Te Huia passenger service prohibition order lifted

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has lifted the prohibition notice issued to KiwiRail on 11 July preventing the Te Huia passenger rail service from entering the Auckland Metro area.

The service, run by KiwiRail, was prohibited from operating within the Auckland metro rail network following two Signal Passed at Danger (SPAD) incidents involving the service this year. The prohibition notice was issued under Section 28 of the Railways Act 2005.

Waka Kotahi, as the Rail Safety Regulator, has lifted the prohibition order following the implementation by KiwiRail of several risk mitigation controls to support the safe passage of Te Huia through the Auckland metro rail network.

The key risk mitigation controls being implemented by KiwiRail include:

• The Te Huia service will only operate in the Auckland metro rail network when the Electronic Train Protection (ETP) system on the service’s locomotives is activated and operating.
• The service’s locomotive engineers are undertaking additional training and are being provided with additional support to navigate the complexities of the Auckland metro rail network.

Waka Kotahi Director of Land Transport Neil Cook says the controls being implemented by KiwiRail have provided Waka Kotahi with the assurance needed for the notice to be lifted.

“We understand that the regulatory action taken earlier this month has caused disruption for people using this service. We don’t take decisions like this lightly, and prompt action was needed to ensure the ongoing safety of everyone using the Auckland Metro rail network.

“We are pleased that KiwiRail is taking the urgent action required to prevent further incidents, and have provided us with satisfactory evidence of the measures being taken to ensure that the safety risks have been adequately mitigated,” Mr Cook says.