Major damage to the rail line between Gisborne and Wairoa has further broken fragile transport links in and out of the Gisborne district - already affected by a slip that closed the highway north to the Bay of Plenty.
During the bad weather last week, two massive dropouts under the line has left about 100m of rail - and the future of the line - hanging.
Weatherell Transport's Steve Weatherell said he was "gutted'' by the latest blow.
He has worked tirelessly and invested thousands into infrastructure to make rail viable.
As the result of collaboration with most of the key exporting businesses in Gisborne since the start of the year, three trains a week have been on the tracks between Gisborne and Napier.
"There is the potential to go up to five or six next summer. I am hoping it will be fixed as soon as possible,'' Mr Weatherell said.
"Since January 8, every train has been at capacity. We could have filled five trains a week easily - but this all happened in a hurry and there was no time to organise the trains, drivers and infrastructure.
"In the meantime, everything will have to go by road.''
Mr Weatherell said the damage was extreme in places, with big washouts.
"Looking at the photos, there are a couple of gaps - one looks about 60m, with track hanging and a 35m drop below.''
The first fault found was a slip at Beach Loop. Then a smaller dropout was found and Mr Weatherell was notified then that the track would be closed for two weeks at least.
After KiwiRail found the second dropout, it was estimated it could be closed for months.
The fragility of the district's transportation routes has never been more obvious.
"The road north is closed and in the last storm the road south was also closed,'' Mr Weatherell said.
KiwiRail spokeswoman Jenni Austin said there were no trains stuck on the Gisborne side of the dropouts. It would be a day or two before the full extent of the damage and necessary repairs were known.
Transport Minister Steven Joyce announced last year the KiwiRail "Turn-around Plan'', which identified the Gisborne-Napier line as one of four that could be closed or mothballed by 2012.
The Save the Gisborne-Napier Rail group says the rail line is a community asset and is of strategic importance to the future of forestry in the Gisborne region, which needs cost-effective access to the Napier port.
The Ministry of Transport says rail is six times more fuel-efficient than trucks for moving bulk freight.
"The additional safety, congestion and environmental benefits are substantial. Oil prices are rising. We need to invest in rail so that it is a viable transport option for moving passengers and freight in the future,'' the group says.
- By Debbie Gregory and Sophie Rishworth of the Gisborne Herald
