The Wairarapa Line [WRL] will have bus replacements for some services next week to allow for urgent inspections of powerlines after an incident in which power was lost on January 10, resulting in all rail services out of Wellington being suspended.
KiwiRail will be completing urgent inspections of the overhead powerlines that, due to safety, must be done during full daylight hours.
As such, passenger services on the WRL will be replaced by buses and no freight trains will operate between 9.30am and 2.30pm on January 23, 24, 25, and 26.
The bus replacement for WRL will run between Wellington and Upper Hutt for these periods.
“Power was temporarily lost during the incident when all rail services in and out of Wellington Station were suspended and three trains, containing 129 passengers and six crew, stopped between stations,” a statement from Metlink said.
“While KiwiRail is also conducting inspections during pre-planned intervals over the anniversary weekend, next week’s urgent inspections are required to complete the work and minimise further disruption.”
Metlink acknowledges the inconvenience to rail passengers but said it is “grateful for their understanding of the need for the work to be done”.
“Passengers are advised to allow extra time for their journeys and reminded to check the Metlink website or app before travelling.”
The Hutt Valley and Melling Lines will also be closed during these periods.
