KiwiRail staff and contractors will be hard at work again this weekend, making further improvements to the Wellington rail network.
This will include ongoing upgrade of the overhead power system in preparation for the new Matangi trains, which are on schedule to enter service later this year.
KiwiRail is also improving its railway signalling system, replacing a number of ‘track circuits’ in tunnels on the North Island Main Trunk line (Paraparaumu Line). Track circuits are critical to the safe operation of trains. Detecting where trains are on the network, they control the signalling system, the railway equivalent to traffic lights. As part of the wider rail upgrade, about 190 (30 percent) of the older track circuits are being replaced.
To allow this work to take place, buses will replace trains between Wellington and Tawa from 3am Saturday 14 August 8pm Sunday 15 August. From 8pm midnight on Sunday, buses will replace trains between Wellington and Paraparaumu.
On the Hutt Valley Line buses will replace trains between Wellington and Upper Hutt from 7am Saturday14 August 5.30am Monday 16 August. Wairarapa services will be bussed between Upper Hutt and Wellington.
Bus replacements will also run between Wellington and Johnsonville from 5am Saturday 14 August midnight Sunday 15 August.
Bus replacements will depart Wellington Station from Platform 9 and cannot carry bicycles. More information about bus replacements is available at www.tranzmetro.co.nz or via Metlink on 0800 801 700.
