TRAIN DERAILED

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24676, 31 August 1943, Page 2

TRAIN DERAILED

NORTH LINE BLOCKED DELAY TO EXPRESSES I > A S S EN GERS THANSFERREI) Services on the main north railway were interrupted yesterday by the derailment in the morning of part of a southward-bound passenger train between Ahuroa and Tahekaroa, which i.s 14 miles north of Helensville. The train left Whangarei at '>,2o a.m. and the accident, which is believed to have been caused by a broken rail, occurred at 9.15. The two back carriages and the guard's van of the five-carriage train left the rails, but they did not overturn. Nobody was injured and the passengers, who numbered about 80, were brought to Auckland in the front portion of the train. A breakdown gang was quickly on the scene, but it was necessary to tranship passengers on the two expresses running between Auckland and Opua, and also on subsequent passenger trains. Fourteen Army trucks, undo the command ol Lieutenant-Colonel W. C. H. Stevens, and manned by members of the Rodney Home Guard, women of the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps and the Wellsford unit of the Women's War Service Auxiliary, who worked during heavy rain, were used for this purpose. There were 410 passengers on the north-bound express and 380 on the other. Passengers who left Opua at nine o'clock yesterday morning did not reach Auckland until 9.50 last night, over four hours late. Passengers who left Auckland for Opua on the 8.40 a.in express wore expected to arrive there at. midnight, .seven hours late. The first station where refreshments were available for those travelling south was Helensville and refreshments could be obtained by the others at Maungaturoto. The 40-ton crane was sent to the scene of the accident. It is expected that the line will be cleared in the early hours of this morning.