Emergency services responded to the incident at Parnell railway station after two workers suffer electric shock
Two workers suffered a serious electric shock at the Parnell railway station in Auckland overnight, putting them in hospital.
Britomart train station is closed and trains across the city are delayed this morning after what Auckland Transport is calling an “emergency services incident”.
KiwiRail has opened an investigation into the “isolated incident” and says the disruptions will last until midday.
It appeared the pair had been in a cage working on overhead lines before the incident occurred. Photo / Hayden Woodward
Emergency services responded to the “workplace accident” near Heather St in Parnell at 1.22am, police said.
“It was reported two workers had been electrocuted on site.”
Two people had been hurt and both remained in a serious condition in Middlemore Hospital and Auckland City Hospital.
Hato Hone St John said it sent two ambulances and one rapid response vehicle. Crews assessed two people at the scene, with one taken to Middlemore Hospital in a critical condition and the second to Auckland City Hospital in a serious condition.
Police at the scene told 1News that one of the victims was found “with significant burns to his body, another one not so bad”.
‘Maintenance vehicle touched overhead power lines’
KiwiRail says the two workers were hurt when the maintenance vehicle they were in came into contact with the overhead powerlines.
The power had been isolated in a section of the rail network so overhead power systems could be inspected as part of “routine maintenance”, KiwiRail’s general manager for metros, Jon Knight, said.
A Herald photographer said it appeared the pair had been working from a cage on overhead lines before the incident occurred.
Multiple detectives were at the scene, he said. Police staff had called in a specialist lighting and power support unit from Fire and Emergency to assist with scene lighting so detectives could take photos.
WorkSafe confirmed it had been notified and was investigating the incident.
The rail workers were in a maintenance vehicle which came in contact with overhead power lines, KiwiRail says. Photo / Hayden Woodward
Major delays for trains across Auckland
Rail commuters are dealing with long delays following the incident.
KiwiRail says the maintenance vehicle involved is still on the rail line and power cannot be restored between Newmarket and Britomart, including Britomart station.
KiwiRail’s Jon Knight said it was anticipated the vehicle could be removed and the line fully reopened around midday, “well ahead of afternoon peak”.
“KiwiRail regrets the inconvenience to the public, but we need to ensure people and the network are safe.”
Meanwhile Auckland Transport has warned of major disruptions for commuters.
Commuters queue for replacement rail buses at Newmarket amid delays across Auckland's rail network. Photo / Lane Nichols
Western line trains are running between Swanson and Newmarket, Southern line trains between Papakura and Newmarket, and the Eastern line between Manukau and Ōtāhuhu, all on a 20-minute frequency.
Britomart station is closed, with four rail buses to run between Newmarket and Britomart after 7am. One rail bus will also run between Ōtāhuhu and Britomart from 8am-10am.
The Onehunga line has been suspended, with Route 74 buses picking up passengers from Te Papapa and Penrose rail stations.
Auckland Transport thanked commuters for their patience and advised them to check its app for updates.
ALERT: Waitemata (Britomart) train station is currently closed. Delays and cancellations on Western, Southern, Eastern train lines & Onehunga line is suspended due to overnight emergency services incident. Check Live Departures https://t.co/jZQNWGRhW8 for up-to-date information. pic.twitter.com/MKVHv42Fga
— Auckland Transport Travel Alerts (@AT_TravelAlerts) September 3, 2024