Poisonous gases trigger alarms
Passengers on a morning Wairarapa Line train are being put on buses due to noxious gas in the Remutaka Tunnel but all other services and logging trains have been allowed to continue.
Operator Metlink told passengers on Wednesday afternoon that it had ‘‘identified a potential issue with the 6.47am train service from Masterton to Wellington that means passengers will be unable to travel on this service’’.
WorkSafe New Zealand said there were two incidents of elevated nitrogen dioxide levels in passenger trains that triggered the change in schedule.
The high levels of diesel fumes remaining in the tunnel were thought to be caused by still weather conditions and not enough time between trains.
Four passenger trains leave Masterton for Wellington every morning– at 5.46am, 6.20am, 6.47am and 10.30am respectively and all return to Wairarapa in the afternoon and evening.
Every day several log trains also travel to
Wellington’s port from an inland port at Waingawa, just south of Masterton.
Metlink general manager Scott Gallacher said the first alarm was on the 6.47am service on Monday which prompted the move to transporting passengers on buses for that service for the remainder of the week.
‘‘We are still working through the cause of the gas alarm triggering which we believe could be associated with the two previous passenger services that run before it and other variables such as weather and/or atmospheric conditions.’’
He said no-one had been harmed from the gas buildup.
Metlink planned to start precautionary testing from Monday to Friday next week which would involve closing off and monitoring the gas levels within the carriage closest to the locomotive on the 6.47am service. ‘‘So normal service will be resumed other than for the closed-off carriage.’’
Rail and Maritime Transport Union general secretary Wayne Butson said it was aware of the noxious gas issues in the tunnel and union officials were satisfied with the operator’s efforts to keep people safe. ‘‘I think we should always err on the side of safety and never jeopardise the workers or the passengers.’’