Otira derailment cuts TranzAlpine back to Arthur’s Pass until about Nov. 20

Otira derailment cuts TranzAlpine back to Arthur’s Pass until about Nov. 20 New Zealand’s accident investigators have opened an inquiry into a coal train derailment near Otira that has cut the TranzAlpine back to Arthur’s Pass until about Nov. 20. The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) said coal train 834, run by KiwiRail, was traveling toward Christchurch on the Midland Line at about 10 p.m. on Nov. 3 when at least one of its wagons left the rails. The train came to a halt inside the Otira Tunnel. No one was reported hurt. The commission said the train and the rail infrastructure had reportedly suffered extensive damage. How TAIC investigators will examine the Otira derailment Chief Investigator of Accidents Louise Cook said a team of investigators had been appointed and was already collecting evidence. “Our investigators would typically spend two to three days on site. Their first priority is to gather evidence while it is available.” The team will look in detail at the locomotive and rolling stock, along with the damaged infrastructure, collect data and maintenance records, and talk to the crew and other KiwiRail staff. Analysis goes on once investigators leave the site and covers both the derailment and any wider safety issues. TAIC inquiries are meant to draw out safety lessons for the transport sector, not to apportion blame or decide legal liability. TranzAlpine runs with a bus link to Greymouth KiwiRail’s Great Journeys New Zealand said the derailed coal wagon caused significant damage to the track the TranzAlpine uses. From Nov. 4 until an estimated Nov. 20, trains run only between Christchurch and Arthur’s Pass, and buses carry passengers between Arthur’s Pass and Greymouth. The operator called the end date an estimate that it will confirm as repairs progress. Until then, TranzAlpine trips between Arthur’s Pass and Greymouth cannot be booked. Passengers already booked for that period have three choices. They can travel with the bus connection and get a refund of NZ$65 per person in Scenic class or NZ$195 in Scenic Plus. Another option is a free move to a later TranzAlpine departure or, if seats are available, to a Coastal Pacific trip between Christchurch and Picton. Cancelling brings a full refund, minus any credit card charges. The 2001 derailment inside the Otira Tunnel The 8.5-kilometer Otira Tunnel, opened in 1923, completed the railway across the Southern Alps between Christchurch and Greymouth, and its length and steep gradient kept electric locomotives hauling trains through it until 1997. TAIC has investigated a derailment inside the tunnel before. On July 7, 2001, express freight train 842 derailed two axles of its leading locomotive at a failed rail joint that had been installed as a stopgap fix on a fractured rail, with no injuries. The safety issues the commission listed included rail wear monitoring in the tunnel, damp and contaminated ballast, and the track standard needed for loaded coal trains climbing the tunnel’s 1-in-33 grade.