Express freight Train 720, track warrant overrun at Seddon, Main North Line, 12 May 2007
Status
Closed
Occurrence Date
Report Publication Date
Jurisdiction
NZ
Legacy Inquiry Number
07-108
On Saturday 12 May 2007, at 0400, northbound express freight Train 720 travelled past Seddon towards Vernon on the Main North Line without the authority of a track warrant issued from train control.
The locomotive engineer did not stop on the main line at Seddon as required and obtain a new track warrant to travel beyond Seddon. Southbound Train 723 was sitting on the loop when Train 720 passed through Seddon. There were no other conflicting movements and as a result there was no damage or injury.
Safety issues identified were:-
• management of fatigue in train operations
• detecting sleep disorders
• locomotive engineer vigilance systems
• crew resource management
• monitoring of rail vehicles on non-track-circuited sections of the controlled network.
Four safety recommendations have been made to the Chief Executive of the New Zealand Transport Agency to address theses issues.
The locomotive engineer did not stop on the main line at Seddon as required and obtain a new track warrant to travel beyond Seddon. Southbound Train 723 was sitting on the loop when Train 720 passed through Seddon. There were no other conflicting movements and as a result there was no damage or injury.
Safety issues identified were:-
• management of fatigue in train operations
• detecting sleep disorders
• locomotive engineer vigilance systems
• crew resource management
• monitoring of rail vehicles on non-track-circuited sections of the controlled network.
Four safety recommendations have been made to the Chief Executive of the New Zealand Transport Agency to address theses issues.
Location
Seddon, Main North Line (-41.681061,174.081432) [may be approximate]