Pedestrian killed at notorious crossing
A commuter train has killed a pedestrian at a notorious stretch of Upper Hutt rail line.
No details were immediately available about the victim, who died at the scene.
The incident happened about 9.21am yesterday at the end of Stream Grove, Heretaunga, where a pedestrian walkway links the short street to Terminus St on the southern side of the tracks.
Upper Hutt Mayor Wayne Guppy confirmed there were no barrier arms at the crossing though one had been installed on a nearby crossing – near the Silverstream station – following the death of a student there in 2003.
Cathy Turner’s son Michael was on his way to St Patrick’s College one morning in 2003 when in a moment of inattention he walked into the path of a southbound train.
It was the sixth accident – and second death – at the Upper Hutt crossing in 30 years.
Six months later, another boy suffered critical head injuries in a similar accident at the crossing.
‘‘When I turned off his life support, I promised to do everything I could to make sure no other child would die the same way,’’ Turner said.
In 2005, funding was granted and barrier arms were installed.
Guppy said incidents such as yesterday’s always led to soulsearching about what improvements could be made.
Metlink said services between Upper Hutt and Taita were not running yesterday afternoon and it had been unable to find bus replacements.
Trains were running between Wellington and Taita.
Metlink spokeswoman Emily Liddell said the train driver and four other staff had been stood down and were getting welfare counselling alongside 11 passengers on the Wellington to Upper Hutt service.
Liddell said it was a traumatic time for both the staff and passengers.
‘‘It’s a sensitive time and we would ask everyone to be safe around pedestrian crossings.’’
Metlink was assisting police in their investigation, she said.
Stream Grove joins up with Fergusson Dr, and is across the road from St Patrick’s College Silverstream.