Passengers’l2 Hour Wait After Accident

Northern Advocate, 8 September 1947, Page 4

Passengers’l2 Hour Wait After Accident

(Special) GREYMOUTH, This Day. Long delays to heavily-laden expresses on the Midland line were caused by the derailment of 12 trucks of a mixed train between Te Kinga and Rotomanu on Saturday morning. The many passengers on the Christchurch-Greymouth express had an unenviable experience, having to spend almost 12 hours in the alpine region.

The mishap occurred to the Grey-mouth-Otiria mixed passenger and goods train which left Greymouth at 7.40 a.m., the derailment occurring on a bend on the Te Kinga side cf Rotomanu.

The fourth of 17 coal-laden wagons left the line and 11 others were telescoped, four being smashed to pieces. About 100 tons of coal were strewn about. Fortunately, the only carriage did not leave the rails and the four passengers on the train were not hurt. The line was not cleared until 10.30 on Saturday night. The express from Christchurch conveying 456 passengers, many of them school children and teachers, did not reach Greymouth until 2.15 o’clock yesterday morning. The Greymouth-Christchurch express, with 336 passengers, was seven hours late in leaving Greymouth and did not reach Christchurch until 5.30 yesterday morning. The Greymouth-Christchurch railcar, which usually arrived at Christchurch at 10.30 p.m., was six hours late.