Kaikoura Earthquake Main North Rail Line rebuild

Following the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake, the Main North railway line between Christchurch and Picton was damaged extensively.  The railway, along with the road, hug the coastline for much of the route, hemmed on one side by the sea and on the other by the steep Kaikoura ranges.  Uplift of the coastline and numerous landslides in places completely obliterated both road and railway track, as well as damaging many tunnels and bridges.

Integrated Safety joined the KiwiRail earthquake rebuild team, working on site over the three year rebuild period to provide health and safety support, track access management, incident investigation reporting, and auditing services.  Working across a large geographic area, on multiple worksites, with an extensive array of hazards confined into a spatially tight working area was a challenge met with new methods and systems of work, which Integrated Safety was integral in both the development and implementation of.

“Integrated Safety have been a key partner in the NCTIR [North Canterbury Transport Infrastructure Recovery] team as we’ve worked in and around over 190km of railway.  Greg, Steve and the team have been champions in the development of rail safety regimes facilitating collaboration between the many teams involved and supporting the NCTIR Health & Safety and delivery teams.  Significantly, they’ve played a key role in the successful transition of our large workforce of contractors from a construction zone to a live railway with 24/7 revenue trains.” 

- Brian Kirtlan, Project Director, NCTIR

Safety services provided:

• Health and safety documentation development

• Reviewing of contractor health and safety methodologies

• Railway access management including rail safety protection planning

• Incident investigation

• Auditing – site and personnel

• Worksite induction – video and testing

• Training and toolbox awareness sessions

• Providing monthly Health and Safety reporting to Project Management team

• Risk workshops