RO-1993-124

On 6 December 1993 an express freight train operated by New Zealand Rail Limited derailed when it entered a crossover at the south end of Te Kauwhata while travelling too fast. The locomotive and all twelve wagons in the train were derailed, with substantial damage to all vehicles and the track. The Locomotive Engineer had encountered a signal he did not expect, interpreted it wrongly, and failed to slow the train for passage through the crossover. The safety issues identified in this report are the use of radio communication to advise Locomotive Engineers of infrequent or unusual train movements and the maintenance of locomotive event recorders.