A salvage operation yesterday recovered a crane that toppled into Otago Harbour at Burkes, near Dunedin, last week.
A spokeswoman for KiwiRail said the adjacent section of railway was closed from midday to about 6.30pm as contractors carefully lifted the crane.
The spokeswoman said parts of the crane were removed on Friday to make the remainder lighter, and the last of it was removed yesterday in a "slow and steady" process before being taken by flatbed wagon to a rail yard.
On Thursday morning contractors were replacing Bridge 218 on the main south railway line when the crane, which was on an adjacent staging platform, fell into the Burkes inlet.
The Department of Labour is investigating.
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