Railways blames driver for crash

Press, 30 October 1981, Page 3

Railways blames driver for crash

PA Wellington The Railways has blamed the driver of an express freight train for Wednesday evening's accident with a suburban passenger unit near Wellington. The Acting General Manager of Railways, Mr H. G. Purdy, said that the driver failed to control his train. The driver who was not named, has been removed from duty. The freight train crashed into the stationary passenger unit at Muri station between Pukerua Bay and Paekakariki, pushing it into another stationary unit.

Two passengers on the unit hit by the freight train suffered small cuts and bruises, and were treated at the station.

Mr Purdy said that the freight driver, moving his train towards Muri, had stopped at a signal controlling the section of track ahead and had waited the prescribed time in accordance with the display of the signal, which was working correctly. He said that the train moved on when the signal indicated it could, but the signal required the driver to maintain enough control to be able to stop before any obstruction ahead. "However, it is clear that the driver failed adequately to control his train . . . and was unable to stop in time to avoid a rear-end collision," said Mr Purdy. He said the driver was most experienced and respected and his error of judgment was out of character.

The freight train hit the six-car 5.49 p.m. unit to Pae-

kakariki which was' waiting at Muri behind the 5.27 p.m. unit to' Paekakafiki. Both these trains were delayed by a signal fault, apparently caused by a private contractor working in the area. The impact severely damaged the rear car of the 5.49 p.m. unit. The car was telescoped into the next car. Its floor w’as ripped, seats were flung about, and windows shattered. The back of the car was pushed out at the sides like a crushed can.

Only three passengers were in the badly damaged car but all were in centre seats and were only jolted. One passenger on the 5.27 p.m. unit said the train had been stationary for about five minutes before the accident.

"I heard the horn from the freight train getting ’ louder and closer.” said Trudy O'Neill, aged 17. "Then -there was a loud noise and a jolt and I was thrown forward.”

She said that all passengers seemed shaken and upset.

The driver of the train had accepted responsibility, said the secretary of the Locomotive Engineers’ Association,

Mr Richard Williams, yesterday. He said the engine driver had made a statement and “as I understand it he has accepted responsibility and the department will take it from there. “The driver was obeying all signals but another factor came into it and that was his control of the train.

"He was proceeding in accordance with the regulations and was braking, but he made an error of judgment in determining how long it would take to stop."