2018 Kiwi Rail Kaikoura Earthquake Recovery Project
Biennial Railway Project Award for 2018
THE RTSA BIENNIAL RAILWAY PROJECT AWARD FOR 2018 IS MADE TO KIWIRAIL FOR THE KAIKOURA EARTHQUAKE RECOVERY PROJECT.
The 2018 Railway Project Award has been awarded to KiwiRail for the Kaikoura Earthquake Recovery project. The magnitude 7.8 Kaikoura earthquake on 14 November 2016 caused unbelievable devastation to the Main North Line and also to the adjacent State Highway 1. Over 180km of the route was affected with over 100 separate landslips and many damaged bridges and tunnels. As this is a critical transport link, KiwiRail moved swiftly to assess and quantify the damage and set up a project team to restore the line to an aggressive schedule. An innovative approach was to partner with the highway authority to share resources and coordinate recovery work.
The line was opened 3 months ahead of the schedule, and many months before the parallel highway, earning considerable kudos and national gratitude for KiwiRail.
All the work was done safely, demonstrating that the risks had been identified and managed successfully. This project is an inspiring example of how railway people respond energetically and successfully to the most severe challenges and is a worthy recipient of this award. Our congratulations to KiwiRail and its project partners.

Photo (Credit: Kiwirail) of the first freight train traversing the reopened Main North line after the rebuilding of the railway following the November 2016 Kaikoura Earthquake.