ACCIDENTS ON RAILWAYS
High Proportion In South Island
The greater incidence of railway accidents in the South Island than the North Island could not be readily explained, said a Railways Department witness in a Supreme Court case yesterday. Arnold Peter Burney, senior signalling and shunting instructor for the Railways Department in Wellington, was being crossexamined during a claim for £22,500 accident damages brought against the Attorney-General by a former head shunter at the Addington railway yards. Accident statistics from a Railways Department statement indicated that while probably about a third of railway business was done in the South Island, about two-thirds of railway accidents happened here, said Mr E. D. Blundell, counsel for plaintiff. Fore the year ended March 31, 1957, there was one death and 57 injuries in the North Island, and one death and 129 injuries in the South Island. For the year ended March 31, 1958. there were 53 injuries in the North Island, and 123 Injuries in the South Island.
Questioned by Mr Blundell, Burney said he could give no explanation for the much higher proportion of accidents in the South 'sland. “Those figures show that railway shunting is a pretty hazardous occupation” suggested Mr Blundell. Burney: It is.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19590702.2.189
Bibliographic details
Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28936, 2 July 1959, Page 18
Word Count
203ACCIDENTS ON RAILWAYS Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28936, 2 July 1959, Page 18
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.
Log in