Train and car collide in Hamilton, three dead, two seriously injured

Three people died and two are in hospital after a car collided with a freight train in Hamilton, police say.

Police were called to the crash about 4.30am on Wednesday.

KiwiRail said a vehicle collided with one of its freight trains on Peachgrove Road.

Two people were taken to Waikato hospital in a serious condition, St John said.

Hamilton City Area Commander Inspector Andrea McBeth said police were working to establish what occurred.

"We will be speaking with the surviving occupants of the vehicle and those who witnessed the crash," she said.

Such incidents were "particularly hard" for everyone involved.

"I would like to acknowledge the actions by members of the public and emergency services who responded and managed what was a difficult scene.

"We will ensure there is support in place for those involved, their families and our staff who attended," she said.

Residents rush to help

A resident who lived on the road said she woke to a massive bang.

Her partner was one of the first people at the scene.

"He was just taking instructions from the first police officer on the scene. I think he pulled two people out of the vehicle and performed CPR on one," she said.

A local who lives near the crossing described what she heard in the night.

"So I heard, four am, just like an earthquake - BOOM! - then silence. That was it. Tragic."

A neighbour who has lived by the level crossing for 23 years said nothing like this has happened before.

Another woman who lived near the scene of the crash said she heard a long drawn-out sound early in the morning, but did not realise what it was.

The resident, who did not want to be named, said the crossing had barrier arms and bells and she could not understand how the crash happened.

She was unsure if the crossing bells sounded at night because of surrounding houses. The woman said the crossing and 50km/h road were usually safe, and she felt for the train driver.

"It's just really a terrible tragedy and really awful for the train driver."

What happened?

The train was travelling from Mt Maunganui to Hamilton.

KiwiRail said the level crossing where the train and car collided was protected with lights and barrier arms.

Manager of freight and rolling stock operations Paul Ashton said the train driver would be given leave, and all staff would be offered support and counselling.

The bells, lights and barrier arms at the level crossing were all working, he said.

The East Coast Main Trunk Line between Ruakura and Hamilton was briefly closed, and reopened shortly after 10am.

Rail and Maritime Transport Union general secretary Todd Valster said train drivers could do very little to avoid a collision at level crossings.

Unfortunately train drivers did experience cars ignoring the warnings and driving onto the rails, he said.

"The sad reality is that they put the emergency brake on and that's all they can do. Sound the whistle, put the emergency break on, and wait for the train to come to a stop."

Today's events were a tragedy and people would be trying to understand how this could have occurred, he said.

Earlier a section of Peachgrove Road was closed, commuter traffic backing up on Boundary Road, and motorists were advised to take an alternative route.

The Serious Crash Unit has finished its scene examination.

An adjecent Woolworths supermarket was briefly closed, but has since reopened.

A spokesperson said they were assisting police with the investigation and providing support to their team.

By 11am the road was reopened and trains running again.

The barrier arms have been damaged and warning signs were up.

'Always slow down '

Rail safety charity TrackSAFE said the accident was a "reminder to everyone of the risks at railway level crossings".

"Incidents like these leave lasting trauma," manager Megan Drayton said in a statement.

"Always slow down and be prepared to stop. If the bells and lights are operating, then motorists should always stop. If there are signs at a crossing, then always look both ways and let any train pass before crossing the tracks.

"Trains cannot swerve or stop suddenly if the driver sees someone on the tracks in front of them."