KiwiRail

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.

sed trains throughout its Auckland network for the Easter period 15-18 April to upgrade its network for the 2024 opening of the City Rail Link, as well as ongoing work to support its train services.

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.

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The Rail and Maritime Transport Union says strike notices on KiwiRail have been withdrawn.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

Passenger trains started rolling again at Auckland’s Britomart Station on Monday after a three-week closure for a new scissor track crossing and some rail replacement.

KiwiRail plans to build a new ferry terminal at its current Kaiwharawhara terminal within four years to support its new Interislander ferries.

Auckland’s metro rail network will shut down from Saturday 26 December to Sunday 10 January as KiwiRail undertakes repair work.

A main focus for KiwiRail’s for the coming year is to grow tourism by delivering enhanced tourism offerings.

Covid-19 impacts on KiwiRail’s Interislander and scenic trains saw its operating surplus fall to $40m for the year to June 2020, down 27% on the previous year.

A weekend charter service using Te Huia rail carriages will operate in January, providing a one-off experience for visitors to the Waikato and Auckland regions.

KiwiRail’s Kaitaki Interislander ferry will resume its ‘Bands on Board’ initiative for travelling musicians over summer.

KiwiRail has gone upmarket and more than doubled fares for its “Scenic Plus” option that offers regional delicacies and local commentary.

KiwiRail’s Northern Explorer and Coastal Pacific trains will resume service from late Spring.

Downer NZ has been awarded the contract for the Third Main project, in Auckland, delivering an additional main rail line into Auckland.

KiwiRail’s long distance scenic services will be back this summer after closing during the Covid-19 lockdown.

KiwiRail’s proposed new ferries will be able to carry almost 2000 passengers.

A significant track maintenance programme is underway on Auckland’s Eastern train line, says KiwiRail. 

KiwiRail’s Interislander ferries have moved around 650 essential transport, medical and export industry workers between the North and South Islands in the past fortnight.