New bridge inched into place

GENTLY DOES IT: Mark Goodwin, owner of Riverside Construction (front left), and engineer Michael Luke (front right), on the job when work on the new rail bridge over the Mangatarere Stream on Dalefield Rd, Carterton, was being completed. PHOTO/LYNDA FERINGA

Wairarapa trains are back in action after work on the new rail bridge over the Mangatarere Stream at Dalefield, near Carterton, was finished.

"It took three days to do it," said Mark Breslin, KiwiRail's Wellington area planner and co-ordinator.

The Wairarapa line trains had been stopped from December 27 while a new bridge was installed and the tracks linked.

Mr Breslin said the bridge was winched across by a team of 20-25 people and the first train ran across it yesterday morning.

The all-steel 32-metre bridge weighing 40 tonnes had to be winched in, as getting a crane into position was difficult, said Mr Breslin.

"In this instance, access was tricky."

Work on the new bridge started in September alongside the old bridge, which had been standing at the site since construction in the 1940s or 1950s.

Trains during the three-day period were replaced by buses.

Buses are still replacing trains between Upper Hutt and Wellington until January 6.