| Rakaia railway accident | |
|---|---|
 Carriage damaged in the collision | |
| Details | |
| Date | 11 March 1899 |
| Location | Rakaia, South Island |
| Coordinates | 43°45′23″S 172°01′16″E / 43.7563°S 172.0212°E |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Line | Main South Line |
| Operator | New Zealand Railways Department |
| Incident type | Collision |
| Cause | Excessive speed Inadequate brakes and signals |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 2 |
| Deaths | 4 |
The Rakaia railway accident at Rakaia, Canterbury, New Zealand on the evening of Saturday, 11 March 1899 occurred when the second of two excursion trains returning from Ashburton to Christchurch ran into the rear of the first at the Rakaia Railway Station, killing four passengers. While due to excessive speed, the accident resulted in overdue improvements by New Zealand Railways to signalling and braking.