KiwiRail has announced it is deferring work to replace aging sleepers and rail and other structural maintenance on the Ava Rail Bridge in Lower Hutt until the end this year.
The pedestrian walkway, which is attached to the bridge, was due to close on Sunday 23 February so preparatory work could be undertaken ahead of the rail infrastructure on the bridge being replaced in April.
Instead, the preparatory work requiring the walkway to close is now expected to begin a month or two before the usual Wellington rail network closure begins in late December.
Wellington Metro Infrastructure Manager Manjot Singh said KiwiRail has been working with Hutt City Council (who owns the walkway), Metlink and Wellington metro train operator Transdev on the deferral plan.
“The rail bridge is safe but the sleepers and rail are aging and need to be replaced, to ensure the reliability of Hutt Valley and Wairarapa Line passenger trains,” he said.
“At the same time, we recognise how important the walkway is to the community.
“To strike a balance, we are able to push the planned bridge renewals out to Christmas.”
Singh said deferring the work gives all parties involved time to consider replacement options.
“KiwiRail is helping by preparing an options study for the Hutt City Council, which will give an understanding of the different forms a replacement bridge could take and the costs involved,” he said.
“We’re pleased to be part of a solution that keeps the walkway open for longer. We will continue working with all the parties involved to ensure train services can continue running smoothly and a plan is developed so that Lower Hutt locals can continue to have access across the river at Ava.”
Jon Kingsbury, Director of Economy and Development Hutt City Council, said the Ava walkway is a well-utilised route that many people in the community use.
“We now have time to continue working together with KiwiRail on options for pedestrian access across the river,” he added.
Metlink group manager Samantha Gain said Metlink and Transdev will work alongside KiwiRail, as the asset owner, to replan this project.
“There is already a 40kmh speed restriction on the rail bridge, due to the track’s condition,” she said.
“We understand KiwiRail will be increasing bridge inspections and taking steps to manage any further issues that could arise.
“Metlink, Transdev and KiwiRail are committed to ensuring train services continue to run safely and reliably using the bridge, until the renewal work can be carried out later this year.”
The Ava Rail Bridge and its walkway date back to the 1920s. The walkway sits on extended railway sleepers, which is not allowed under modern rail engineering standards. When the rail renewals work on the bridge begins, the walkway in its current form will be removed.
The Ava Bridge upgrade is funded from the Budget 2024 $52.9 million investment in the Wellington metro network. It is part of a more than $1 billion Government investment in the Wellington region’s rail network.
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