KEY POINTS:
An investigation has been launched after four Ontrack line maintenance workers narrowly missed being hit by a freight train in Southland yesterday.
The crew was carrying out sleeper repairs on the main line at McNab, on the outskirts of Gore, at 12.43pm when they saw the train bearing down on them.
They leapt clear as the train smashed into their maintenance vehicle, escaping without injury.
They later told the Southland Times they would probably be investing in a Lotto ticket after their lucky escape.
The first the maintenance crew knew of the train was when they heard its horn, one man said.
There were "caution" warning signs on both sides of the track about a kilometre and a half before the scene of the incident.
Ontrack is investigating why the train driver failed to stop the train before hitting the maintenance vehicles.
New Zealand Railways Corporation public affairs manager Kevin Ramshaw said there were operational procedures which governed the safety of people working on the tracks, but the main thing was no one was hurt in the incident.
Ontrack owns and manages New Zealand's rail network on behalf of the Government.
- NZPA
