Mother of 11-year-old train victim thanks community for support

The mother of 11-year-old Moareen Rameka who was struck and killed by a train in Ngaruawahia has thanked the community for their support. Photo / Givealittle

The mother of 11-year-old Moareen Rameka who was struck and killed by a train in Ngaruawahia has thanked the community for support after losing her "beautiful daughter".

Rameka's mother Juanita Lines took to Facebook to express her gratitude for the support she had received from the community of Ngaruawahia.

"We would like to thank you all, so much for all your beautiful comments and support for the great loss of our beautiful daughter, we are so blessed to be part of this community, we have a long road ahead of us, and our tears will flow all around our town where our beautiful girl had been.

"She has touched so many near and far, I'm so thankful and blessed to be part of our community, so god bless you all, and thanking you all," Lines said.

Moareen Rameka was playing with friends on the rail bridge on Great South Rd, not far from Old Taupiri Rd, when they heard and saw a train coming towards them.

However, Moareen wasn't able to get out of the train's way quickly enough and was hit.

One of her 11 siblings, Joanna Lines, set up a Givealittle page for the family.

"The family is in devastation as her death was such a shock to us all. I've created this page on behalf of my family and baby sister to help them with anything in need. Anything will be a blessing towards this tragedy," she wrote.

Lines said the money would go towards the cost of the funeral and transport expenses to get her back home.

Friends and family posted tributes to the "beautiful soul" on Facebook.

"I love you so much Moareen Rameka words can't describe how lost I am to hear this tonight. Never in my wildest dreams would I ever have expected him to need a beautiful soul like you so early in your life you will be with us always," one person wrote.

A cousin posted: "So sad to hear that it was you baby girl Moareen Queen ... still can't believe it was you that God planned to take. Last time I got to see your beautiful face and smile was when nan and papa brought you up here to Auckland and that was a few years ago."

It was the first death on the tracks at Ngaruawahia since 2002 when 9-year-old Jayden Nerihana Tepu died when he lost his footing on the bridge and was struck by a train.

Train drivers say it's a "constant nightmare" passing through the Waikato town, one of several trouble spots nationwide.

The Rail and Maritime Transport Union general secretary, Wayne Butson, said Moareen's death was an absolute tragedy.

"We've also got a locomotive engineer and a trainee who were sitting in the cab, who will be traumatised and certainly feeling the negative effects."

He says Ngaruawahia was of concern, along with several other locations throughout the country.

"The problem is ... is that when train drivers are driving trains near these spots, they get very very stressed, they start worrying and they always live with the constant nightmare that actually they may know the person being involved in this," he says.