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Wellington train derailment: No systemic safety issues found, network ‘really safe’

It is too early to say what caused a Wellington train to derail over the weekend, but commuters should feel reassured there was no systemic safety problem, an official says. About eight people were injured on Saturday night when a train on the Johnsonville Line train struck the barrier south of Khandallah Station. A set of concrete blocks were the only things stopping the train from careering down into neighbouring homes, it was earlier reported. Greater Wellington Regional Council deputy chairwoman Ros Connelly said all the safety systems in place had done exactly what was expected to prevent further damage. “The message for Wellington commuters is that the train and the whole network responded as we would have hoped,” Connelly told Nadine Higgins on Ryan Bridge TODAY. “The Johnsonville train, which was heading south on its way to Wellington, left the main track just south of Johnsonville and headed down a safety runaway line where it hit a concrete block and came to a halt. So both the safety line and the block and the way the train crumpled were all parts of the safety system. So they responded as we’d hope and kept commuters safe from further injury,” she said. “This is, I guess, cold comfort for those on the train,” she said, noting this was a “significant traumatic event for them”. “Undoubtedly it was really lucky that it happened reasonably late on a Saturday evening”, when less people were on board, and the council’s thoughts were with everyone who was on the train that night, particularly those who were injured, several of whom were taken to hospital with injuries ranging in severity. Connelly said those patients were reportedly stable now. “That’s at least some comfort this morning.” The rest of the train network was “really safe” and Connelly assured commuters there was not a systemic safety issue. It was “too early to say” what caused the crash. The train is still in place just south of the Khandallah station and won’t be able to fit down the tunnels to Wellington due to the damage, so must be pulled back the way it came and removed from the tracks with a crane. Greater Wellington Regional Council chairman Daran Ponter. Photo / Mark Mitchell This meant the Johnsonville line would be out of action for a couple of days, with trains replaced by buses. Acting Transport Minister Winston Peters said over the weekend that the incident was concerning, and offered his thoughts to those on board. “The network is designed with multiple layers of safety,” Peters wrote on X. “If a train passes a red signal at Khandallah, it is diverted to a runoff line to prevent any risk of collision with another train.” Greater Wellington chairman Daran Ponter earlier said the impact left four people hospitalised with serious injuries, including two train staff and two passengers. The crash, which residents described as sounding like a “massive boom”, prompted a major emergency response and suspension of train services on the line. The cause of the crash remains unknown and is now the subject of investigations by both KiwiRail and the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC). Ponter said investigators needed time to examine the train, signalling systems and other evidence before any conclusions could be drawn. “It is like a crime scene.” TAIC chief investigator of accidents Louise Cook said the investigation team has been collecting and preserving evidence. “That will probably continue for the next couple of days and then of course there’ll be interviews and analysis of documentary evidence as well.” She said investigators will be interviewing people involved, looking at the tracks and the signalling system, and examining the train’s log, which records its data.