On 27 November 2007 , it was announced that coking coal from the Pike River Coal mine would be transported to Lyttelton for export . Pike River Coal had reserved under contract with Toll Rail 1.3 million tonnes of capacity for their coal on the line , which since upgrading has a total capacity of 4 million tonnes . However coal from the Pike River facility at Rapahoe stopped since the series of explosions that killed 29 miners in November 2010 . The company was liquidated and sold to Solid Energy , the Pike River Mine was closed , and the land incorporated into the Paparoa National Park
series of explosions that killed 29 miners
Pike River Mine disaster
Midland Line, New Zealand