Executive summary
On Saturday 26 August 2006, at 0907, the lead bogie on passenger Train 9328 derailed when it ran into landslide debris covering the track at 2.474 kilometres (km) on the Johnsonville Line between Wellington and Wadestown. Heavy rain had been falling in the area prior to the derailment.
There were no injuries and only minor damage to the train and track.
Safety issues identified included:
regolith nature of the steep terrain above the Johnsonville Line
train control role and responsibilities
routine and special track inspections on the Johnsonville Line
risk management of the Johnsonville Line during periods of heavy rainfall.
Four safety recommendations have been made to the Director of Land Transport New Zealand to deal with these issues.
Related Recommendations
The Commission considers that the lack of effective severe/adverse weather forecasting, and real-time monitoring of rainfall in the Johnsonville Line area, and other areas of track prone to closure during heavy rainfall events to be a safety issue and recommends the Director of Land Transport New Zealand addresses this safety issue.
The Commission considers it is a safety issue that the practice of conducting routine track inspections at night, and the lack of clear guidelines for the conduct of special track inspections of the Johnsonville Line is not in line with sound engineering practices. The Commission recommends the Director of Land Transport New Zealand addresses this safety issue.
The Commission considers that clearly defining procedures outlining responsibilities for monitoring, intervening or cancelling train operations during severe/adverse weather events is a safety issue and recommends the Director of Land Transport New Zealand addresses this safety issue.
The Commission considers that not having a weather proofing engineering review done of the Johnsonville Line is a safety issue and recommends the Director of Land Transport New Zealand addresses this safety issue.