Track repaired following train derailment
WORK has been completed on a Southland train track following a derailment last week.
A KiwiRail spokesman said the work to repair the damaged track at Wright’s Bush finished on Friday, two days earlier than anticipated.
The branch line to Ohai and Nightcaps was expected to be in operation from today.
On Monday, a train of empty coal wagons heading to Nightcaps came off the tracks near Wright’s Bush.
“The freight train derailment on Monday . . . damaged around 100m of track and also caused some damage to the rolling stock,’’ he said.
The wagons were removed from the line on Tuesday and two cranes were used by a crew of contractors to fix the track, which was used exclusively to transport coal for Bathurst
Mining.
While the line was closed for repairs, Bathurst Mining trucked the coal to Invercargill ‘‘as a shortterm measure.’’
The KiwiRail spokesman said the company was still investigating what caused the derailment and the final cost of repairs was yet to be confirmed.