KiwiRail

KiwiRail has accepted responsibility for an accident in which a young woman in a wheelchair was hit by a train at a level crossing in Auckland.

KiwiRail's decision to suspend its Coastal Pacific service between Christchurch and Picton over winter has been described by the rail union as "shortsighted and misguided".

Kiwirail says it has re-employed 17 staff made redundant from Hillside, of whom 11 remain working for the state-owned enterprise in Dunedin.

KiwiRail is defending its decision to close the Gisborne to Napier line as "robust" following an independent review that found the line could still be viable.

The derailment of two wagons on the main south rail line near Waitati on Friday night delayed two trains before damage to the tracks was repaired on Saturday morning, a KiwiRail spokeswoman said.

A Dunedin man who started his career at Hillside claims there is something fishy about KiwiRail's tendering of 300 wagons to a Chinese company and has launched his own investigation into the deal.

Kiwirail takes full responsibility for its partial closure of Hillside Engineering Workshops and the redundancy of 90 workers, board of directors chairman John Spencer says.

Nearly 90 workers face redundancy, with the news only part of Kiwirail's Hillside Workshop in Dunedin has been sold.

Auckland Mayor Len Brown has demanded an explanation from KiwiRail after two rail problems in little more than 12 hours caused commuter chaos.

Kiwirail is expected to announce a sale decision concerning its Hillside Engineering Workshops next week.