Rail link reopens; flood bill being assessed

The installation of temporary piles is allowing KiwiRail to reopen the main trunk line north of Timaru.

Repairs to the flood-damaged link between Ashburton and Timaru were completed on Sunday and due to reopen late yesterday, about two weeks after being closed by flood damage.

Two of the three damaged bridges have had temporary piles installed allowing the line to reopen. KiwiRail said permanent work would follow.

‘‘There is no limit on the number of trains which can use the line, but some speed restrictions will be in force over several affected areas until final repairs are completed,’’ Mark Heissenbuttel, KiwiRail’s general manager South Island operations, said.

‘‘Rail bridges and other structures are built to withstand normal weather conditions, but rare events like the recent flooding severely test their resilience.’’

‘‘While we do not foresee any issues of concern in the near future we are always looking for ways to make our network as resilient as possible and carry out routine maintenance and monitoring of structures to ensure safe operations.’’

The recent South Canterbury flood damage is set to cost more than the 2019 Rangitata flood.

Heissenbuttel said ‘‘the 2019 floods were more localised, and in 2021 the damage is spread across a wider area’’.

Meanwhile, the Timaru District Council and the Insurance Council of New Zealand are still working on damage costs.

Council spokesman Stephen Doran said the damage to bridges was still being estimated.

Tim Grafton, chief executive of the Insurance Council, said it would take 4-6 weeks to come up with the insurance claim figures.

‘‘As of June 8 insurers had received over 2000 claims for the Canterbury region made up of over 1700 residential house and contents, over 200 commercial and rural, and over 100 motor claims.

‘‘These are expected to change as those affected turn their attention to claims following their immediate response.’’

Grafton said preliminary aggregated figures will be released in early July.

‘‘Local residents received support that wasn’t limited to the cleanup alone.

‘‘Many whose homes were uninhabitable due to damage from the event benefited from the temporary accommodation benefit that most home and contents policies include,’’ Grafton said.

‘‘Insurance assessors were on the ground quickly to work directly with customers on their claims, and contractors were brought on site to help clean and dry homes, and assess any further work that may be needed.’’