KiwiRail lays tracks too close together in Wairarapa

From Midday Report, 12:43 pm on 20 February 2024

KiwiRail is fronting yet another please explain meeting, this time about its rail services in Wairarapa.

During a $100 million upgrade to the Wairarapa line, KiwiRail laid the tracks too close together meaning passenger carriages don't fit.

The tracks will now need to be ground back to make them suitable for passenger trains, resulting in months of delays and safety risks ahead for commuters.

Greater Wellington Regional Council's chair Daran Ponter is at the meeting and says he can't understand how it's happened.

Ponter spoke to Charlotte Cook.