{"id":73064,"date":"2023-09-18T13:25:07","date_gmt":"2023-09-18T01:25:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmersweekly.co.nz\/?p=73064"},"modified":"2023-09-18T13:25:13","modified_gmt":"2023-09-18T01:25:13","slug":"napier-rail-link-back-on-track","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmersweekly.co.nz\/news\/napier-rail-link-back-on-track\/","title":{"rendered":"Napier rail link back on track"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

Scheduled rail\u00a0freight services to Napier resume on September 18, after a seven-month halt since the line was badly damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KiwiRail chief executive Peter Reidy said the line\u2019s reopening \u2013 allowing rail freight to get to Napier Port \u2013 is an important step in the region\u2019s recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNapier Port is a key part of central New Zealand\u2019s economy, and to once again get our customers\u2019 freight to and from the port efficiently, and using low-emissions rail, is an important step toward reinstating the Hawke\u2019s Bay supply chain and ensuring the region\u2019s economic success.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\u00a0port<\/a>\u2019s chief executive\u00a0Todd Dawson\u00a0said it is positive for Hawke\u2019s Bay, but also for cargo owners throughout the North Island who rely on the port and the many international shipping services that call into the wharf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs one of NZ\u2019s key international gateways with good capacity across our wharves, Napier Port is a vital link in the NZ supply chain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReinstating the rail line to connect directly through to our container terminal and bulk cargo yards means increased efficiency and service to customers needing to move cargo in and out of the North Island, as well as adding resilience and more value to the NZ Inc supply chain,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chilled and frozen meat, wood products such as logs, pulp and timber, food products and imported machinery and consumables used in manufacturing are usually carried by rail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the cyclone in February, KiwiRail reopened the Palmerston North-Gisborne line to Hastings at the start of April. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Temporary container terminal sites were also set up in partnership with the port, transport operators and cargo customers, so freight could be sent by rail to Hastings, then trucked to Napier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The section of line between Hastings and Napier, particularly around Awatoto, was badly damaged in the cyclone, with track and embankments washed away and major damage to bridge 217, which lost piers and spans in the floods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The work included rebuilding 2m-high embankments, replacing 800 sleepers and 140m of rail, laying 3000 cubic metres of formation and 3500 tonnes of ballast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KiwiRail also railed steel casings to Hastings from Christchurch for replacement bridge piers on bridge 217 \u2013 which had been driven 30m into the riverbed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Vital corridor reopens seven months after being knocked out by Cyclone Gabrielle.\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":63486,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_FSMCFIC_featured_image_caption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_nocaption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_hide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[152,71],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t