Napier to Wairoa rail line to become new highway? Katie Nimon says it should be considered

Napier MP Katie Nimon says the damaged Napier to Wairoa railway line should be considered for a new road to replace State Highway 2.

A question mark continues to hang over the future of that railway which has been closed indefinitely since Cyclone Gabrielle.

The February cyclone caused damage to more than 400 sites on that 115km train line.

It carried about one logging train a day while it was open, and KiwiRail says a decision will be made by the new Cabinet on whether to fund its reinstatement.

The Napier to Wairoa railway line goes through the flood-stricken Esk Valley. It is pictured almost 10 months on from the cyclone. Photo / Warren Buckland

KiwiRail will provide initial advice to the Government early next year to help with those decisions including any potential business case.

Large portions of the track run along a different corridor to SH2 Napier to Wairoa Rd, which was also badly damaged in the cyclone.

Nimon said she would be advocating for the rail corridor to be investigated for a new major road, as an alternative to SH2.

“I am going to be advocating on behalf of the constituents for that corridor to be investigated for a roading alternative.

“If it is the most appropriate corridor, I will be advocating for that to be used as a road.”

Nimon, who is new to Parliament and was previously the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council transport manager, said SH2 needed to be made more resilient, particularly between Tangoio and Tutira which includes the troubled Devil’s Elbow.

Portions of the track (in black) run through a different corridor than SH2. Photo / KiwiRail

“I feel very strongly that a resilient road is a priority for this region.

“I will be advocating for us to consider that as a roading corridor before we decide to reinstate it for rail.”

She added it could potentially support both road and rail, but a new road was her priority. She said the corridor had been flagged as a roading option previously in regional transport plans.

KiwiRail programme director Daniel Headifen said there were more than 400 damaged sites along the railway including washouts.

“Until funding is confirmed, we will only deliver safety-critical work.”

An out-of-action bridge which is part of the railway line near Eskdale, north of Napier. Photo / Warren Buckland

That safety-critical work includes making sure areas are safe next to roads.

Shortly after the cyclone, Headifen told Hawke’s Bay Today the damage to the line “looks a lot worse than it is” and he believed it was “definitely rebuildable”.

The Napier to Wairoa line was closed from 2012 to 2019 but was re-opened in 2019 following a $6.2 million investment.

The line is part of the wider Hawke’s Bay rail network. That network sees a train line run north from Woodville near Palmerston North (where it connects with other tracks) to Napier Port then all the way to Wairoa.

Katie Nimon says it should be considered for a new road. Photo / NZME

The track is back up and operating between Woodville and Napier Port.

Napier timber and pulp mill, Pan Pac, which is a big employer in Hawke’s Bay, does not use the Napier to Wairoa train line to transport its logs.

Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.