Pain continues for rail commuters

Railway closures while storm damage cleared

BY MATT CALMAN AND KAY BLUNDELL

The aftermath of wild weather that caused slips, flooding and a train derailment continues to dog commuters in the Wellington area.

As the weather eased yesterday and roads reopened, rail services remained plagued by lengthy closures.

A slip north of Ngauranga Gorge closed the railway line between Porirua and Wellington, forcing passengers on to buses till it reopened about 1.20pm

Tranz Rail said the railway line between Wairarapa and Upper Hutt blocked by a derailed locomotive near Maymorn tunnel was expected to be closed till Monday while the tracks were cleared.

About 1000 Tranz Metro passengers in Wairarapa had to find alternative transport to work yesterday morning as buses were not provided.

Tranz Metro now had buses running between Masterton and Wellington, and these would continue till the track was cleared.

Tranz Metro spokesman Nigel Parry said staff had started to build about one kilometre of road, mainly by clearing scrub, so cranes could reach the stricken locomotive.

The locomotive could be removed today but it could take another day to clear and check the tracks, he said. "We're working very hard to open the line as soon as we can. But there is a lot to do."

A MetService spokesman said a fine, settled weekend with highs of about 10 degrees celsius should provide a respite from the battering the region had taken.

"It's looking good. Everything's pretty insignificant after that. It's pretty settled for the next few days."

Wellington Regional Chamber of Commerce president Jo Bransgrove said rail and road closures showed how vulnerable Wellington's access routes were to wild weather. "This is not just a Wellington commuter issue the city's location makes it one of national significance. It is essential the capital city be well connected to the rest of the country and that the major link between the North and South Islands be protected."

The cost to the region was likely to run into millions of dollars from this week's storm alone, she said.

A deluge of rain on the Tararua Range and heavy rainfall in Porirua and the Hutt Valley on Thursday caused slips, road closures and surface flooding. Wind gusts of more 100kmh during the storm brought down trees.

Porirua mayor Jenny Brash said the results of the storm added weight to the case for another main route into Wellington.

"If one cloudburst is all it takes to cut off Wellington, surely there is justification for Transmission Gully," Mrs Brash said.

State Highway 58, between Pauatahanui and Haywards Hill, and the Paekakariki Hill Road reopened yesterday and the main road between Featherston and Martinborough was reopened last night after flooding.

A MISERABLE TRAIN TRIP HOME

Lawyer Alice Davies endured a six-hour trip home from work after her train from Wellington slammed into a mudslide near Upper Hutt.

Hungry and tired, she reached her Masterton home about midnight after two hours stranded in the Maymorn tunnel, followed by several hours in a bus. Ms Davies worked from home yesterday, unwilling to risk being stranded in Wellington by more slips.

When the train she was on the 5.33pm from Wellington struck the slip, passengers screamed as their possessions were flung around the carriages.

"There'll be people with bumps and bruises ... It was lucky they weren't standing up or walking down the aisle. That wouldn't have been pretty."

Passengers filled up on vending-machine food, and the toilets on board, unable to flush because of the breakdown, were pushed to the limit. "The vending machines got hammered. I saw one [of the toilets] which was almost overflowing. It was really gross."

Passengers were initially told they would have to walk back to Upper Hutt station but eventually the carriages were towed out, she said. She had to walk 10 minutes to a bus. "In the scheme of things it could have been worse and people could have been really badly hurt."

- © Fairfax NZ News