Anyone entering railway land must have the appropriate permission from ONTRACK or the relevant rail operator, generally KiwiRail or Veolia.
The public is permitted to enter railway stations and platforms and authorised areas such as yards, depots and leased land, by authorised routes.
Where the land or railway premises don’t have approved access you need permission from the appropriate authority before you can enter. If you need a permit, contact your local ONTRACK area office.
The purpose of the policies
The aim of these policies is to ensure the safety of people on railway land and the efficient operation of the railway.
Background
The Railways Act 2005 prohibits persons from entering:
- any railway infrastructure without the express permission of the appropriate licensed access provider
- any railway premises without the express or implied authority of the appropriate railway premises manager.
Your responsibilitiesBefore entering railway land you must have authority in the form of:
- the legal access rights given to emergency services and health and safety inspectors
- a Permit to Enter issued by ONTRACK - this applies to most casual entries, such as by surveyors, installers of utility services , and construction works immediately adjacent to a rail line.
Railway land leases
A lease on railway land permits the ‘occupation’ of the land. The lessee is required to fence off the rail corridor and needs an entry permit before they can enter rail land to erect a fence.
A lease will permit ‘as of right entry’ to a portion of rail land that is already fenced off. No entry permit is required to this land.
Permit to Enter A Permit to Enter is required before anyone can start working on rail sites or within five metres of rail infrastructure.
People found on rail land will be asked for their Permit to Enter. If you don’t have a permit you are trespassing and may be asked to leave.
Electrical Safety PermitsIn electrified rail areas with traction overhead wires, you might also need an Electrical Safety Permit. This applies to the Wellington metro area and the lines from Palmerston North to Hamilton.
An Electrical Safety Permit is required before you can commence working in or within four metres of an electrified area. You cannot work within four metres of electric traction systems unless you have received specific Electrification Awareness and are granted authorisation in the permit.
Freight terminals, yards, sidings and maintenance depotsKiwiRail is responsible for making safety and indemnity arrangements for third parties entering the terminal area. Contact the KiwiRail Linehaul Service Manager to find out more - (09) 488 6823.
If the facility is controlled by a rail operator other than KiwiRail, the Linehaul Service Manager will give you the right contact details. Or you can contact us on, freephone 0800 288 000.
You may also need a Permit to Enter from the local ONTRACK area office if any construction work is to be carried out on rail land next to rail tracks or other rail utility services.
Applications for access by utility services
Applications to cross railway land by utilities such as power telecommunications, water, and gas services, must be submitted well in advance of the proposed start date to:
The Grants Administrator
ONTRACK Corporate Property Office
PO Box 593 Wellington
Phone (04) 495 3000
The permits will specify:
- applicable conditions, including site induction, site rules, hazards
- any requirements to contact additional parties, such as KiwiRail.
There will be an administration fee and other fees depending on the services required, such as protection from trains for work teams.
Apply for an entry or electrical safety permitEntry and electrical safety permits are issued by ONTRACK’s area offices in Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Napier, Wellington, Christchurch, Greymouth and Dunedin. To get a permit contact your local area office .