Kiwirail is to replace dozens of brackets holding up overhead powerlines on Auckland's electric rail network after the second failure in just over a fortnight.
A bracket holding the cable in place above the train tracks gave way yesterday. Photo: Supplied/Auckland Transport
Services were disrupted for two hours yesterday when a bracket failed near Manurewa, in the same area where a line previously snapped and fell, disabling a busy commuter train.
In yesterday's incident the line did not break, but sagged lower.
Kiwirail said it would replace 70 brackets on the network, most of them this weekend during a planned shutdown of electric rail services.
General manager of asset management David Gordon said the brackets were fitted where an overhead line hangs from a bridge.
Mr Gordon said they were a type used overseas, and it was not clear why two had failed in short succession.
He said the brackets were checked after the first failure but no obvious flaw was found; however the company has now decided to replace all of them.
Auckland's commuter rail network switched over fully to electric services in July, after an upgrade costing more than a billion dollars, including a fleet of 57 new trains.
