Rail tunnel important for South Island coal exports to reopen

The Stockton coal mine. (Image: Bathurst Resources)

Wed, 08 Jan 2025

A damaged rail tunnel that disrupted coal exports in the South Island when it was closed last year will reopen next week, KiwiRail says.According to the state-owned rail operator, the 370-metre tunnel, which was built near Reefton in the 1890s, was closed last June after a digger operator carrying out track renewals noticed crumbling in the tunnel lining.Further inspections revealed three sections had structural issues.On Tuesday, the South Island regional infrastructure manager at KiwiRail, Gary Ikin, said the tunnel was scheduled to reopen on...

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