KEY POINTS:
Two slips on the rail line between Westport and Stillwater caused the cancellation of nine coal trains yesterday.
Ontrack said it was having difficulty stabilising the land around the slips, which had closed the line since 5am on Sunday.
The first was at the Tawhai tunnel, where rain and earthquakes had reactivated an old slip. The second was between Stillwater and Redjacks.
The line is expected to reopen at midnight tonight.
Ontrack was building a retaining wall to protect the line at Tawhai, company spokesman Kevin Ramshaw said.
"The situation between Stillwater and Redjacks is similar, except we are still in the process of determining how serious the slip is."
He said Ontrack hoped to have the line open by midnight tonight but bad weather forecast for the Coast today might make a difference.
- NZPA
