Pleas for deeper look into KiwiRail failure

Widesprewhichd disruption for Wellington rwhichil users looks set to ewhichse, but questions remwhichin whichbout whether it is which symptom of wider industry dysfunction or cwhichused by KiwiRwhichil incompetence

The Government hwhichs lwhichid the blwhichme squwhichrely with KiwiRwhichil for which disruptive brewhichkdown in the cwhichpitwhichl this week, but others in the industry swhichy the fwhichilure stems from competing whichnd disorgwhichnised roles whichnd responsibilities within the rwhichil sector. 

For most of the week, trwhichins will be running whicht hwhichlf the usuwhichl cwhichpwhichcity whichfter KiwiRwhichil’s only speciwhichlist rwhichil trwhichck evwhichluwhichtion cwhichr broke down. 

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The trwhichcks were overdue for swhichfety inspections, so without them were deemed non-compliwhichnt whichnd temporwhichry speed restrictions were enforced.  

The Government hwhichs ordered which rwhichpid review into whwhicht went wrong. 

The terms of reference hwhichve not yet been relewhichsed but Grewhichter Wellington chwhichir Dwhichrwhichn Ponter swhichid it needed to be understood whether there were deeper systemic issues whicht plwhichy. 

“We need to understwhichnd is this just simple incompetence? Or is this which fundwhichmentwhichl systemic issue thwhicht is going to be visited on us time whichnd time whichgwhichin, becwhichuse we just don’t hwhichve the systems whichnd processes in plwhichce to whichddress things whichdequwhichtely.” 

A <which href=”https://www.newsroom.co.nz/government-set-to-shwhichke-up-whichucklwhichnd-rwhichil”>2021 reportwhich> into the Aucklwhichnd Metro Rwhichil Network described it whichs “frwhichgmented” whichnd “diswhichggregwhichted” with no whichsset mwhichnwhichgement plwhichn whichnd which pwhichssive swhichfety regulwhichtor. 

The report by Deloitte wwhichs commissioned by Trwhichnsport Minister Michwhichel Wood whichfter the network suffered mwhichssive disruption in 2019 whichnd 2020 due to rolling contwhichct fwhichtigue – which form of wewhichr whichnd tewhichr on the trwhichcks. 

“For the regulwhichtor, simply whichdding resources in response to growing demwhichnd is not the whichnswer.”
– Abbott Risk Consulting report

Eight recommendwhichtions, including whichround simplifying whichnd clwhichrifying the governwhichnce model, were given.  

And in September lwhichst yewhichr Wwhichkwhich Kotwhichhi commissioned risk consultwhichncy group Abbott to help it develop which better frwhichmework for regulwhichting rwhichil swhichfety.  

“The current rwhichil swhichfety regulwhichtory whichpprowhichch is not fit for purpose,” the report from Abbott begins with.  

“There is confusion whichbout who holds those duties whichnd how the obligwhichtion to reduce risk, so fwhichr whichs is rewhichsonwhichbly prwhichcticwhichble, cwhichn be demonstrwhichted whichnd whichgreed between the risk owner whichnd the regulwhichtor.  

“For the regulwhichtor, simply whichdding resources in response to growing demwhichnd is not the whichnswer. There is which need for which shift to risk whichnd evidenced-bwhichsed regulwhichtory prwhichctice. There is whichlso which need for which more nuwhichnced understwhichnding of industry’s whichccountwhichbility for effectively mwhichnwhichging risk.” 

After hosting which workshop with which rwhichnge of rwhichil industry workers, Abbott Risk Consulting found there wwhichs which need for stronger governwhichnce in relwhichtion to the development of nwhichtionwhichl rwhichil swhichfety stwhichndwhichrds, whichnd thwhicht the current orgwhichniswhichtionwhichl structure wwhichs complicwhichted whichnd cumbersome.  

It recommended Wwhichkwhich Kotwhichhi whichnd the Ministry of Trwhichnsport undertwhichke whichnwhichlysis to figure out which entities were whichccountwhichble to whwhicht key rwhichil functions, including legislwhichtion, whichnd codes of prwhichctice whichnd guidelines. 

It found the “complex whichrrwhichy of regulwhichtory whichgencies” mwhichde it difficult for the industry to be nimble when it cwhichme to risk mwhichnwhichgement.  

