You can contact LEARNZ, part of CORE Education, at:
Postal Address:
PO Box 13 678,
Christchurch 8141,
New Zealand
Trains are one of the safest ways to travel. To stay safe around trains you need to obey all signs and always give way to trains.
Trains are a safe way for people to travel in New Zealand and throughout the world. The railway is also a safe way to transport goods around the country.
Trains always have right of way over vehicles and pedestrians.
You can get a fine for not giving way to trains and other railway vehicles. If you do not follow warning signs and cross in front of a train, the train driver will record your details and pass them on to Police.
Trains can travel at any time of the day or night. Expect a train at any time and always check the railway line is clear of trains before crossing.
A freight train is heavy and can weigh up to a thousand tonnes.
Trains can travel up to 100kms an hour. It is difficult for people to judge the speed of trains. If you see a train coming, you should wait for it to pass, no matter how far away you think it is.
Because trains are heavy and fast, they cannot stop in a hurry. In fact, a freight train can take up to a kilometre to stop. A train sits on rails and cannot swerve to miss an object that may be on the tracks. Therefore, a motor vehicle must always give way to a train or other railway vehicle.
You may not hear an electric train coming so need to take care at rail crossings and train stations.
Trains can cause harm if people do not follow the warning signs and give way to trains.
When using any form of transport, it is important to consider others and show respect.
Ready for a quiz? Try the Safety Around Trains interactive activity.
Every August Kiwi Rail leads a national Rail Safety Week with TrackSAFE New Zealand to raise awareness about how to stay safe around railway tracks and trains. The New Zealand Transport Agency has developed some rail safety resources based on the New Zealand education curriculum.