Train 378, derailment, Te Maunga, 22 July 2000
Status
Closed
Occurrence Date
Report Publication Date
Jurisdiction
NZ
Legacy Inquiry Number
00-113
On Saturday 22 July 2000, at about 1927, express freight Train 378 derailed when it entered a crossover at the north end of Te Maunga while travelling too fast. The locomotive was severely damaged when it overturned following the derailment. The locomotive engineer suffered minor injuries. The train controller had incorrectly set a medium speed route to Mount Maunganui instead of the intended high speed route to Tauranga. The locomotive engineer did not react to the unexpected signal aspects displayed.
Safety issues identified included:
• non-adherence to basic train control techniques
• the distracting train control environment
• an emerging pattern of serious operating irregularities involving train controllers
• the potential for locomotive engineers to misinterpret unexpected medium speed signals.
Safety actions taken and recommendations made to the Land Transport Safety Authority and the operator address these issues.
Safety issues identified included:
• non-adherence to basic train control techniques
• the distracting train control environment
• an emerging pattern of serious operating irregularities involving train controllers
• the potential for locomotive engineers to misinterpret unexpected medium speed signals.
Safety actions taken and recommendations made to the Land Transport Safety Authority and the operator address these issues.
Location
Te Maunga (-37.683294,176.226359) [may be approximate]