A freight train came within about 250m of a passenger service after passing a stop signal in Auckland, a Transport Accident Investigation Commission report has found.
The report stated: "The train stopped in time, but in railway terms, only just."
The near-miss occurred in Westfield rail yards on February 1, 2025 when freight train service Train 170S was travelling between Wiri and the Port of Auckland.
At about 12.07pm, the freight train was travelling at 24km/h when it passed a stop signal, which had been set to stop to allow an oncoming passenger train to cross over onto the same track.
The locomotive engineer applied the emergency brake before reaching the signal but came to a halt about 50m beyond it — about 250m from the passenger service.
The passenger train cleared the section of track and continued without incident.
Chief investigator of accidents Louise Cook said the freight train had stopped in time but it was a very close call.
"This was close enough to matter. It’s the kind of event rail safety systems are designed to stop before it gets that far."
In its report, TAIC concluded several other factors had contributed to the incident.
The freight train crew were unfamiliar with the "complex" section of track, the locomotive engineer became distracted and recognised the need to stop too late, and there were limited trackside cues to help monitor the train’s approach to the signal.
The report also noted rail operations had been altered because of multiple worksites between Wiri and Westfield, requiring trains to travel in directions different from normal.
Cook said the near miss incident showed what could happen when multiple safety barriers failed at the same time.
"This isn’t about one mistake; it’s about what happens when several risk controls are weak at the same time," she said.
"Good rail safety depends on people and systems working together."
The commission also found KiwiRail had not sufficiently implemented "risk-triggered commentary driving", a practice where locomotive engineers verbally describe what they are seeing to help maintain situational awareness and identify risks earlier.
The commission said there were no dedicated trackside markers to help train crews judge their speed and distance when approaching the stop signal.
Following the incident, KiwiRail introduced a new route familiarity tool and a route knowledge standard for locomotive engineers.
The company accepted the recommendations to incorporate risk-triggered commentary driving into crew training and ensure it was being used.
It was also recommended that KiwiRail install additional trackside signage to help crews respond appropriately to signals and better monitor their speed and progress.
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