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At a minor-moderate slip repair site north of Topuni, KiwiRail teams found a slab of grout in the grass at the side of the track. It appears to date from 1972 and has the names of members of a track crew inscribed on it. Grout was historically pumped into cracks under the tracks. Rail has been a part of New Zealand for more than 150 years. The area was cordoned off while crews worked around the area, and they have left the slab of grout in situ as a tribute to those who helped build the network.
KiwiRail plans to reopen its northern line between Auckland and Whangārei in July.
The line has been closed for more than a year after last year’s severe weather events caused damage to more than 200 sites along the network including overslips, slumps, washouts and underslips.
Northland Rail upgrade programme director Eric Hennephof says repairs are finished on about 80 percent of the minor to moderate damage sites.
“We’ve also completed repairs on about a quarter of the 36 major damage sites, with work on the rest well underway,” he says.
“We expect to complete the majority of the physical repair work in the next few months, and will then be able to focus on re-commissioning the track. Some tidy up work will continue around the tracks into July.”
Before heavy freight trains can run on the North Auckland Line, the track will be inspected and tested, and a detailed assessment made of track geometry, as well as bridges, signals and other infrastructure.
“Given the line has been closed for so long, and these checks have to be done along 180km of rail line, this process will take time. But it has to be done to ensure safety,” Hennephof says.
The massive Tahekeroa slip, south-west of Warkworth, where 35,000 cubic metres of earth fell close to 400 metres across the road and rail line, was completed in September. Two other large slips in the area were also remediated.
“We continue to engage with ecologists, erosion/sediment control specialists and the Department of Conservation, to ensure native flora and fauna is protected as we progress repairs.”
Meanwhile, the track north of Whangārei to Kauri has been upgraded to take heavier trains and changes to the Whangārei rail yard are almost finished. These have predominantly been track layout improvements, which will support carrying greater freight volumes, and drainage improvements to better manage flood risks at the yard.
