All “Rail transport” topics

The Cook Strait, a vital maritime link between New Zealand’s North and South Islands, has long been served by ferries that transport passengers, vehicles, and freight. Over the years, the Government has undertaken various initiatives to modernise this essential service, addressing challenges related to aging vessels and infrastructure. But recent attempts to address this particular piece in the country’s supply chain have gone awry, causing headaches for the Coalition Government.

This article explores the impact of globalisation from a railway signalling perspective, through a New Zealand lens.

Located at the Ashburton Business Estate, just north of Ashburton and adjacent to State Highway 1, the Fairfield Freight Hub has received glowing praise from importers and exporters throughout the motu – providing an alternative and reliable mode of transport via rail.

Imagine trying to build a house without a plan. It’d be a disaster. Building a transport network is no different, except that it needs to be detailed, thorough, and robust. A plan has been developed and it is called “Arataki”.

Rail travel will not succeed without government support, but it will also not succeed without a strong private sector, Dr Duncan Connors says.

The Future Is Rail Conference’s aim was to provide an opportunity to develop a shared vision of the contribution that a rebuilding of inter-regional and long-distance passenger rail services would make to creating a more sustainable future through reducing carbon emissions and increasing mobility choices for New Zealanders, especially those living regionally. Its high-level purpose was to be a day of big ideas on passenger rail and how New Zealand could turn them into reality.

During January and February, the North Island was subject to three severe weather events (as defined in the Severe Weather Emergency Recovery Legislation Act 2023): Cyclone Hale, from 8 – 12 January, the Auckland Anniversary Day storm from 26 January – 3 February, and Cyclone Gabrielle from 12 – 16 February. All of them affected the railway system, but most of the impact was from Gabrielle.

Murray King talks to Peter Reidy, back at KiwiRail since August 2022 as CEO, to find out what’s coming down the line for the company.

Kiwirail recently announced that major work will be required to bring the formation of the Auckland Rail Network up to scratch, ready for the workload that the City Rail Link (CRL) will impose on it, and for future growth beyond that. Logistics & Transport NZ caught up with KiwiRail’s Chief Operating Officer Capital Projects David Gordon to talk about the project, known as the Rail Network Rebuild (RNR).

The City Rail Link is now past the halfway mark and has achieved some significant milestones this year. Catch up with Dr Sean Sweeney as he summarises achievements to date, which include completing the final of four tunnel breakthroughs at Te Waihorotiu Station in Auckland.

Freight has been a prominent agenda item for South Island regional councillors in recent months. Supply chain disruptions and the recent government direction to reduce transport-sector greenhouse gas emissions have heightened interest in the topic.

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.