Two train accidents in Rangitīkei still under investigation

A freight train derailed south of Hunterville in December last year. Photo / Bevan Conley

Two train incidents in Rangitīkei last year remain under investigation.

The first, a collision between a truck and train, occurred on Saunders Rd, off State Highway 1, near Marton on the afternoon of May 13.

The truck caught fire after the collision, with Fire and Emergency New Zealand appliances called to extinguish the flames.

One person in the truck, 36-year-old Hanxin Zheng, was killed.

A Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) spokesperson said it was currently taking about 18 months for rail accident reports to get to the publication stage.

"A draft report on that incident is going to the commission in July. If everything goes according to plan it will be published before the end of this year."

In the second incident, a northbound freight train partially derailed on the North Island Main Trunk Line, just south of Hunterville, on December 13.

No one was injured.

At the time, KiwiRail executive general manager of operations Siva Sivapakkiam said it appeared the rail line had been washed out at a number of points.

The TAIC spokesperson said evidence collection had nearly been completed.

"The investigation team has entered the analysis phase.

"A report will be coming up to the commission in August or September. That would place publication of the final report in the early half of next year."

An inquiry is opened when the commission believes the circumstances of an accident or incident have - or are likely to have - significant implications for transport safety, or when the inquiry may allow the commission to make findings or recommendations to improve transport safety.