Midland Line rail services resume this afternoon

KiwiRail media advisory

6 September 2010

Midland Line rail services resume this afternoon

The Midland railway line that connects Christchurch and the Port of Lyttelton to the West Coast reopened to rail freight traffic this afternoon following completion of track repairs, inspection of bridges and the successful running of a test train.

Trains will be subject to a 40 km/hr line speed restriction and a 25 km/hr restriction on bridges.

Freight trains carry coal, milk, milk products, ore and general cargo between the West Coast and Canterbury. Services were disrupted on Saturday morning by the earthquake which struck the Christchurch area.

TranzAlpine passenger services are scheduled to resume tomorrow (Tuesday 7 September).

All rail services in the Christchurch area are expected to be restored by tomorrow morning when repairs to railway track formation and the abutments of a bridge are competed near Kaiapoi. Over the past two days, freight has been off-loaded at Rangiora and moved into Christchurch by road.

From tomorrow, an extra freight train a day is to be added to the schedule of services operating from Auckland. Currently four services a 24-hour day originate from Auckland and one from Hawkes Bay.

An extra Interislander ferry sailing has been scheduled to cope with additional freight volumes.

TranzCoastal passenger services are expected to resume between Christchurch and Picton on Wednesday, (8 September) again with speed restrictions within the earthquake zone.

The Main South Line which runs south from Christchurch is already open although with a 40 km/hr line speed restriction and 25 km/hr restriction on bridges between Christchurch and Ashburton.

ENDS