Line repair cost ‘scary’

A wagon dumps fill for repairs on the railway line.
A wagon dumps fill for repairs on the railway line.
Debris blocks the Parera track after the flood.
Debris blocks the Parera track after the flood.
An aerial view  of tracks  being worked on at Parera.
An aerial view of tracks being worked on at Parera.
The Waironga Rd crossing after the flood.
The Waironga Rd crossing after the flood.

The Taieri Gorge railway line is set to reopen next month  after  an expensive flood damage clean-up.

Parts of the track, particularly between Hindon and Parera, were blocked by  slips caused by severe flooding on July 22-23.

Ward Kellett.
Ward Kellett.

Dunedin Railways engineering manager Ward Kellett said it was hoped the line would reopen on September 16.

He could not confirm how much the clean-up would cost, but said it would be "a scary number".

The exact total was dependent on findings by geotechnical experts.

Geotechnicians were investigating what needed to be done to secure a section of track  about 13km  from Wingatui in the long term.

"This is a traditionally slower-moving area that did move a little more with this rain," Mr Kellett said.

A drone was first used to document the scale of the damage and a train and truck had been used at opposite ends of the track to carry out repairs.

About 10 staff, including contractors, had worked seven day weeks to clear the track as quickly as possible.

Mr Kellett praised the work of contractors.

"Without them we would certainly be dead in the water still."

The debris was mainly from surrounding forest and there were "tonnes of cubic metres" of mud from surrounding hills.

Dunedin Railways had worked  with KiwiRail to operate seaside services to Palmerston and a 7km

Taieri Gorge trip run this week.

margot.taylor@odt.co.nz

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