Transport safety body investigates Rangitīkei train derailment

An investigation into the circumstances surrounding a train derailment in Rangitīkei on Monday night is underway. Photo / Bevan Conley

The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) is investigating how a train derailed near the Rangitīkei town of Hunterville on Monday night.

The train, which had been travelling in heavy rain, is believed to have derailed around 11.30pm.

Early indications suggested the derailment occurred after flooding damaged the track, the commission said.

According to KiwiRail, the incident caused 12 wagons to derail and a number of others to be overturned. A second locomotive travelling with the wagons remained on the track.

The locomotive had been travelling in heavy rain which caused flooding in parts of the Rangitīkei on Monday night. Photo / Bevan Conley

A TAIC spokesperson said investigators were now in a rush to gather as much evidence as possible before the flooding disappeared.

"The commission's investigators arrived at the accident site early on Tuesday afternoon and have commenced their initial work recording the accident scene and gathering evidence that could disappear or change – such as the effects of weather and flooding."

A protection order was put in place on the track from 2km of the crash site at either end. That order has since been partially lifted.

The commission said KiwiRail was actively assisting in "this complicated investigation".

"TAIC's evidence gathering is broad to support the many routes that an investigation could follow. Our investigators will be interviewing railway staff, inspecting the rail and rolling stock, and the operator's safety systems for managing hazards and mitigating the risks of flooding."