Easter Rail Smash

The pleasant thoughts of Gisborne-bound Easter holiday-makers were rudely shattered shortly before midnight on Thursday March 23, when the railcar in which they were travelling was struck head-on by a south bound freight train.

The driver and guard of the railcar escaped with their lives by leaping for safety seconds before the locomotive struck.

Seeing the freight train coming at them the driver stopped the railcar but had no time to warn the passengers.

Sixteen people were taken to the Wairoa hospital but six were discharged after treatment.

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Location Of Crash

This view, taken through a telephoto lens and looking south over Lake Whakaki, show the scene of the crash some nine miles north of Wairoa.

Proximity to the road facilitated quick transport of the injured to the Wairoa hospital.

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Seats were forced forward, sideways and backward

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The front of the damaged locomotive

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Of the 48 wagons on the freight, eighteen were derailed while driving the railcar back about 60 feet.

Just on 100 feet of track was replaced by railway gangs who were called out from both Gisborne and Wairoa.

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Lifting a new length of rail on to the new sleepers.

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The seriousness of the situation is reflected in the faces of four of the men who were on the replacement job.

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Loading down the final replacement rail.