Metlink trains between Wellington and Johnsonville cancelled after slip blocks track

Commuter trains between central Wellington and its northern suburbs have been cancelled after a slip came down on a section of the Johnsonville Line.

All Metlink services on the crucial trainline were replaced by bus services until further notice from 6am today.

KiwiRail’s Wellington Metro general manager Andy Lyon told the Herald the slip was found around 5.30am following days of heavy rain.

While the slip was not significant in scale, loose material at the top of its face would need to be addressed before the line is reopened.

“A geo-technical assessment is underway and a specialist abseiling crew is required to investigate and carry out work on the slip face,” Lyon said.

“Depending on the outcome of the assessments and work today, it’s likely the line will be reopened for tomorrow’s services.

A slip in the Wellington suburb of Wadestown has blocked a section of track on the Johnsonville Line. Photo / KiwiRail

“If we can reopen in time for this afternoon’s peak, we will.”

Metlink confirmed the disruption to services and thanked passengers for their understanding while a KiwiRail team cleared the slip and assessed the slope.

“At this stage we don’t know when Metlink train services will resume on the Johnsonville Line but are hopeful they can return for the evening peak,” a spokesperson said.

Replacement buses will stop at each train station’s designated bus stop until services are restored, with passengers advised to monitor Metlink’s website or app for further updates.

The slip comes days after Wellington was hit by a deadly weather system that dumped a record amount of rain over the region.

More than 70mm of rainfall in one hour was recorded in parts of Wellington on Monday morning, triggering severe flooding in streets and homes across several southern suburbs.

Train services on Metlink's Johnsonville Line have been replaced with buses until further notice. Photo / Ross Setford

One man in Brooklyn awoke to his bedroom wall imploding after the earthen bank his rental was built against collapsed into the home.

Earth Sciences New Zealand’s engineering geologist Kerry Leith told the Herald this week that the weather was very unusual, as the downpours were extremely localised and had concentrated impacts over a small area.

Although the storm had passed, Leith said the risk of slips remained high because of the sheer intensity of rainfall across the region and because slope stability in the surrounding hills had been significantly weakened.

He said infrastructure such as retaining walls and stormwater pipes may also have been damaged which, over time, could increase seepage into slopes and further destabilise the soil.

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