Some Christchurch commuters may have been running late for work this morning after a freight train came to a standstill on Lincoln Rd.
The KiwiRail train stopped for about 20 minutes at the Lincoln Rd level crossing from about 9am.
Engineers could be seen inspecting the broken down locomotive, while a long queue of vehicles waited.
Most drivers made a U-turn in a bid to take an alternative route to their destination.
Smoke could be seen coming out of the engine, which "didn't look normal", one witness said.
A small number of "confused" motorists waited for the train to move.
One witness said traffic was initially backed up along Moorhouse Ave and Lincoln Rd for about 1km.
