All “Rail transport” topics

In Brett André’s interesting new book ‘Can’t Get There From Here: New Zealand Passenger Rail since 1920’ he argues that past managements and politicians have been half hearted in their approach to carrying people, and that with a bit of effort (and funding) we could see a resurgence in passenger rail in New Zealand.

New Zealand is at a junction when it comes to inter-regional public transport and passenger rail. Will it continue almost entirely focusing investment on urban passenger rail in the Auckland and Wellington regions? Or is there room to include passenger rail reconnecting regions to main urban areas and extending into a national network?

The RNIP is KiwiRail’s response to deliver on the Government’s strategic direction for rail, informed through the New Zealand Rail Plan and Government Policy Statement on Land Transport. The primary direction has been to invest in a resilient, reliable, and safe railway network.

Ministry of Transport Principal Policy Advisor Joanna Heard outlines the new planning and funding framework for rail.

KiwiRail Group Chief Executive Officer Greg Miller explains highlights of the latest “Value of Rail” report.

KiwiRail is carefully considering the He Pou A Rangi Climate Change Commission’sreport and is encouraged by the commission’s support for rail, and its recognition of the part rail can play in meeting the country’s commitment to reducing emissions.

Every day on average, somewhere in New Zealand, there is a near-miss on a railway line.

How did New Zealand’s transport modes fare during the lockdown period, and how are they recovering post Covid-19? How did they adapt to the requirements for social distancing and contactless payments? What innovations did they introduce and what role did technology play? CILT NZ spoke to a number of organisations and operators across the modes – air, sea, road and rail – to find out.

In December 2019, the draft New Zealand Rail Plan (‘the plan’) was released by the Government. It outlines the Government’s long-term vision and priorities for the future of the national rail network. This vision includes a national rail network that provides modern transit systems in our largest cities, and enables increased volumes of freight to be moved off the roads and onto rail.

The New Zealand government’s decision to invest $94.8 million to improve the rail line between Swanson and Whangarei in Northland underlines the clear vision it has for rail in New Zealand.

Work to complete the twin tunnels beneath the Auckland Chief Post Office in Lower Queen Street is nearing the final stages, with the intricate job of transferring the listed building onto its new permanent foundations successfully completed

How do we choose if we move freight by road, rail, or coastal shipping modes in New Zealand? Is the true cost of moving freight by each of these modes understood and factored into the decision on which mode is used, or are some costs not fully included in this decision?

The Kaikoura earthquake of 14 November 2016 devastated a large extent of the South Island east coast. It’s been a long road to restoration. Rob Merrifield’s article tells us what that restoration looks like, the challenges faced, and where it stands today. Photo by Glen Anthony.