Images shot by a drone show the extent of a massive slip blocking the rail line between Auckland and Northland.

The rail link to the rest of the country has been hit by 50 slips in total and will be out of action until winter.

KiwiRail chief operating officer Siva Sivapakkiam said the slips between Swanson and Whangārei were caused by the Auckland Anniversary weekend floods, Cyclone Gabrielle and further heavy rain on February 24.

The biggest slip has smothered a section of track between Helensville and Wellsford beneath four to five metres of mud.

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That landslide came from the ridgeline of a farm, cut through a paddock, sprawled across Tahekeroa Rd and swallowed the rail line.

The slip is estimated to contain 35,000m³ of earth from the road to the rail line alone.

In a normal week, Northland’s rail link to the rest of the country would carry one or two trains a day, Sivapakkiam said.

It is expected to be closed for at least another 10 to 12 weeks.

An excavator started clearing Tahekeroa Rd on Thursday, but before work could get under way to clear the rail line, a large, temporary earth bund needed to be built to protect the area from any further earth movement, Sivapakkiam said.

Significant improvements to drainage were also needed to help prevent future slips.

KiwiRail’s network has also taken a hammering in Hawkes Bay where the rail line between Woodville and Hastings is expected to remain closed for at least the next three to four weeks.

“Once open it will allow us to then road freight to and from Napier. Track repairs are making good progress, detailed inspections of bridges are progressing and we are setting up the temporary road-rail container terminal in Hastings,” Sivapakkiam said.

On the line between Hastings and Napier, Cyclone Gabrielle badly damaged a number of bridges, particularly Bridge 217 north of Clive which lost piers and spans. That section of the rail line is expected to be closed for months.

Between Napier and Wairoa, the track had been assessed from a helicopter.

“It has revealed numerous washouts and slips of varying size. We expect to begin ground level track inspections this week.

“Given access to the rail line is difficult in some areas, inspections will take time,” Sivapakkiam said.

“Our focus has to be on reopening the rail line to Hastings and then Napier, so at this stage Napier to Wairoa, which is used to transport logs, is expected to remain closed for some time.”