By JAMES GARDINER
Nearly a third of Tranz Rail's Dc locomotives have failed safety checks and will require repairs before engineers are prepared to operate them.
Tranz Rail, which three weeks ago expressed confidence that no problems would be found with the locomotives, said yesterday there were "maintenance concerns" with 19 of the 68 audited.
The Rail and Maritime Transport Union said the finding vindicated the stand it took when 482 engineers threatened a black ban of the entire Dc fleet if the audit was not carried out.
The union had been concerned for over a year at corrosion in the engine cabs.
It said the cab had come off one of the 50-year-old locomotives when it derailed north of Wanganui in November.
During last year's ministerial inquiry into Tranz Rail's safety, a driver told how he fell through the rusted floor of a Dc and cut his leg. Repairs to that engine cost close to $50,000, according to union general secretary Wayne Butson.
Mr Butson said yesterday the audit had gone well and the union was happy with Tranz Rail's response.
The union's representatives on the audit team would have been prepared to pass locomotives in three cases, but Tranz Rail representatives were not.
"It's not an industrial issue, it's a safety issue," Mr Butson said.
When the Weekend Herald revealed the problem last month, the drivers were threatening to set maximum speeds of 50km/h for all Dcs within a week, followed by a full ban a fortnight later.
Mr Butson said the union had not needed to follow through with those threats. But members were still not prepared to drive the Dcs faster than 80km/h and this would probably mean they were unsuitable for passenger services, because those trains normally ran up to 100km/h.
Dcs are also used to pull freight trains, usually coupled with another engine. Those that failed the audit and the engines that required cab maintenance or repair could still be used coupled with another engine.
Tranz Rail spokeswoman Sue Foley said repairs would be done as quickly as possible.
The company also had a plan to improve safety by making the trains more visible and audible with double sets of flashing lights and two horns instead of one.
After that it would begin a complete upgrade of all the Dcs including new cabs. This would take several years.
She would not reveal the cost but said it would be considerable.
"These things aren't cheap."
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