KiwiRail mothballs Napier-to-Gisborne line; govt to spend $4M on road upgrade

KiwiRail mothballs Napier-to-Gisborne line; govt to spend $4M on road upgrade
By Paul McBeth Oct. 2 (BusinessDesk) - State-owned railway KiwiRail has decided to mothball the loss-making Napier-to-Gisborne line, saying the $4 million cost to reopen the track isn't worth forecast maintenance costs, which are set to rise to $6 million a year. The railway operator decided against closing the 212 kilometre line completely, as the rail assets have a 10-year lifespan and may be worth reopening if circumstances change in the future, chief executive Jim Quinn said in a statement. Mothballing will cost the state-owned enterpris...