Objective: To improve rail safety and personal security
While rail remains the safest form of land transport, there can be no room for complacency. Recent reports3 into rail safety have made it clear that New Zealand's rail safety performance should be improved to international best practice standards.
Policies aimed at promoting a modal shift from road to rail may contribute to the overall transport goal of improving safety due to rail's comparatively better safety performance. Greater use of rail, however, may result in an increased number of rail-related accidents.
Land Transport New Zealand will have a continuing role as regulator, to ensure that operators fulfil their safety responsibilities through a process of oversight and monitoring.
Personal security includes concerns about crime and harassment in and around stations and on trains, and also vandalism and theft of cars from parking facilities at stations. Though reported crime statistics are low, concerns about crime and personal security can act as barriers to rail patronage.
Priority: Continue to improve the safety and personal security levels of the rail system
Safety
Rail-related accidents4 fall into three very different categories requiring very different responses: level crossing, trespass and route crime, and operational accidents. These accidents can involve rail employees, the travelling public, or trespassers. Table 1 shows that for the years 1998 to 2004, there have been on average 20 level crossing accidents resulting in death or injury, 24 accidents related to trespass and route crime, and 26 accidents relating to rail operations each year. These accidents resulted in a total of 155 deaths, 108 serious injuries, and 302 minor injuries over the eight-year period (the number of injuries is higher than the total number of accidents since an accident can have more than one person injured5).
Level crossing accidents
Twenty-nine percent of all injury accidents on New Zealand's railways between 1998 and 2004 were associated with level crossings. ONTRACK, Land Transport New Zealand, roadcontrolling authorities, train operators, private land-owners, the Police, and motor vehicle drivers all have a role to play in reducing level crossing accidents. These accidents may be reduced through such means as improving the general road environment, and providing preventive and protective solutions at level crossings. Road user compliance with the law is also critical.
Table 1: Total number of accidents on New Zealand's railways 1998 - 2004 by accident type
| Accident type | Fatal | Serious | Minor | Total | Annual average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level crossing | 55 | 30 | 53 | 138 | 20 |
| Route crime and trespass | 86 | 20 | 59 | 165 | 24 |
| Rail operations | 11 | 39 | 131 | 181 | 26 |
| Total | 152 | 89 | 243 | 484 |
Source: Ministry of Transport
Route crime and trespass accidents
Both route crime and trespass injury accidents are primarily caused by members of the public committing illegal acts such as being on the tracks without authorisation, throwing objects at trains, or placing objects on tracks that can derail trains. In many cases these acts are outside the direct control of rail operators. Suicide and substance-related impairment are thought to be significant factors in trespass accidents.
Thirty-four percent of injury accidents on New Zealand's railways between 1998 and 2004 were associated with route crime and trespass. Land Transport New Zealand (safety), ONTRACK, train operators, road-controlling authorities, the Police, the public, and station owners have a role in reducing such accidents - for example, through environmental design; by ensuring trains are conspicuous (by sounding horns and ensuring lights are clearly visible); managing safe pedestrian access over the tracks; making efforts to prevent access to tracks; and educating the public about safety and security issues associated with railways.
Route crime and trespass injury accidents can impinge on the personal security and safety of rail staff and passengers through the risk of injury from incidents of rock-throwing and other acts of route crime. Further, accidents and suicide attempts have an enormous psychological impact on locomotive drivers and others involved in such incidents, particularly where there is a fatality or serious injury.
Operational accidents
Thirty-seven percent of injury accidents on New Zealand's railways from 1998 to 2004 were associated with operational accidents such as shunting, collisions, and derailments, and rail passenger accidents. While rare, some types of operational accidents (eg head-on collisions) have the potential to be extremely serious. Land Transport New Zealand, ONTRACK, rail operators, and rail employees all have a role to play in reducing the number of accidents in this area and maintaining a rail safety culture.
Personal security
Good station and subway design, adequate lighting, cleanliness, attractive stations, and clean and well-maintained trains can contribute to both the perception and the reality of personal security. Enhanced security for cars in station car parks is also likely to encourage commuters to 'park and ride'.
Addressing personal security issues on trains and at stations is primarily the responsibility of station owners/managers and rail passenger operators, the Police, and the public.
Emergency management
It is important to ensure that key rail infrastructure, passengers, staff, and freight are not unreasonably at risk from accidents, whether due to rail system failures, spillage of hazardous goods, or natural disasters such as slips, flooding, or earthquakes. Appropriate risk management is needed to ensure that civil defence emergency management requirements are met.
Annually more than 200,000 tonnes of hazardous goods are moved by rail. A number of government agencies (including the Ministry of Health, the Police, Land Transport New Zealand, and the Department of Labour) have responsibilities in terms of minimising the risk to passengers, rail staff, and communities alongside rail corridors, and to other goods travelling with these products.
Rail-related terrorist incidents are possible. Minimising the risk of terrorist activity will require a co-ordinated national and international approach, and appropriate risk management by rail participants.
Objective: To maintain and develop access to rail passenger services
For a variety of reasons, including geography, population, and social factors, land-based passenger transport use is low in New Zealand. The widespread use of private cars and constraints on roading capacity have resulted in congestion in some cities, particularly during peak periods. This has environmental, social, health, and economic impacts.
Urban rail passenger transport
Urban passenger rail services operate in the Auckland and Wellington regions. Land Transport New Zealand, in partnership with the Wellington and Auckland Regional Councils, provides operating subsidies for these. There is interest in the development of urban rail networks in other regions (for example, Hamilton and Christchurch). Land Transport New Zealand could consider such services for funding where they are supported by a sound case and local commitment.
Long-distance passenger rail
Toll NZ operates some long-distance passenger services, primarily on scenic routes for the tourist and leisure markets. Some smaller operators run scheduled services and/or excursion trips on the national network. Long-distance rail passenger services are not subsidised.
Regional councils could contract and subsidise non-viable new or additional long-distance passenger services where such services are seen as essential to improving access in a regional area.
Heritage and tourist/leisure operators
Heritage operators contribute to goals that are wider than NZTS by restoring and maintaining locomotives and carriages from New Zealand's past in operating condition.
Priority: Encourage more use of urban rail passenger services as part of the public transport network
Greater use of passenger transport, including urban rail services (at present Auckland and Wellington only) can enhance access and mobility and help to reduce road congestion on busy corridors. A particular aim is to attract peak-hour car drivers onto rail. Removing a proportion of cars from congested traffic can have a disproportionately beneficial effect on congestion because of the non-linear nature of traffic flow.
Overall, public transport use is low in New Zealand: only 2.2% of trips are made by bus and around 0.25% made by rail.International experience has indicated that increasing rail patronage will require:
The Government influences development of urban rail passenger services by providing funding assistance through Land Transport New Zealand to regional councils, which have the primary responsibility for contracting and developing urban passenger services.
The relative cost of alternatives (for example, private cars or buses) is also important. Pricing policies, such as user fees and charges, including parking charges, can influence this. Travel demand management measures directed at car drivers are likely to be required. It is important to avoid simply shifting bus users or those who walk or cycle onto rail services, and to target rail patronage growth at private car users.
Any negative impacts that may arise from increasing the number and/or frequency of train services will also need to be identified and managed. This could include increased noise levels, and road congestion at level crossings.
The Human Rights Commission's Inquiry into Accessible Public Land Transport identifies issues with access to passenger services for the transport-impaired - those who have difficulty using, or who are unable to use, public transport services because of a disability. Improving access to urban rail passenger services for the transport-impaired will require an incremental, co-ordinated approach.
National Rail Strategy
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