Police have arrested two protesters who temporarily forced the closure of Wellington's Mt Victoria Tunnel.
The tunnel has since reopened after protesters demanding the restoration of passenger rail forced its closure for about an hour by abseiling above it.
Police were called to the scene at around 7:55am on Tuesday morning following protesters abseiling from above the tunnel during peak traffic hours.
Wellington Area commander Inspector Dean Silvester said police "acted fast" to minimise the risk to public safety.
"Abseiling onto a road is not only unsafe for those individuals, but also for motorists."
Area commander Insp Silvester added police won't "hesitate" to take action when the public's safety is at risk.
The two people arrested have been charged with wilful trespass and criminal nuisance.
The pair have been held in custody until they appear in the Wellington District Court.
Restore Passenger Rail spokesperson Te Wehi Ratana said they're protesting because "I’ve got kids. I won't sit by while their future is threatened by political inaction".
Ratana added the tracks for passenger rail are there so "it is a no-brainer" to restore passenger rail services.
"Let's just get on with it."
It comes after protesters caused disruptions across the Wellington region last week, most notably forcing the closure of The Terrace Tunnel on Wednesday.
