Waingawa River rail bridge closed after erosion found around foundations

The Waingawa River rail bridge near Masterton has closed as a safety precaution, with erosion found around its foundations, KiwiRail says.

The bridge will be closed for at least two days, while further inspections and repairs are completed.

Chief metro officer Bevan Assink said recent inspections found scouring - erosion caused by fast moving water - on two of the rail bridge piers.

"The advice from our engineers is that a major storm event could damage the bridge further."

The Wairarapa region has been vulnerable to destructive weather events most recently in June when the Tūranganui Bridge was washed out.

The closure will affects services between Carterton and Masterton, and buses will replace trains until further inspections and repairs are done.

Log freight services will also see disruptions.

"We apologise for the disruption and we are working to get the line open again as quickly as is safely possible," Assink said.

"Our initial assessment is that the closure is likely to remain in place for at least two days, but this is subject to weather."

Metlink senior manager Paul Tawharu said it was working closely with KiwiRail to minimise disruptions for passengers.

"We appreciate this will be disruptive for some passengers, and thank people for their patience while the necessary safety work is carried out."