KiwiRail in talks about funding for rail repair

This cyclone-damaged stretch of the rail line between Napier and Wairoa is at Tutira. Daniel Headifen, the KiwiRail Hawke’s Bay cyclone recovery programme director, says there is still a lot of “make safe” work to do on the line, which has been closed since Cyclone Gabrielle in February. Picture supplied

Work to reopen the cyclone-damaged rail line between Wairoa and Napier has yet to start with funding still to be sought, Kiwirail says.

Last week, the rail line reopened between Napier and Hastings but KiwiRail Hawke’s Bay cyclone recovery programme director Daniel Headifen said there was still quite a lot of “make safe” work to do on the line between Napier and Wairoa.

“We will continue to have crews out on the line reopening drainage channels, unblocking culverts, removing a large amount of wood debris from around bridges, removing damaged track, trimming and temporarily stabilising embankment failures to prevent them from getting worse and doing other work to stop the line deteriorating further.

“Repairs to reopen the line have not commenced. KiwiRail is talking to agencies regarding the process for accessing funding for repairs. Costs and time-frames for reopening the line are still being assessed.”

The rail line from Napier to Wairoa suffered extensive damage in Cyclone Gabrielle with more than 300 damage sites identified.

Following the cyclone in February, KiwiRail reopened the Palmerston North – Gisborne line to Hastings at the start of April. Temporary container terminal sites were also set up in partnership with Napier Port, transport operators and cargo customers so freight could be railed to Hastings, then trucked to Napier.

The section of line between Hastings and Napier, particularly around Awatoto, was badly damaged in the cyclone, with track and embankments washed away, and major damage to Bridge 217, which lost piers and spans in the floods.

The work included rebuilding two-metre-high embankments, replacing 800 sleepers, 140 metres of rail, laying 3000 cubic metres of formation (the rock foundation under the tracks) and 3,500 tonnes of ballast.

KiwiRail also railed steel casings to Hastings from Christchurch for replacement bridge piers on Bridge 217. These have been driven 30 metres into the riverbed.