(file image) Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
A slip has trapped a KiwiRail coal train in the West Coast's Buller Gorge.
A spokesperson said on Monday about 3am, an empty coal train ran into a slip in a tunnel on the Sillwater-Ngakawau line, halfway between Westport and Inangahua.
"The train was following a speed restriction so was moving very slowly when it reached the slip and only partially derailed. It was not significantly damaged," they said.
The sole locomotive engineer onboard was unharmed and picked up a few hours later by a high-rail vehicle.
Drones had been used to check the stability of the slip on Wednesday, the spokesperson said.
On Thursday, geo-technical engineers were on site to assess damage to the track and tunnel, work out how long it would take to clear and begin removing the train, they said.