New Zealand DX Class Locomotive - Withdrawals

Withdrawals

As of 2013, only one DX class locomotive had been withdrawn from service. DX 2639 was involved in a crash south of the Parnell Tunnel near Newmarket station, at around 4:00pm on 23 March 1977. The locomotive was hauling a Wellington to Auckland express freight train when it crashed head-on into an Auckland to Helensville passenger train being hauled by DA 1426 that was on the wrong line. The cause was related to human error during a signalling failure. DX 2639 was subsequently written off and scrapped after less than a year in service.