The railway network between Tauranga and the Eastern Bay of Plenty is back on track.

Three weeks after flooding caused a train derailment and wiped out tracks near Te Puke, SunLive readers have reported that the tracks are operational again.

The KiwiRail freight train that carries logs and wood pulp, among other goods, from Murupara and Kawerau to the international port, was derailed on Sunday, January 29, when it tried to cross a flooded section of track near Te Puke.

At the time of the derailment, Kajavala Forestry managing director Jacob Kajavala said 'For this region there will be a slowdown until that rail is back up. How much of a slowdown, we're not quite sure, but it's already slowed down. Everyone is trying to establish timelines as to when it might get going again but it's uncertain right now. It's a very big repair job.” Read more here.

Work has been progressing to repair the track since the derailment.

The train was carrying logs and pulp from Kawerau to Mount Maunganui when it derailed near Te Puke in January. Photos: Tyson Smith.

In a statement to SunLive earlier, KiwiRail chief operations officer Siva Sivapakkiam said they made good progress repairing a section of track near Te Puke.

'The derailed wagon have been moved clear of the track, and most of them taken away.”

On Thursday, SunLive reported the track teams were close to finishing rebuilding more than 500 metres of track, some of which was washed away in the earlier floods.

KiwiRail expected to have the section of line reopened today, and reports from SunLive readers have confirmed that services have resumed.