248 rail passengers stranded by felled trees as wind lashes South Island

A TranzAlpine train with 248 passengers has been at a standstill for more than two hours, with felled trees reportedly blocking the South Island tracks.

Photo: TranzAlpine / The Great Journeys of New Zealand

One passenger on the route, which travels from Greymouth to Christchurch, told RNZ a tree had fallen between Springfield and Darfield stations.

They said they’d been stranded for about two hours, when the train stopped at about 6.40pm, but people in his carriage were in good spirits.

“The stationary train is being rocked by the wind,” he said.

The passenger said the train was originally due in Christchurch at 7pm.

A KiwiRail spokesperson said crews were clearing the track and the train was expected to get back underway shortly after 9pm.

Wild weather is lashing the lower parts of the country with heavy rain and strong wind warnings in force for much of the South Island.