Hundreds stranded as train breaks down

DAVID ANDREWS

WALKING TO WORK: A shortage of buses meant many of the 400 passengers stranded when their train broke down in Wadestown had to walk along the train tracks.

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A Tranz Metro driver had to phone a passenger on another train stuck on the line ahead of him to find out what was happening.

Nat Hudson was among 400 passengers on a Johnsonville-line commuter train stranded for about an hour near Wadestown's Sar St yesterday after the train's emergency braking system unexpectedly locked up about 8.30am on the way into Wellington.

He told The Dominion Post he was surprised to get a call from the driver of a train behind his.

"The driver asked me what was happening because no one at train control had told him why he was delayed.

"He wanted to know what was going on, where we were, what the reason for the stoppage was, or anything else I could tell him.

"They obviously don't even tell their own people what is going on."

The driver on the stranded Ngaio Gorge train got Mr Hudson's phone number after Mr Hudson texted a friend on the other train.

The female friend, who was sitting near the driver, was "staggered" that information from train control was not passed on by radio to the driver.

It took about 30 minutes for staff on the Ngaio Gorge train to be told the brakes had locked up on the train ahead of them.

"After about 30 minutes we [the Ngaio Gorge train] were allowed to go back to Ngaio station," she said.

About 9am five buses began picking up passengers waiting at railway stations along the Johnsonville line.

But there were no buses waiting to ferry the 400 people on board the stranded train in Wadestown.

Most of them had to walk along the train tracks to Thorndon Quay.

Hutt Rd office worker Haley Malcolm said she saw a constant stream of people walking from the train until buses belatedly turned up about 10am to pick people up.

KiwiRail national passenger manager Ross Hayward apologised to passengers.

Tranz Metro spokesman Nigel Parry said it was investigating the latest problem on the Johnsonville line.

"It was an emergency-brake problem, which is not a quick fix."

As for communication problems, Mr Parry said train control could relay information only if there was information to relay.

"In the case of a disabled train, it sometimes takes a bit of time to ascertain what the problem is."

He also said that, on a busy morning, there was an inevitable delay in buses becoming available.

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Jamie   #4   04:13 pm Sep 06 2009

This system is decroded because privatisation bleed the tax payers money out. Expensive lesson?

Lewis   #3   08:22 pm Sep 05 2009

Tranzmetro is a joke, and its due to lack of business competition in NZ as usual.

Mike   #2   05:46 pm Sep 05 2009

The Wellington Trans metro service and company running it must be the worst in NZ for service to commuters, if they didn't have a monopoly they would have no passengers at all. The management running this company should be sacked and replaced by people who actually want to run an effective passenger service.

karl   #1   11:01 am Sep 05 2009

This service isnt good enought there should be strong back up plans for when accidents like this happen. however it is a accident really as this does seem to be a regular problem. how is 1 bus ment to take 400 people. simply not good enoug in my mind

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