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Protesters have chained themselves to a rail line and swarmed over a coal train stopped near Christchurch.
Rail track operator Ontrack has called in police to clear the protesters from the Save Happy Valley group, which is trying to stop state-owned Solid Energy developing an open cast coal mine on the West Coast.
Ontrack spokesman Kevin Ramshaw said two protesters were either chained or handcuffed to the line near Templeton and a coal train stopped at Rolleston was swarmed over by protesters.
He said police had been called in to remove the protesters. The next train was not due for three hours and the Tranz Alpine passenger train was not due until the end of the day.
The protesters said their members had locked onto a train and hung a 22m-metre banner "Solid Energy: Govt Sponsored Climate Chaos"' along two coal wagons.
Save Happy Valley Christchurch spokesman Graham Jury said New Zealand had finally reached the end of the line for coal fired power stations.
"It must also be the end of the line for coal mining."
Two activists were locked onto the tracks, while a further 20 were on the tracks by the train.
Saying "no" to new coal mines would be an easy first step in actually addressing climate change," said Simon Riddel, one of the activists locked to the tracks. The second activist was Gregory Curline.
In 2005 a young man and woman from the group attached themselves to tracks at the entrance to the Heathcote Valley train tunnel in protest against the planned Happy Valley open-cast coal mine in the Upper Waimangaroa Valley.
- NZPA
