Glenbrook Vintage Railway shocked and devastated by fatal train incident

A steam train operator’s staff and volunteers are shocked and devastated following the death of a person at a railway station in Waikato on Sunday night. Police confirmed one person had died at the scene. The incident occurred as the Glenbrook Vintage Railway service was operating, carrying hundreds of passengers on a vintage excursion.

Passenger Accounts and Emergency Response at Te Awamutu

A passenger aboard GVR’s Spiral Steam Spectacular told the Herald she heard people yelling “stop” seconds after the train left the station. The words “Stop stop stop” then came across the staff radio in her carriage and the train stopped moments later. A man on the train, who did not want to be named, said staff told them there’d been an accident. He said people on the platform were yelling that someone was trapped under the train.

A passenger told RNZ there were hundreds on board Sunday’s service, which was travelling from Glenbrook, east of Pukekohe, to National Park and back. We weren’t told what happened but looking at the trauma of the bystanders, the trauma of staff … something I’ll never forget, she said. Passengers praised train staff and emergency responders for keeping passengers hydrated and informed as much as possible while dealing with the unthinkable.

Operator Reaction and Community Support

Leadership at the railway expressed profound grief following the fatal accident. Our thoughts are first and foremost with the whānau and friends of the person who died. We are providing support to our staff and volunteers and remain in contact with our passengers who were onboard the train, Glenn Deed, chairperson of Glenbrook Vintage Railway Charitable Trust Board, said in a statement on Monday night.

Senior Sergeant John McCarthy said yesterday this is a tragic incident, and we are providing support to whānau and those who acted immediately to try to help.

Both police and the Glenbrook trust have encouraged any passengers or local community members who were at the station at the time to reach out to Victim Support on 0800 842 846 if they need it. Deed thanked the emergency services, staff who had cared for passengers, and the passengers themselves for their patience and support in extremely difficult circumstances.

Wider Heritage Rail Impact and Multiple Investigations

The South Island’s Mainland Rail service was also cancelled yesterday to give crew members time to process the tragedy. Steam Incorporated, which runs that service, said the heritage sector was a small and tight-knit community where everyone knows each other and last night’s tragic accident will be widely felt. The decision was made to give our crew the time and space they need to process what happened and support one another, it said.

Police and WorkSafe are both investigating, while the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) has also launched an inquiry. The commission said it would be looking for safety lessons rather than trying to assign blame or liability. A spokesperson for the Transport Accident Investigation Commission said it was notified of the accident on Sunday, and the incident has also been reported to the NZTA.

Police is investigating, and NZTA is gathering information about the incident to determine if a separate investigation will be undertaken by NZTA as the rail safety regulator, an NZTA spokesperson said.

Deed said that following a blessing and with assistance from KiwiRail, the empty train was returned to Auckland on Monday morning. Deed said the railway trust was cooperating fully with relevant agencies. While those investigations are under way, we are unable to comment further.