Kiwirail has reassured it is committed to the reopening of the Napier-Wairoa line without significant delay following a washout north of Raupunga.
Chief operations officer Henare Clarke says that while it is still assessing the washout, which has left about 45 metres of track and sleepers suspended in mid-air, any potential delay to the reopening scheduled for later this year "is not expected to be significant".
"The Napier-Wairoa rebuild is an important project for the region, and we have been making good progress," he said.
"Geotechnical experts are currently carrying out a thorough assessment of the site to ensure we arrive at the best solution," he said.
"A decision will be made when we have all the information we need. While this is a fairly large slip, KiwiRail is experienced in dealing with events of this nature."
