Icy conditions cause delays to morning train services in Wellington

Icy winter conditions in Wellington caused delays to several rail services this morning.

"When temperatures get below freezing, ice on the overhead wires can disrupt power supply to the trains", says Metlink senior manager of operations Paul Tawharu.

“The cold weather this morning meant ice formed on overhead lines, causing delays of around 30 minutes on several commuter services.”

Buses replaced trains on sections of the Hutt Valley and Kāpiti lines. While diesel locomotives on the Wairarapa Line were not directly impacted, delays on the Hutt Valley line had a flow on effect to services travelling from Masterton to Wellington.

“Disruptions caused by cold weather only happens a few times a year – we apologise for inconvenience caused this morning and do not expect any impact on peak services this evening,” adds Tawharu.

Metlink is working with KiwiRail and Transdev to find solutions that reduce the impact of icy conditions on scheduled rail services.