4 Jul 2019

Wellington council defends action on train cancellations

From Morning Report, 7:25 am on 4 July 2019

Train trips into Wellington will take a little longer this morning because of speed restrictions on a track coming into the station that was damaged by Tuesday night's derailment.

A freight train went off the tracks near the central station stopping commuter trains on the Hutt Valley and Kāpiti lines.

Thousands were forced to take their cars, bringing roads to a standstill. Wellington's regional council is defending the way it dealt with the disruption, saying it simply can't arrange alternative transport for 20,000 stranded commuters at a moment's notice.

Michael Cropp reports.