10/10/2008
NZPA
reported
:-
A train derailment has blocked
the main trunk line north of Levin this afternoon.
There were no injuries reported
and the line was expected to remain closed until tomorrow at the
earliest.
The train involved was a
northbound freight train, with eight wagons involved and no
hazardous goods, KiwiRail spokeswoman Sue Foley told
NZPA.
Inspector Michael Coleman, of
police central communications, said one wagon was on its side and
several others had come off the tracks.
Because of the location of the
train, the railway crossing on Cambridge Street near Liverpool
Street had been closed.
The derailment happened about
2.15pm.
At the time the Manawatu Standard reported as
follows:-
Train derails at Levin
The earth shook as a train lurched off the main
trunk line in Levin leaving a wake of twisted iron, shattered
sleepers and a very shaken driver.
The goods train had just passed the Levin railway
station when people near the track heard a rumbling sound like an
earthquake.
A "wobbly rumbly" noise filled the air as eight
front wagons came off the tracks, retired woman Pat Graham
said.
"It was an unusual sound like an earthquake gone
wrong.
"I'm the third house in Power Street and the
whole house shook and then a terrific bang."
An orange dust cloud loomed above her as she
hurried down the street to the tracks.
The Liverpool Street crossing was blocked from
just after 2pm yesterday and the earliest it would be cleared was
this afternoon.
Police and ambulance arrived at the scene and
cordoned off the area.
No one was injured.
Katy Bussey, 52, and a colleague from Vickers
Marketing at 18 Cambridge Street sprinted out their office door to
inspect the damage.
They were first at the scene and watched the
train come to a grinding halt.
"I was on the phone to a customer and I couldn't
hear anything, I had to hang up and Wendy was shouting the train's
come off the tracks.
"We walked through the carriages that came
apart."
The tracks were twisted and iron sleepers were in
splinters, Mrs Bussey said.
"Even if they lift those [wagons] off there's no
way they are going to get the trains through."
Barley bound for a brewery poured out of the
fifth wagon which had completely tipped on its side.
Mrs Bussey and her colleague consoled the male
driver.
"The driver was concerned about a car at the
crossing because he was tipping as he went past the intersection,"
Mrs Bussey said.
"He was just shaken up and went down to check the
people in the car . . . he was really good moving people away and
looking after the safety of the people."
Mrs Bussey has been concerned about the
maintenance and state of the tracks on that particular stretch of
the line.
"I complained about three years ago and they
didn't do anything about it."
Ontrack would not comment about the complaint and
they could not determine the cause of the derailment yet,
spokesperson Ruth Larsen said.
"At this stage the cause of the derailment is
something subject to investigation."
They are working closely with KiwiRail to clear
the tracks.
Note.
Researching the causes and outcomes of any investigation into the
derailment is left to individual cachers but inclusion of any
findings in your log would be welcome.