KiwiRail chief operating officer Todd Moyle. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
The risk of a collision between trains at Wellington railway station remains high, an investigation report has revealed.
In November last year, a passenger train to Lower Hutt failed to stop at a red signal and headed towards a train coming from Waikanae.
Both train drivers realised what was happening and stopped the trains 30 metres apart.
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission said it identified safety concerns at the station three years ago and raised these with KiwiRail.
And yet there are still risks to passenger safety.
KiwiRail chief operating officer Todd Moyle says there are challenges to addressing safety concerns on Wellington's passenger train network
KiwiRail chief operating officer Todd Moyle told Morning Report there had been changes made in the past three years but there were challenges.
"We've updated signals, we've put LED lights, we've also put a number of train stops, but you've got an incredibly complex network where you've got three tracks going into nine stations and there's some elements that we aren't able to do just at the moment and that still causes some issues there."
He said there were short, medium and long-term plans to resolve them.
The tracks were too tight to put in train stops at some locations, he said, but it was unable to do it now.
The idea is to employ a metro system similar to Auckland's in Wellington.
Moyle said there was more funding now through the New Zealand Upgrade Programme announced earlier this year.
"We've got some funding to make geometry changes and to improve the safety in that Wellington throat which is a key risk area."