The train driver in this instance had several weeks earlier received a radio call about a divergent path to bypass a disabled passenger train at Otahuhu. However, on this occasion he did not receive a similar radio call warning him that his train was not going to follow the usual path.
The circumstances of this latest accident provide further evidence that additional advice to train drivers about conditions that are likely to affect their trains can help to prevent accidents.
Currently the KiwiRail policy on the issue is unclear, which can lead to uncertainty among train drivers and, as in this case, false expectations among drivers, causing them to not pay full attention to the trackside signals to which they should be driving.
The Commission recommends that the Chief Executive of KiwiRail provide clear guidelines to train controllers on the practice of providing additional advice to train drivers on route setting or any other unusual factors that are likely to affect the progress of or the manner in which they drive their trains.