Operations Rail transport in New Zealand

1 operations

1.1 freight
1.2 long-distance passenger services
1.3 suburban passenger services

operations
freight


the freight marshaling yard in dunedin



an ef class locomotive in tranz rail bumble-bee livery hauling container wagons on north island main trunk



dxb 5143 @ wellington railway station on 1 july 2008 @ launch of kiwirail.



the coastal pacific service arriving @ picton.



a veolia-operated adl class dmu @ britomart transport centre, auckland.



a tranz metro fp/ft class emu @ wellington railway station, 9 september 2010.



a j class locomotive on excursion. photo joseph christianson

freight operations carried out kiwirail, , provides overwhelming majority of revenue traffic. freight bulk traffic geared towards export industries, general freight being largely restricted containerised , palletised products on trunk route. major bulk freight includes coal, lime, steel, wood , wood products, paper pulp, dry , liquid milk, cars, fertiliser, grain , shipping containers.

freight levels have returned level @ when railway had virtual monopoly, prior 1983. in 1980 11.8 million tonnes of freight moved rail, in 1994 had decreased 9.4 million tonnes. 1999 tonnes carried had increased 12.9 million tonnes, more 1975 peak. in 2006 – 2007 financial year, 13.7 million tonnes of freight carried. equated 3.96 million net tonne kilometres (or amount of tonnes of traffic gained in 2008 – 2009 compared amount of traffic hauled in 2006 – 2007 year) in 2008 – 2009 financial year, 15% of total freight market.

in recent years amount of freight moved rail has increased substantially, , started gain market share in non-bulk areas well. freight on north island main trunk line between auckland , palmerston north saw increase of 39% in freight volumes between 2006 , 2007. 5 daily trains on 667 km line reduced truck volumes on route around 120 per day. in 2008, government proposed spend $150m enlarge tunnels bigger iso containers operating.

a 2008 study ministry of transport predicted 2031 rail freight volumes increase 23 million tonnes per annum, or 70% on 2006 – 2007 financial year.

long-distance passenger services

as of 2017, there 4 long-distance passenger routes: northern explorer between auckland , wellington, capital connection between wellington , palmerston north, coastal pacific between picton , christchurch, , tranzalpine between christchurch , greymouth. operated great journeys of new zealand (formerly kiwirail scenic journeys), division of kiwirail, , tourism focused (except capital connection, commuter service). passenger numbers increasing , in 2017, kiwirail scenic journeys relaunched great journeys of new zealand , proposed increase in carriage numbers.

the taieri gorge railway operate tourist trains out of dunedin, frequent services on former central otago line , occasional services north dunedin palmerston.

in 1950s , 1960s, provincial routes had railcar , locomotive-hauled passenger services. in 1965, 25 million passengers travelled rail; 1998 number had decreased 11.7 million. number of services came end in 2000s, including waikato connection between hamilton , auckland, kaimai express between auckland , tauranga, geyserland express between auckland , rotorua, bay express between wellington , napier, southerner between christchurch , invercargill , northerner night service between auckland , wellington.

suburban passenger services

currently, auckland , wellington have suburban passenger services. in both cities respective local governments own suburban passenger rolling stock, , contract operation of services transdev.

the wellington suburban network has 5 lines: johnsonville, kapiti, melling, hutt valley , wairarapa. july 2016, services have been operated transdev wellington. prior transdev, kiwirail s tranz metro division had contract. wellington s suburban rolling stock consists of electric multiple units, diesel locomotive-hauled carriage trains used on wairarapa service. of rolling stock (except diesel locomotives) owned greater wellington rail limited, subsidiary of greater wellington regional council. transdev wellington contracts kiwirail provide , operate required diesel locomotives.

auckland s network consists of 4 lines: southern, eastern, western , onehunga. services on these lines provided electric trains, conversion diesel being completed end of 2015 exception of non-electrified section of track between papakura , pukekohe, diesel train shuttle service operates. 9 years tranz metro operated suburban passenger services in auckland, in mid-2004 connex (later veolia, transdev) won contract run them. in recent years mothballed onehunga branch reopened (2010) , new line built (manukau branch, opened april 2012). recent major projects include electrification of auckland suburban network , building of city rail link. auckland rolling stock owned auckland transport (at) fund services.

christchurch , dunedin formerly had suburban services, withdrawn due lack of patronage. in 1938, wellington became second city (after christchurch) have electric suburban trains, , 1970 2014 city them.