Notwithstanding the fault in the mimic screen, the signallers had a surprising lack of familiarity with the physical layout of the yard they were controlling, particularly as one of the signallers had some 13 years’ experience in the Wellington signal box. The fact that no-one was aware that the mimic screen was not representative of the actual yard layout is an issue.
On 23 May 2018 the Commission recommended that the Chief Executive of KiwiRail review KiwiRail’s system for training and ongoing performance monitoring for signal box operators to ensure that they are fully familiar with the capabilities of the equipment and the layout of the yards they are controlling.
