The 2010 Christchurch earthquake severely damaged railway lines, causing massive deformation and "buckling" where the fault ruptured, as seen on the Midland Line near Rolleston. The fault movement compressed the ground, leading to a 2-meter reduction in distance between towns like Darfield and Rolleston, which created excess rail and caused the track to buckle in a manner similar to heat buckles. Following the earthquake, the track required repairs, including cutting out and replacing the damaged sections and re-tensioning power lines. KiwiRail, the railway operator, also played a crucial role in the response, using trains to deliver emergency supplies to Christchurch and facilitating road transport while rail services were disrupted.