Track renewal was under way at KiwiRail's central Dunedin rail yards at the weekend and has also recently occurred near State Highway 88 and on State Highway 1 south of Dunedin.
Asked about the work and whether it reflected extra rail infrastructure funds recently earmarked by the Government, KiwiRail South Island general manager operations Jeanine Benson said the funding came from an existing budget.
''The work over the weekend in the Dunedin yards was part of planned renewals, as was the re-railing and destressing work between Dunedin and Sawyers Bay,'' Ms Benson said.
Further work, near Henley, was ''also part of renewals'', and new concrete sleepers were being laid. Drainage at Green Island was also being upgraded.
''We are in an off-peak period for train movements between Invercargill and Port Chalmers, and there are no cruise ships visiting,'' she said.
This gave KiwiRail the chance to undertake renewal work over the winter. This did not arise from any further funding from the Government, she said.
The Government announced in May that more than $1 billion would be spent on KiwiRail-related matters over the next two years, including buying 50 new long-haul locomotives, mainly for use in the South Island and to replace aged locomotives.
