96 conveyed in report 96-106. Other reports referring to stacking distance or similar include 97-110, 93-112, 93-105]
Related Recommendations
Liaise with Transit New Zealand, Tranz Rail Ltd and the appropriate local authorities to initiate a review to define all public level crossings where the stacking distance for long road vehicles is insufficient to ensure safe entry to or exit from the crossing, and to ensure that appropriate action is taken, consistent with the frequency of use and the potential consequences of collision. [Same safety recommendation originally made as SR 064/96 in report 96-106]
Liaise with Transit New Zealand to urgently review the use of Vickerman Street level crossing and take such steps as are necessary to prohibit the use of the level crossing by vehicles exceeding 9m in length.
Liaise with Marlborough District Council to urgently review the use of Vickerman Street level crossing and take such steps as are necessary to prohibit the use of the level crossing by vehicles exceeding 9m in length.