Nearly two
years of finger-pointing over an unpaid $275,000 bill for
damage to Dunedin's historic pedestrian railway overbridge
could be coming to an end.
It has been more than 21 months since the collapsible metal
flaps of a container on a passing freight train popped up on
February 12 last year, hitting - and badly damaging - the
pedestrian overbridge at the Dunedin Railway Station.
Dunedin City Council chief executive Jim Harland has
confirmed an offer of settlement from KiwiRail had been
received by the council and would be considered.
He would not say whether the offer covered part or all of the
$272,255 cost of replacing the bridge, as further
negotiations could follow.
"We have to decide whether we accept it," he said.
The offer was a step towards resolving the debate over who
should foot the bill for damage to the bridge, which
eventually reopened in October last year.
What caused the metal flaps on the container to fly up -
whether it was human error or mechanical failure - has never
been publicly confirmed, despite repeated requests for
information by the Otago Daily Times to KiwiRail and Port
Otago.
The train was owned by KiwiRail - at the time owned by Toll -
which also employed the train's crew.
The container was owned by a shipping company, believed to be
Auckland-based Cubic Transport Services, and loaded by South
Freight, a division of Port Otago.
KiwiRail spokesman Kevin Ramshaw confirmed, when contacted,
the offer had been made.
"We will await the council's response to our offer before
releasing any further information," he said.
Port Otago chief executive Geoff Plunket confirmed the offer
was from KiwiRail, rather than his company, because "it
wasn't our train".
He declined to discuss details of the offer, saying he would
wait for a final settlement before commenting further.
Mr Harland said he understood KiwiRail and Port Otago had
reached an agreement between themselves, before approaching
the council with an offer of settlement.
Asked if he was happy with the time it had taken to obtain an
offer, Mr Harland said: "No."
"It's taken too long."
chris.morris@odt.co.nz
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