Derailment closes northern line

The northern rail line is closed after a freight train derailment on Monday.

The incident comes less than three months after a $200 million upgrade.

The train derailed between Topuni and Kaiwaka.

A Kiwirail spokesperson says repairs are progressing well and it is hoped that the line will reopen in time for the next scheduled service next Tuesday (April 6).

Meanwhile, a resident whose property backs onto the line sent a photo to the Mahurangi Matters of concrete sleepers that are yet to be installed.

They say the sleepers have been sitting there since the line reopened in mid-January.

The line had been closed for upgrades for eight months.

Asked if the derailment was due to old sleepers, which had not been replaced before the reopening, Kiwirail was tight-lipped.

“It is still being investigated and it is premature to speculate on the cause,” the spokesperson says.

Last year, Kiwirail said the new line would be “fit for use for generations”.

Unused sleepers on northern rail line.