KiwiRail

Interislander facilities will also be able to accommodate two new larger ferries, with diesel and electric hybrid capabilities.

Auckland’s rail network will shut down over the upcoming Anniversary Weekend, says KiwiRail.

Crowds have gathered in Taumarunui to celebrate the return of the Northern Explorer at a station-side party.

KiwiRail’s network-wide rail holiday shutdown in Auckland will take place from 26 December until 15 January to allow workers to conduct network maintenance.

Central North Island operators in the Ruapehu region and Taumarunui are set to benefit from the scenic train’s visits.

KiwiRail will be hoping for a strong rebound in its tourist trains business after revenue fell to $3.5m for the year to June 2022 – the lowest recorded during the pandemic .

KiwiRail and Higgins Towing Services have been sentenced and fined in the Wellington District Court for failing to provide a safe working environment.

KiwiRail will remain a state-owned enterprise to focus on transitioning its above-rail business to be financially self-sufficient, says the government.

KiwiRail has reported a surplus of $133.9m for the year to 30 June 2022 in what it called a difficult operating environment.

KiwiRail has undertaken safety reviews and made improvements to its shunting and coupling processes for transferring rail wagons to ferries, following a Transport Accident Investigation Commission inquiry.

KiwiRail is getting a new system that will enable its train control team to manage the rail network simultaneously from Auckland and Wellington.

Interislander has reportedly paid €5.2m (NZ$8.6m) for the purchase of the Valentine freighter ferry to ensure capacity for customers as it prepares for the pre-Christmas demand.

The Interislander’s Kaiarahi ferry is back on the water for sea trials after a major gearbox failure took it out of service in August 2021.

The new tours range from six to 17 days with the longest stretching from Auckland to Queenstown.

The Interislander is celebrating its 60th anniversary this week and marking more than 43 million passenger trips since its first sailing from Wellington to Picton on 13 August 1962.

KiwiRail has partnered with TrackSAFE to raise awareness and encourage responsible behaviour around crossings during Rail Safety Week.

An upcoming project to rebuild the Picton ferry terminal has been celebrated with a public information day, held on Saturday.

KiwiRail’s first refurbished electric EF class locomotive has been completed as part of a progressive fleet refurbishment and return to service over the next two years.

Sebastien Delteil starts today as KiwiRail’s new head of sales at The Great Journeys of New Zealand.

KiwiRail and Auckland Transport have named the three new stations to be built along the South Auckland rail network between Papakura and Pukekohe.

Budget 2022 has allocated $661.5m for rail, including $312.3m to restore the national rail network and $349.2m to continue KiwiRail’s fleet modernisation.

Work is underway to provide real-time guidance on channel conditions through the Kura te Au/Tory Channel that links the North and South Islands.

Peter Reidy returns to the rail and ferry operator as chief executive, four years after leaving the role.

KiwiRail’s Northern Explorer will resume services on 25 September and its Coastal Pacific will restart on 29 September.

KiwiRail is holding an event to mark the retirement of its oldest locomotive – the 85-year-old small shunt engine TR56 – and to introduce its replacement – a fully electric, zero-emissions shunt.

Covid-19 among crew forced ferry services to be cancelled.

The pandemic continues to take a toll with two out of three Scenic services in hibernation.

KiwiRail’s decision to include a daily Auckland-Wellington service in an upcoming market research survey has been welcomed by the Save The Trains campaign.

A new pay deal that increases hourly pay rates and allowances for workers at KiwiRail has been approved.

Auckland’s rail network has fully re-opened after KiwiRail delivered a programme of works across the city during a temporary closure.

Sorry, you do not have authorisation to view this page! If you would like to view the content on this page you will need to be a Tourism Ticker member. MORE »

Only the TranzAlpine will return to service this summer.

The Rail and Maritime Transport Union says strike notices on KiwiRail have been withdrawn.

David McLean has been appointed chair of KiwiRail.

KiwiRail is introducing a vaccine requirement or negative test for passengers on the Interislander ferries from 15 December.

KiwiRail says the resignation was in response to reports about his leadership style – allegations Miller denies.

KiwiRail is facing strikes mid-December, just when the holiday season is set to gear up.

The operator’s scenic rail and Interislander services could be affected in the run-up to summer.

Scenic train services are reduced to the bare minimum to soften the financial impact from the reduction in tourists.

Reduced ferry services across the Cook Strait is leaving supply chains vulnerable in the event of a crisis, says the Maritime Union of New Zealand.

But it doesn’t expect to get near its pre-Covid tourism revenue until FY24.

Revenue fell at all of the SOE’s scenic train services in a “difficult environment for tourism operators,” says CEO Greg Miller.

KiwiRail, CentrePort and Port Marlborough are seeking a single design partner for the delivery of two new ferry terminals.

KiwiRail’s Auckland electrification rail line project between Papakura and Pukekohe has secured resource consents from the Environmental Protection Authority to commence main works.

The government will invest $1.3bn in KiwiRail over three years as part of the Rail Network Investment Programme.

Nearly 300 jobs created as new site expected to be operational by late 2023.

KiwiRail chair Brian Corban passed away on Saturday.

The SOE is forecasting a significant fall in annual tourist passenger numbers for FY21.

KiwiRail’s Northern Explorer has opened bookings for its first dedicated pride train service.

KiwiRail’s three scenic train services recorded a 65% fall in revenue, or $7.6m, for the six months ending December 2020.