RESULT OF INQUIRY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 157, 5 July 1934, Page 6

RESULT OF INQUIRY

SOCKBURN TRAIN SMASH HUMAN FACTOR BLAMED' ( Per Press Association. ). CHRISTCHURCH, July 2. In a statement released to-night, Mr H. H. Sterling, chairman of the Railways Board, announced the result oi the enquiry into the train smash at Sockburn on the night of June 2, when the Little River train overtook a stationary express from Invercargill and telescoped the back van, and causec considerable damage. The report places the blame for the accident on the hu man factor. Mr. Sterling said that ar unusual conjunction of events led up tc the accident. The express had made ar unusual stop on the main line owing tc a defect in the engine. This shoulc not have given rise to any untowarc event. Next, one of the automatic sig nals failed to show its distinctive light This also should not have caused any accident because the signal iiumedi ately preceding it was in a caution posi tion, indicating to the driver of the Little River train that a section of the line occupied by the express was oc cupied, and because the rule was de finite that where there was no signal showing, the position must be taken a: one of danger. Visibility was bad am drizzling rain obscured the view of the tail lights on the express from the driver of the Little River train. Everyone of those points should havi been covered and guarded against hac it not been for the unfortunate failure in the human factor. Suitable discip linary action was being taken particu larly from the point of view of remov ing the possibility of a similar hap penin g.