No damage to train tracks after drilling rig crash in Te Puke

FILE

Train tracks in Te Puke have escaped damage during a drilling rig crash.

A truck carrying a drilling rig came off the road and crashed on its side, covering railway lines in Te Puke at 1.37pm yesterday.

The vehicle was travelling on the State Highway 2 side of the Te Puke Highway when it came off the road.

Police said they did not know what caused the vehicle to leave the road. There was no train involved.

The accident forced the closure of the East Coast Main Trunk line east of Mount Maunganui.

Today, a KiwiRail spokesperson said the site was cleared and the line reopened just after 5pm yesterday.

"There was no damage to the track," they said.

"Two train services were scheduled to run during the time that track was closed, with the freight transferred to later services last night."