Some later rail services between Invercargill and Dunedin were delayed by a freight derailment at Clinton early this morning.
KiwiRail acting chief operations officer Henare Clarke said the rail line at Clinton had re-opened this afternoon after three coal wagons in a freight train travelling from Invercargill to Dunedin derailed.
"Unfortunately two had tipped, spilling their cargo, and there was some damage to the track."
There were no injuries.
"KiwiRail staff have now cleared the site of coal and made repairs.
"We apologise for the inconvenience to our customers.
"The incident is under investigation and it would be premature to comment on cause at this stage," Mr Clarke said.
It is understood that the train affected by the derailment was carrying a mix of cargo, as well as coal.
Some other planned services were also delayed because of the derailment.
