Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Local Govt | National News Video | Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Search

 

Marton-New Plymouth line re-opens

Marton-New Plymouth line re-opens

The Marton-New Plymouth Line re-opened today and freight services are up and running, KiwiRail says.

The company says that KiwiRail staff and contractors have worked continuously to carry out significant clean-up and repair work on the rail lines and infrastructure, following storm damage last month.

The most damage occurred in the lower North Island with the Wairarapa, North Island Main Trunk, Palmerston North to Gisborne, and Wanganui branch lines all being affected by flooding, slips and washouts from a storm on June 19. The day before, a storm caused damage to the Hokitika, Midland and Stillwater Lines on the West Coast of the South Island.

Most lines were restored within days but works continued on more significant damage on the Marton to New Plymouth Line between Wanganui and Whareroa until yesterday evening.

Multiple slips and washouts undermined the line. The work to remediate the track included building retaining walls to try to prevent any further subsidence, clearing debris, fixing signals, and replacing ballast which has been washed away from underneath the rail.

During repair work, KiwiRail worked with affected customers to move their freight by rail where possible, and by road where the rail lines were closed.

Group General Manager Network Services Todd Moyle says KiwiRail’s top priority was getting customers’ freight where it needed to be.

“To meet our customers’ freight needs KiwiRail used a combination of road and rail, or ‘road-bridging’ to transport freight between Palmerston North and New Plymouth. In some cases, where freight was too heavy for road, KiwiRail stored it at our yards until the lines re-opened.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“When we have disruptions we deal directly with the main customers affected and have regular daily conference calls to monitor the situation. As we get booking requests from customers, our team call them and offer solutions tailored to their requirements and using rail where possible to keep costs down.”

As lines were re-opened, freight was moved by rail, sometimes using more wagons on trains to clear the backlog of freight.

Mr Moyle says there will be ongoing monitoring as well as further work to the New Plymouth line over the next six to eight months to effect permanent repairs.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.