Absent-minded woman ignores warning; escapes train accident in Auckland

Auckland: A woman narrowly escaped death or serious injury while crossing an Auckland railway line, as a train sped by just moments after she crossed.

According to a report in the New Zealand Herald, a video showed the woman crossing the line at the designated pedestrian crossing at Mt Eden station. However, she missed looking to her left, from where the train came. Many pedestrians, including her, crossed the rail track despite the warning bells and lights flashing.

Auckland Transport rail services manager Craig Inger was quoted as saying, “It's really important that you check both directions before crossing, a train can come from either direction.” He also said that people were required to be more careful at the crossing due to the high number of trains in Auckland.

He went on to say that the electric trains on Auckland's rail network are far quieter than the old diesel trains. This could be dangerous if people used their phones or earphones while crossing the track.

Over 100 people have lost their lives on railway tracks, tunnels and bridges in New Zealand said Megan Drayton from TrackSAFE. She added that people can be safe if they follow basic safety rules.