West Coast line remains closed

West Coast line remains closed

The Christchurch-Greymouth line between Cass and Springfield is still closed because of a fire.

Fire service crews supported by helicopters continued their efforts to extinguish the fire today, and a watching fire crew will be on site tonight.

KiwiRail Group General Manager Network Services Todd Moyle says “a full assessment of damage to the track will be carried out when it is safe for KiwiRail staff to access the site. There is no firm timing on that yet.

“However early indications are that there has been extensive damage to one bridge as well as damage to other bridges and viaducts in the area.

“Any repair work will be complicated by the difficulty of gaining access to the sites where the damage has occurred, adding time to the work,” he says.

The track will remain closed while repairs are made to enable safe train operations to resume.

This line closure will impact the TranzAlpine and freight services carrying coal and dairy products from the West Coast.

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