NZ line damaged by landslips reopens after eight years
NEW ZEALAND rail operator Kiwi Rail has reopened the Napier to Wairoa section of the line from Napier to Gisborne, which had been mothballed since March 2012 when major landslips blocked the track.
An official reopening train ran with invited guests in June 2019, but the first revenue freight did not run until January 26.
Trains conveying timber now run, unusually, only at weekends. The reopening was funded by a NZ $5million grant from the Provincial Development Fund
The reopened section of line includes the Mohaka Viaduct, which at 276.8 metres (980ft) long and a height of 95m (312ft) is the tallest viaduct in Australasia.
The viaduct is fitted with wind breaks to protect trains crossing it.
Motive power for the trains on the reopened line is normally pairs of Class DFB diesel locos, each rated at 2,400HP.
The DFBs were built by EMD in Canada from 1979-81 and entered service as Class DF; they were rebuilt to turbo-charged Class DFT in the 1990s.
These now-in-demand locos were modernised with the Brightstar engine management system this century and reclassified as Class DFB.
Kiwirail is converting more locos to Class DFB, including two that had previously been written off.
Class DFB is used for all passenger trains as well as some freight services.
■ Our thanks to Robert Sweet for the information in this report.