Commuter woes continue in Wellington for second day

The trains should hopefully be able to resume normal timetables soon. Photo / File

Wellington trains are back on their regular timetables more than a day after a signal fault plunged the lines into disarray.

Significant disruptions to Wellington's rail services yesterday trickled into today, despite repairs to the signal system being completed overnight.

But as of 10am today the trains were able to resume regular services, a Greater Wellington Regional Council spokesman said.

The disruptions were caused by a signal fault at Wellington Junction early on Monday, leaving services cancelled or heavily reduced.

But KiwiRail's executive general manager of operations Paul Ashton today said specialist engineering staff had completed the necessary repairs overnight, and the signal system was working normally.

"This will allow for a return to normal timetabling but the scheduling of the resumption of services is a matter for Metlink," he said.

As of 7.30am today Metlink was still running a reduced timetable for services, which it warned would be continuing into the afternoon.

"Kāpiti and Hutt Valley Line services are now operating to a half-hourly timetable. All Porirua, Plimmerton and Taita services remain cancelled. A shuttle will be in operation for Melling to Petone. Please expect delays and use alternative transport where possible," Metlink said on its website.

Greater Wellington Regional Council spokesman Stephen Heath said at 10am normal timetabling had resumed. Passengers were advised to monitor Metlink's website and app for up to date information.

The painful commute packed a double whammy this morning after a crash near Tawa caused queues on the motorway.

The multi-vehicle crash happened southbound on State Highway 1 at Tawa about 6.30am, police said.

There were no significant injuries but traffic was disrupted, and police asked that motorists have patience.

As of 8.30am Waka Kotahi NZTA Wellington was advising the damaged vehicles had been removed and the road was now clear.

People could expect delays to continue, however, as queues stretched back to the Parumoana St on-ramp.

Yesterday Greater Wellington Regional Council chairman Daran Ponter said people were "literally jammed in like sardines on some trains".

Ponter said KiwiRail has flown in an expert from Auckland this afternoon who would work through the night to try to isolate the problem.

Eight railway tracks merge into two at the junction as trains approach and leave loading platforms.

Today, Ponter apologised to commuters and reminded them if the government did not commit to buying more trains then similar problems would be seen in six or seven years, with crowded trains leaving people at the platform.

He said the signal fault and its repercussions were "a bit of a dire situation".

"It takes us a while to reposition the trains into the right places," he said.

"I don't have much hair already but you sort of start to lose what hair you've got in these situations."

He said there was only one choke point in Wellington for the trains and the signal fault had affected it.