Over summer and throughout autumn, the Capital Connection stations along the NIMT line, are being upgraded to serve new trains which are expected to be commissioned on the route in late May 2023.
The inter-regional service is critical for commuters living and working between Palmerston North and Wellington.
Before the new trains can be accepted onto the route, KiwiRail are having to re-build and update the old platform surfaces at Palmerston North, Shannon, Levin and Otaki Stations. All are being adjusted to accommodate spatial demands and stepping distances between the new vehicle and platforms edge. This is essential to bring the platforms into compliance for the new trains and minimise the risks when on-boarding or alighting the service.
Vitruvius is proud to be supporting KiwiRail with the delivery of the project through the commitment of resources with a high degree of technical complexity and delivery competency in the rail environment. Neil Mason, Vitruvius’ Managing Director, is operating as the Engineer to Contract and Henry Watson, is delivering the day-to-day role as the Engineer’s Representative.
“We are delighted to be involved in such an interesting project and supporting KiwiRail by overseeing the contractor to ensure that the project runs smoothly”. said Henry Watson, Senior Project Engineer
The stations will remain operational during the construction works to minimise the impact on passenger services through the transition from old to new. To enable the complexities of working in a live environment, we have used a staged approach, ensuring safety and planning is a critical element of delivery.
Construction is underway at two of the four stations, kicking off at Palmerston and Levin.