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Story: Railway accidents

Picking up the pieces

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Picking up the pieces

When the driver of a southbound goods train fell asleep on 3 December 1966, his train crashed into a northbound goods train at Pōkākā, north of Ohakune on the North Island main trunk line. Carriages and goods were strewn for a considerable distance along the line, creating a huge task for those who had to clean up. Crew error is a significant cause of rail accidents.

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How to cite this page

Nancy Swarbrick, Railway accidents – Types of accidents, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/20594/picking-up-the-pieces (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, published 4 March 2010.