11 Oct 2008

Derailment closes part of main trunk line near Levin

7:43 am on 11 October 2008

A small section of the North Island's main trunk line is closed on Friday following a train derailment. The line is not due to open until Saturday.

Eight wagons from the freight train went off the tracks on Friday afternoon, just north of Levin.

KiwiRail corporate affairs general manager Sue Foley says the wagons will be removed from the railway line with the use of cranes on Saturday.

Ms Foley says security guards will be on site overnight as the train is carrying general freight.

The nearby Liverpool Street crossing will also remain closed until Saturday.

KiwiRail says passengers on services scheduled to use this part of track will be put on buses at either Levin or Palmerston North.

KiwiRail and Ontrack, which maintains the lines, are investigating what caused the derailment.