First train to Kaikoura since the November 2016 earthquake

[Mayner]

Marlborough Express article on 1st works train to reach Kaikoura since the 2016 earthquake. The train was 1km long! The repairs involved the demolition and re-building of a number of reinforced concrete bridges and viaducts with temporary steel structures.

 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/93513630/first-train-since-the-earthquake-made-its-way-into-kaikoura-today

 

 

Some drone fottage of the damage, the stranded train and locos were recently removed by road.

 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/90984405/kiwirail-train-left-in-limbo-by-earthquake-shifted-for-track-repairs

[Noel]

Stunning video clip of the damage. It shows just how strong welded rail can be as the land slide pulled the track intact off the ballast and tight like a piece of string across the valley floor. Brave flying the drone into the tunnel potentially out of RF range.

[Mayner]

A significant milestone in reinstating the Main Line North between Christchurch and the Picton ferry terminal leaving 10km to reinstate

 

First train across the Clarence River Bridge since last Novembers Quake https://www.facebook.com/pg/KiwiRailNewZealand/posts/?ref=page_internal

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFEBag6XkUw

[jhb171achill]

That is a work on an absolutely amazing scale.

 

How often gave things of that magnitude happened in the past?

[Mayner]

That is a work on an absolutely amazing scale.

 

How often gave things of that magnitude happened in the past?

 

Quite regularly being on the joint between the Australian & Pacific tectonic plates. Our engineers are fairly adept at re-building roads and railways after earthquake damage and wash outs following Cyclones.

 

Like California several of our major cities including the capital Wellington are on fault line, Auckland is built on a volcanic plain the 1931 Napier earthquake has been the worst in terms of loss of life, Christchurch was somewhat unexpected as there were no obvious fault lines in the area.

 

One of the disappointing things has been the poor performance of so called earthquake proof buildings in Christchurch and Wellington following recent earthquakes

 

Apart from knocking out SH1 and the railway, the earthquake also knocked out Wellington container port, this has resulted in the diversion of Auckland-Christchurch (645 miles rail + 4hr train ferry) to coastal shipping and an even bigger hole in Kiwirails bottom line.

 

Like CIE in the early 60s Kiwirail is expected to stand on its own two feet without financial support after a once off Government investment of $1B in a Turn Round Plan, the railway efforts to break even continue to be frustrated by natural disasters (washouts-earthquakes-fires) and falling prices for commodities like coking coal and milk powder that make up a high proportion of rail traffic.

 

The Government decision to repair the Main-Line North may reflect a change in Government policy compared to recent years where a number of lines were mothballed following de-railment damage or washouts.

[Mayner]

Good news Kiwirail expects to re-open the line for through freight services "within weeks" approx 4 Months ahead of schedule with two overnight freights between Picton & Wellington 50% of the normal scheduled service. Its planned to run at night to avoid conflict with the earthquake recovery work, railway also expects to carry construction material for the re-build

 

 

ttps://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/national/95374850/South-Island-rail-line-could-open-for-freight-within-the-month

[Noel]

Good news Kiwirail expects to re-open the line for through freight services "within weeks" approx 4 Months ahead of schedule with two overnight freights between Picton & Wellington 50% of the normal scheduled service. Its planned to run at night to avoid conflict with the earthquake recovery work, railway also expects to carry construction material for the re-build

 

 

ttps://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/national/95374850/South-Island-rail-line-could-open-for-freight-within-the-month

 

That is very impressive progress on such a massive project. We could learn from NZ.

[Mayner]

Welding the last rail joint to re-connect Christchurch & Picton 8 Aug 2017

 

[Mayner]

Through Wellington (Picton)-Christchurch freight services to resume on 15th September 10 months after the Nov 2016 earthquake. http://www.kiwirail.co.nz/news/497/78/First-post-quake-freight-services-announced/d,news.html

[jhb171achill]

That really is some achievement. Compare the lengthy closures of the Nenagh branch for relaying seven metres of track, and cutting a hedge!

[Mayner]

That really is some achievement. Compare the lengthy closures of the Nenagh branch for relaying seven metres of track, and cutting a hedge!

 

Not really a realistic comparison the Main Line North is an important freight route the earthquake and line closure had a $40m cost effect on Kiwirail, IE/CIE have been trying to persuade the Government to let it close the Nenagh line with out success for the last 40 years.

 

 

Logistics companies that use rail for long distance line haul work between the North Island and Christchurch such as Mainfreight & Toll NZ are likely to have applied pressure on the government to re-build the line.

[jhb171achill]

Fair enough; it seems, from various sources, that within the short term, our government will succeed this time......travel to Nenagh while we can.....

[Mayner]

The driver who was trapped in last years quake drivesthe 1st Southbound revenue earning freight from Picton into Christchurch since the quake

ehttp://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11922829.

 

The first through Northbound freight ran through yesterday with traffic for the North Island and wagons for repair in Hutt Works outside Wellington.

 

Engineer Sullivan's train started its journey departing Westfield Yard Auckland on Wednesday evening with traffic for Bascik, Toll Group, Mainfreight, Owens Transport, Daily Freight and Maersk bound for Wellington & the Cook Straight Train Ferry & the MLN to Christchurch.