Two track workers in hi-rail vehicles narrowly avoided a head-on collision with a freight train upon exiting the Kaimai Tunnel, where they had been working without protection. A series of miscommunications meant they believed protection was in place, and train control did not know they were on the track in the tunnel. The Commission has made recommendations for KiwiRail to clarify ambiguous procedures, improve radio coverage in and around the tunnel and improve safety-critical communication.
The Commission has released an Interim Report as part of its ongoing investigation into the grounding of a commercial passenger vessel in Akaroa Harbour on 31 January 2026. The Interim Report presents facts that have been established so far. On completion of its inquiry, the Commission’s final report will present analysis, discuss safety issues and (if any) make recommendations for the sector to avoid similar accidents in the future.
A routine maintenance job on the fishing vessel Antarctic Discovery became a life-threatening emergency when decomposing fish offal was accidentally pumped into a machinery space, released toxic gas and put four workers in hospital.
Two signal system outages at Wellington stopped trains and disrupted commuter services. The same battery charger and power supply module failed on both occasions. Its power supply capacity undersized, design and project management standards not fully applied, alarm system did not draw attention to the fault.
A bridge collapse on KiwiRail's Main South Line has exposed weaknesses in how scour risk is identified, managed and responded to across the rail network.
TAIC is investigating an accident involving the derailment of a passenger train on the Johnsonville Line North of Wellington at about 7:20pm on 6 June 2026, resulting in significant damage to the train and injuries to people on board.
A freight train passed a stop signal in Auckland’s Westfield rail yards and stopped only about 250 metres behind a passenger train on the same track.
The Christchurch to Greymouth 'TranzAlpine' service stopped in a tunnel north of Springfield and was stranded for about an hour.
A new report by the Transport Accident Investigation Commission says the grounding of the Interislander ferry Aratere followed a steering system upgrade project that did not fully identify and manage the changes for the crew required to operate the new equipment.
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) has identified six safety issues and made five formal recommendations for safety-focused change following its investigation into the blackout and loss of propulsion on the Interislander ferry 'Kaitaki' in January 2023.
TAIC final report into runaway rake of wagons makes recommendations to address issues with: safety culture at Port Otago, shunt staff training, and remote control equipment. Safety-critical work depends on crews clearly stating what they are doing, and confirming when it’s done. In higher risk working environments any change in task should trigger a deliberate safety reset: reassess the risks, and apply the right controls.
TAIC is investigating a person overboard from a commercial New Zealand-flagged fishing vessel in the South Pacific Ocean