Washout puts Gisborne/Napier line in jeopardy - Rail and Maritime ...

The Transport Worker June 2012
12
neWs
end of the line?
MAJOR storm damage to the
Gisborne-Napier railway line
could spell the end of this track,
which was already facing an uncertain
future.
A storm in March caused three big
washouts – one of which measured about
100 metres and another about 40 metres –
along a three-kilometre stretch of the line
between Gisborne and Wairoa.
KiwiRail estimates repairs would take
five months and cost between $3.3 and
$4.3 million. It has not committed to doing
the work and is looking at the longer term
viability of the line.
Meanwhile, Gisborne residents turned
out in force in April, demanding that
KiwiRail repair their railway line.
Mayor Meng Foon estimated “at least
2000” people took part in a march through
the city in a bid to save the region’s rail link.
The message from the march was “fix
our rail” and was directed at KiwiRail and
the Government, Foon said.
The washout has left sections of track
dangling in the air.
Foon said Gisborne’s business community,
in particular, was worried by the prospect
the line could be closed permanently.
As fuel prices rose, rail had become
increasingly viable with businesses increasing
the goods they were freighting from five
wagon loads a week to sixty.
KiwiRail chief executive Jim Quinn said
the section of track through the Wharerata
Range just south of Beach loop was hardest
hit, and staff were “assessing reinstatement
options”.
He said parts of the line were so difficult
to reach it took KiwiRail teams two
days to access it.
“At this stage we are continuing to focus
on gathering the facts which will form
the basis for a decision to be made on how
best to proceed,” said Quinn. “However,
from what can plainly be seen, the damage
is extensive and any repairs would take
considerable time to complete.”
The future of the line has been in question
for some time. KiwiRail said last year
that it would make a decision on its future
later this year, with mothballing or closure
possible options.
Quinn said he did not know how long
the line would be out of action and he
would not comment on whether the damage
would have any bearing on its future.
The line usually has one or two train
services a week. This was increased to three
a week in January. The line runs at a loss
of about $2.4 million a year, but hopes
were raised late last year when Gisborne
transport company Weatherall Transport
became KiwiRail’s “retail provider” and put
additional business on rail.
KiwiRail were apparently unmoved by
the protest with chief executive Jim Quinn
saying “nothing” had changed. ‘’We want to
make sure the facts are clear and a decision
can then be made.’’
He said the cost of fixing the three
washouts, which could take up to five
months and was estimated to cost between
$3.3-$4.3 million.
But it also had to look at the cost of further
upgrade work replacement of sleepers
and bridges in the next 10 years, and decide
whether the investment was justified commercially.