The Gisborne to Wairoa Railway Debate 21st April 2012.

[JennyLeez]

Last week saw the Gisborne community rally in protest to the closing of the Rail line from Wairoa through to Gisborne.
Today there will be a rally in Wairoa also protesting the closure of the line.
“KiwiRail in considering the future of the line - which had already been earmarked for closure - after heavy rain last month caused three major washouts.
Repairing the line will cost up to $4.3 million and will take five months according to engineers.
The line has been losing more than $2m a year.”

Now while I do not wish to see this line closed as it carries produce to and fro plus the many Steam Train excursions I feel the East Coast communities need to look at the greater picture.
I have had cause to travel the Wairoa – Gisborne Road on a weekly basis for the last few months. The weather has not been kind to this area with rain days far out numbering sunshine days.  Although not a lot of rain has fallen it has been constant and our ground remains sodden.
The decline in the roads in this area had been immense. Slips keep forming and with every rainfall increasing in size. There has been very little time during dry days to actually stop the slips. All Transit New Zealand seem to be accomplishing is keeping the roads clear and open.
My last trip to Gisborne left me somewhat devastated concerning the condition of SH2 and has now forced me to change my mind regarding the repairing of the rail line. There is 3 manger road fall outs alone on this stretch. One of these fall outs drops straight down and although they have been trying to build this back up over the last few weeks the fallout continues to increase in size. I was mortified to find this trip I drove through a small gap, large enough for Ycato’s truck, to get through. On my left there was a massive drop to sea level and on my right a cliff. If this slip is not repaired and continues to fall away Transit NZ will have to start digging the cliff away or close the road.
The side of the road in many places is mud and wood. Wood that has washed down having been left behind by our timber companies. Not only is this rubbish wood littering our land it is sliding down and blocking our roads.
In parts the road was muddy, wet and dangerous. Pot holes have increased Straight roads that were once even are now rough and 70K areas.. Gravel patches have increased and I drove over stretch after stretch of 30K areas.
The roads North of Gisborne and inland of Gisborne and Wairoa are all much the same. Too much rain and not enough damage control.
I would love to ask the People of Gisborne who joined the rally to retain the rail line when they last traveled south. Do they have any idea how bad SH2 has become. The rail line has 3 wash outs at present. Beach Loop by far the greater. Is this where the 4 million should be going?



Below are photos taken during rain days and dry days.



This is common on SH2 Napier to Wairoa.



This is coming into Wairoa from the south after a day of rain. This happens every time we have a period of heavy rain.



This is between Wairoa and Nuhaka. Much of the top of the Whareratas look like this. When wet  - treacherous.



And this is Transit NZ stopping one of the many slips, well that sure appears to be working 

This one I have already posted as recent, but is a good example of how they are clearing the road but not the problem. The side of the cliff remains and will slip again next time it rains.




My word to the communities on the East Coast is: Prioritise . Put the tax payer’s money into our roads and not our rail for the rail we can do without right now.


JennyLeez - Wairoa.net

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[Deano]

Well said JL.

[iomkiwi]

I can see your point - but I would still be pushing hard for the rail.

There is no way that the road will NOT be fixed, so focus on getting the rail back.

[JennyLeez]

iomkiwi the road has never been fixed.
Napier Wairoa has had issues since the day the settlers put a decent road through. As soon as it rains down come the slips. There is around 4 areas that need dealing with. Devils elbows needs to be by passed altogether. Why they did not go around the west side I do not know. Instead they climbed a mountain which has never been stable and never will be. Road works are only ever temporary as sorting out an alternative would be another 4 million.
Time and time again travel plans for us are interrupted.
Wairoa has a small Hospital catering for this area. But all specialist needs and anything from a broken bone on one is sent to Hastings. Hence we travel south a lot.
One needs to travel the Napier Wairoa Road to understand what a dreadful slow windy trip it is. We all hate it. Then on top of this you have the stop start for the constant road works.
*sigh*

[iomkiwi]

I know exactly what you are talking about - I live in Northland.
Mums surgery yesterday was delayed by around four hours due mainly to people getting held up in road works.

I would love to shift some of those South Island back roads up here - they're better than SH1 up here.
SH 1 still has a one lane bridge about 20km from here.

[Phil]

The railway needs to be repaired, There is one hell of a lot of forestry in the Gisborne region and the thoughts of many logging trucks traveling the Gisborne ~ Napier road is unthinkable . The only way to transport them is by Rail, Surely Kiwi rail can see this.
Yep I agree about the state of the roads, they are not good, but can you imagine what they are going to be like if you get many logging tricks using it, the congestion will be bad and also the amount of damage that they are going to do to the roads.
This railway line needs to remain open and utilised to its full potential

[JennyLeez]

Yes totally agree but....
For our readers knowledge those logging trucks are already on the road in great numbers and always will be.
The logs must be trucked from the Wharerata's forestry to either Gisborne or Wairoa. Rail can not replace this.
It depends on the timber company and contracts. If tyimber to go to Gisborne, it must be trucked there first. If trucked to Gisborne to be cut, treated and dried then yes both rail and road is used to move timber to buyers. If for the export market then trucked to Gisborne Docks.

Now if trucked to Wairoa for cutting, treating and drying then it is trucked out again. Rail is not used.

If the contract is with Napier then they are trucked from the Whareratas to the Napier Docks etc. Rail is not used.

The use of the rail line is more readily used for produce/resources in and out.
Until such time rail lines are extended up into the forestry trucks will always be used.

This topic has come up locally in the pass year. Not only extending up into the forestry to make more use of the rail but also extending the rail into our timber yards here in Wairoa.
Neither the forestry nor our local timber processing plants can afford to do this.
This debate has now been buried with the line as it stands.

The timber trucks are knocking the road around big time but repairing the rail will not stop this. Help but not stop.
I agree Phil fix the rail but in the short term the road needs to be addressed to ensure we are not cut off completely. That one huge fallout could very easily do this with another deluge of rains for a couple of days.