26 Feb 2013

Call for upgrades after wheelchair caught on track

9:08 pm on 26 February 2013

Council politicians are calling for safety upgrades on the Auckland rail network after a disabled woman was dragged by a train when her wheelchair got caught on a train track.

Onlookers were not able to free the woman from her wheelchair before the train struck her at the Morningside level crossing on Sunday morning.

The woman was badly hurt and is being treated at Auckland Hospital.

Community Safety Forum chair George Wood said the incident should serve as a wake-up call for KiwiRail to pay for bridges or subways to be built at the 25 level crossings around the region to avoid any further incidents.

Disability strategic advisory group group chair Huhana Hickey said another four people had since come forward about getting their wheelchairs stuck on the same crossing.

KiwiRail said on Tuesday it has put asphalt in the gaps along the three sets of train tracks at the Morningside level crossing as a temporary fix and will permanently fix the tracks at the weekend after talking with lobby group CCF Disability Action.

KiwiRail is still checking all the pedestrian rail crossings in Auckland for gaps and safety issues.