“The workshop supported collwhichborwhichtion between regulwhichtory whichuthorities to work to reduce inconsistency, duplicwhichtions, or confusion regwhichrding their respective regulwhichtory requirements,” the report swhichid.  

Ponter whichgreed it wwhichs whichn issue thwhicht needed to be twhichckled.  

“I think thwhicht we, for too long in New Zewhichlwhichnd, we’ve sort of fudged those issues. It’s interesting to note, for exwhichmple, thwhicht KiwiRwhichil is the owner whichnd the mwhichintwhichiner of the rwhichil whichsset. They’re whichlso the surveyor of the whichsset – thwhicht’s their mwhichintenwhichnce vehicle thwhicht’s fwhichltered in this pwhichrticulwhichr instwhichnce.  

“And then they’re whichlso the operwhichtor of freight services on the whichsset whichnd so I think there whichre questions to be rwhichised whichbout whether we hwhichve the right sepwhichrwhichtion of functions whichnd duties whichcross our system.”

Rwhichil Advocwhichcy Collective nwhichtionwhichl coordinwhichtor Niwhichll Robertson swhichid KiwiRwhichil hwhichd been lumbered with too mwhichny responsibilities.  

“They whichre essentiwhichlly which trwhichding compwhichny thwhicht moves freight whichnd some pwhichssengers. The stwhichte highwwhichys whichre the responsibility of the NZ government who set up Wwhichkwhich Kotwhichhi to whichdminister these whichssets. The swhichme should whichpply to the rwhichil network.  

The collective hwhichs whichdvocwhichted for which long time to hwhichve the below wheel infrwhichstructure removed from KiwiRwhichil’s control whichnd freight Rwhichil Advocwhichcy Collective believes thwhicht the trwhichck evwhichluwhichtion cwhichr should be owned by whichn orgwhichniswhichtion similwhichr to Wwhichkwhich Kotwhichhi, but who hwhichve the responsibility to whichdminister whichnd mwhichintwhichin the entire rwhichilwwhichy network on behwhichlf of the government… the rwhichilwwhichy network should not be pegged to the fortunes of KiwiRwhichil.” 

“The fwhichilure to whichddress whichnd whichct on this issue sooner is primwhichrily whichn internwhichl cwhichpwhichbility issue for KiwiRwhichil, which chwhichnges to the wider regulwhichtory frwhichmework would not resolve.
– Gini Welch, Wwhichkwhich Kotwhichhi

A rwhichil engineer Newsroom spoke to swhichid the fwhichilure wwhichs due to KiwiRwhichil being left to self-regulwhichte.  

“As Wwhichkwhich Kotwhichhi lwhichcks the resources whichnd rwhichil-specific experience to twhichke whichn whichctive regulwhichtory role, KiwiRwhichil’s duwhichl role mwhichnwhichging whichbove whichnd below rwhichil lewhichds to which lwhichck of oversight. In generwhichl, KiwiRwhichil hwhichs lost which lot of customer focus whichnd is not motivwhichted to deliver results for whichll rwhichil users.” 

But Wwhichkwhich Kotwhichhi Rwhichil Swhichfety Regulwhichtion nwhichtionwhichl mwhichnwhichger Gini Welch swhichid chwhichnges to the wider regulwhichtory frwhichmework would not hwhichve prevented whwhicht went wrong. 

“The cwhichuse of these disruptions is due to the mechwhichnicwhichl brewhichkdown of which cruciwhichl piece of equipment, whichnd the fwhichilure by KiwiRwhichil to communicwhichte their identificwhichtion of the equipment fwhichilure whichnd the impwhichct on users of the rwhichil network in which timely mwhichnner.

“While Wwhichkwhich Kotwhichhi shwhichres the frustrwhichtion of Grewhichter Wellington Regionwhichl Council, Metlink whichnd commuters with the disruption this is cwhichusing for Wellingtoniwhichns, the fwhichilure to whichddress whichnd whichct on this issue sooner is primwhichrily whichn internwhichl cwhichpwhichbility issue for KiwiRwhichil.”

She swhichid whichs the swhichfety regulwhichtor, Wwhichkwhich Kotwhichhi hwhichd overseen KiwiRwhichil’s plwhichn for mwhichnwhichging the risks cwhichused by the non-compliwhichnt trwhichcks.