KiwiRail is urging people to be cautious around level crossings north of Auckland, with the rail line to Northland now reopened.

The North Auckland Line has reopened after being closed for 20 months following significant weather damage during the January 2023 extreme weather event and Cyclone Gabrielle.

KiwiRail Chief Asset Development Officer David Gordon says the weather events did significant damage to the rail line between Swanson and Whangārei.

“We had more than 200 damaged sites along the 180km rail line. More than thirty were major damage sites where, in some cases, the line was wiped out by huge slips and eight-metre-high embankments were washed away beneath the tracks.

“It’s been a huge undertaking to rebuild the line. Working with our contractors, we have moved more than 110,000 tonnes of earth – the equivalent of 28 Olympic sized swimming pools, laid more than 25,000 tonnes of ballast and made repairs to 28 wooden bridges.

“To help make the line more resilient in future weather events we have improved culverts and drainage, strengthened slip-prone slopes and installed close to 500 metres of retaining structures.”

Mr Gordon says there will now be trains running on the line to help consolidate the rebuilt track, with scheduled freight services to resume in due course.

“This is a major change for communities between Swanson and Kauri (north of Whangārei) after 20 months with few trains and rail vehicles travelling on the line.

“There are more than 60 road or pedestrian level crossings and more than 80 crossings on private land where vehicles and people can potentially encounter trains. With few trains on the line, people may have become complacent.

“Trains cannot stop quickly, so to ensure safety we urge everyone to be extremely cautious every time they approach a level crossing.

“Always stop and look both ways for trains before crossing the tracks. Never cross if a train is approaching, as they are usually travelling faster than they appear, and always wait for the train to pass.”

KiwiRail is running a rail safety campaign along the length of North Auckland Line to help keep people safe.

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