Friday has seen Londoners not able to travel on the Underground after Transport for London (TfL) workers represented by the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) staged a mass walk-out.
An investigation is under way into what caused the train to detach. Tuesday’s 5.46am service from Hamilton was cancelled, and the 6.25pm return services from Papakura will be replaced by buses. Waikato Regional Council chairman Russ Rimmington told
Stuff the train’s coupler, used to connect rolling stock, was “brand spanking new”. “This was a new coupler, not the one we tested during the two-month testing prior to the service starting.” Rimmington did not know why the carriages separated, as KiwiRail operate the locomotives and rail infrastructure, he said. The carriages themselves are originally British Rail Mark 2s from the 1970s, and cost about $600,000 each in refurbishment, he said.
25 brilliant train journeys to take in 2021
The tours have been planned, the locomotives stoked, the dining carriage prepared: our experts pick their top rail trips
The Jacobite Steam Train is famous from the Harry Potter films
Credit: Filippo Maria Bianchi/Getty
From jaunts across America to steam specials through Staffordshire, we offer our pick of great rail trips for 2021 .
UK and Ireland
Flying Scotsman and Tornado
With arguably the two most famous steam locomotives in the world running together on the national network for the first time – and along the Settle and Carlisle line, one of the most spectacular routes in the UK – this is surely mainline steam’s highlight for 2021. Four tours, all originating from different locations and running to Carlisle, are planned during October (20, 21, 27 and 28); passengers will get to ride behind Tornado one way and Flying Scotsman the other with the locos swapping at the border city.