Rail

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

The 70% funding cut raises questions over plans for premium services on the operator’s tourist trains.

Dunedin Railways Limited is calling for proposals to identify and evaluate options for using the Taieri Gorge railway line.

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

CEO Greg Miller says plans for luxury services on its tourism trains have had to be revised.

KiwiRail has received a further $13m of government funding for improving the resilience of its iconic TranzAlpine tourist train route.

The money is going to projects in Whangarei and the Bay of Islands, including Kawakawa’s vintage railway.

Dunedin City Holdings has applied to the Government’s Strategic Tourism Assets Protection Programme for assets including the Taieri Gorge line.

Pounamu Tourism Group shareholders have funded the new product, which plans to launch in April 2021.

The Government has withdrawn from its twin track Auckland Light Rail project and referred it to the Ministry of Transport for further work.

KiwiRail has restarted the Christchurch-Greymouth TranzAlpine service from 4 July but is closing some Dunedin services.

KiwiRail’s TranzAlpine between Christchurch and Greymouth will return to service on 4 July.

A proposed luxury train journey called Antipodean Explorer is officially “on hold” according to director Richard Aitken.

Wairarapa Train services will return to their regular timetable from Monday, May 4 in line with the return to normal timetables for all Metlink rail services, according to the Greater Wellington Regional Council.

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

Almost 70 roles are to go as the city grapples with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A West Coast tourist train would find it difficult to generate a suitable return for KiwiRail but it could bring wider benefits to the region, according to a feasibility report. 

The union representing rail workers says money from the Provincial Growth Fund could ensure the future of rail excursions to Middlemarch.

Income from the SOE’s Interislander and scenic trains services fell in the six months to December 2019.

Greater Wellington Regional Council has started an overhaul of train carriages used on the Wairarapa Line.

KiwiRail is seek expressions of interest for Auckland rail commuter projects worth $686m.

The government’s Draft New Zealand Rail Plan has proposed a new long-term funding framework for rail which would see Kiwirail’s network funding channelled through the National Land Transport Fund.

Greater Wellington Regional Council has made a business case to the tune of $415m for the delivery of the new trains and associated network improvements in the face of accelerated regional population growth. 

KiwiRail, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and the North Canterbury Transport Infrastructure Recovery Alliance have won the Supreme Award at the Engineering NZ ENVI Awards.

The operator is targetting expansion into three regions for its scenic services.

KiwiRail’s restoration of its rail line between Picton and Christchurch following the November 2016 Kaikōura earthquake has been recognised internationally.

Auckland’s Museum of Transport and Technology has launched a new model railway at the historic Waitakere train station.

KiwiRail is charging ahead with its Provincial Growth Fund-funded TranzAlpine upgrade, which remains on track for a 2022 opening and is forecast to lead to a doubling of passenger spend to $80.3m by 2027.

KiwiRail’s open-air carriages have re-opened with modifications after being closed because of fears keen photographers were risking their lives taking snaps.

Greg Miller steps down from the chairing the board to taking the helm at the rail and ferry operator.

After a two-year absence, KiwiRail’s scenic service between Christchurch and Picton saw passenger numbers grow over summer.

Revenue from the operator’s Great Journeys of NZ business was up 8% in the second half of 2018.

TNZ chair Dame Kerry Prendergast is among the experts brought in to advise the operator.

KiwiRail has secured another $40m from the Provincial Growth Fund, this time to invest in its TranzAlpine scenic train service.

The operator has revealed figures for its tourism business in its latest FY18 annual report.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was among the dignitaries who jumped aboard Friday’s special commemorative Coastal Pacific service.

The operator will launch its first premium rail product on its Coastal Pacific service.

The investment is “vital to unlocking Wairarapa’s potential”, says the transport minister.

The rail and ferry operator says revenue from its tourism operations jumped 22%.

The operator is relaunching its scenic service between Picton and Christchurch – two years after the devastating Kaikōura earthquake.

The government has provided $250K from its PGF for a feasibility study into a new passenger rail service on the West Coast.