PASSENGER’S ACCOUNT

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 338, 20 January 1937, Page 4

PASSENGER’S ACCOUNT

RAILWAY COLLISION Details Of Last Night’s Accident. The following account is given by a member of the (staff of .the “Qerltral Press,” 'Who happened to be a passenger on the New rTymout'h express which was hit by la goods flrafn at Pianmufle, near Auckland, last (night. "It was a fortunate thing that no oue was standing ou the platforms between the carriages, whiah on three of the back carriages were crushed together. "A man was standing on the platform in front of the second last, carriage but he saw the goods train as it came round the bend and apparently realising that a collision was inevitable, jumped to the ground. Another fortunate feature was that at the time of the accident the guard was at the front of the train, talking to" the engine-driver. Had he been in his compartment in the mail-van he would certainly have been seriously injured and might have been killed, for the front of the van was stove id against the back of the last carriage. The back of the van,Although penetrated by the buffers ot the goods train engine, was comparatively undamaged. The luggage was considerably jumbled about but did not appear to have been greatly affected. Thrown from Seats. W I was sitting in the rear seat ot the Jast carriage and received) the full force of the shock, being thrown forward over two seats. The other passengers in the car were similarly jolted out of their seats, but no one showed any signs of having received any serious injury. One woman fainted. “Our carriage was one ot the allsteel type, similar to those used on the Main Trunk Limited, and apart from the damaged platform it was little affeqtcd by the crash. The only broken windows in the train were those on the mail van, which were shattered. No Panic. "Nearly all the passengers left the train immediately after the crash, but there was no panic or undue crowding at the doorways. Although the platforms were badly damaged there was no difficulty in getting through the doors and most ot the gates had opened. Many people seemed to have felt the shock and most of us were bewildered for a while, but by the time the confusion had been reduced to comparative order and we were crowded, into the two undamaged sleeping cars to be taken to Otahuhu, everybody seemed very calm. At Otahuhu there was a rush lor the telephone to Inform friends and relatives in Auckland. Long Wait 4 “There was a dreary period of waiting of some three hours while a new train was being brought out from Auckland and while the luggage and mail from the van were being sorted and brought up. The derailing of tru.cks in the goods-traln had twisted the line and the new train had to be brought, out over the old track runnning through Newmarket “When we arrived at Frankton we were surprised to see the Limited still in the station. Apparently ifc had further trouble there, necessu tatfng a long wait. The Minister ot Railways, Hon. D. G. Sullivan, was a passenger on this train. Three Hours Late. I ( •'On account of the long delay special arrangements were made for the Taumarunui passengers and the usual detour at Okahakura was not made. We arrived at Stratford at about 8.40, just three hours behind schedule.