Napier to Wairoa
KiwiRail has reopened the Napier to Wairoa rail line, to work closely with heavy forestry trucks and deliver economic growth in the region.
After the Napier - Gisborne Line was badly damaged by a storm in March 2012, the line was mothballed, because the cost of repairing and maintaining it far exceeded its commercial value at the time.
The line was reopened in January 2020 with the help of the Provincial Growth Fund. However, services were suspended soon after as a result of COVID-19's impact on the forestry industry. Log trains resumed in November 2020.
Widespread benefits
Using the Napier-Wairoa line to move logs is good for the region, the environment and New Zealand.
It lifts the regional economy with extra jobs. It creates efficiencies for logging truck companies which can make quicker turnarounds, and reduces wear and tear on long distance roads that were not designed to cope with growing volumes and weight. It helps the environment by cutting carbon emissions - every tonne of freight carried by rail is a 66% emissions saving over heavy road freight.
Every train used to move logs on the rail line is the equivalent of 50 long distance truck hauls on the road between Napier and Wairoa
A work train travels across the picturesque Mohaka Viaduct in 2018.
Freight Operations
Regular log trains have begun operating following the completion of the new log yard in Wairoa. At this stage we expect to operate two trains a week, on Saturdays and Sundays. This service frequency is expected to expand as logging forests mature. Log tonnages are projected to peak at 44 million tonnes in 2032/33.
Rail Safety
We want to make sure that people understand how to stay safe around the railway track. Please remember to look both ways for trains. They can appear at any time, from either direction. Be aware that specialist maintenance vehicles and trains also travel on the railway line.
Thanks to our partners
Our thanks to Napier City Council, Hastings District Council, Wairoa District Council, Hawkes Bay Regional Council, Napier Port and local logging companies for their support.
First work train
In June 2018, the project reached a milestone with the first work train in six years travelling on the Napier - Wairoa line. On board was Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones.
Raupunga wash-out
In September 2018, severe weather in Hawke’s Bay caused a significant washout of around 45m of track just north of Raupunga.
It took several months to reinstate the embankment and reconnect the track, with work trains once again able to travel through the area from April 2019.
The photo on the left was taken shortly after the slip occurred, in September 2017, with the second photo taken in the same location just six months later.
