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Great Journeys New Zealand

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The Great Journeys of New Zealand
Company typeBrand
IndustryRail transport in New Zealand
Ferry transport
Founded2017
Headquarters
Wellington
,
New Zealand
Area served
New Zealand
ServicesLong-distance passenger trains, Inter-island passenger ferry
ParentKiwiRail (2017–present)
Websitehttps://www.greatjourneysofnz.co.nz/

The Great Journeys of New Zealand is the tourism division of KiwiRail that brings together its three Scenic train services (TranzAlpine, Northern Explorer and Coastal Pacific) with its passenger ferries business, Interislander. The new division was launched in May 2017 and replaced the former tourism brand, KiwiRail Scenic Journeys.[1]

History

Passenger trains in New Zealand were operated by the New Zealand Railways Department from 1880 to 1981, alongside private rail operators such as the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company. The Department was corporatised as the New Zealand Railways Corporation (NZRC) in 1982, and later reorganised as a state-owned enterprise in 1986. A consulting study commissioned by the NZRC and carried out by Booz Allen Hamilton recommended re-orientation of long-distance passenger services toward tourist operations.[2]

The Fourth Labour Government passed the New Zealand Railways Corporation Restructuring Act 1990 on 28 August of that year.[3] Two months later, on 28 October 1990, the New Zealand government removed core rail transport and shipping operations from the New Zealand Railways Corporation, creating a separate entity called New Zealand Rail Limited, a Crown Transferee company created under the Act. New Zealand Rail Limited's long-distance passenger trains carried the InterCity Rail branding. New Zealand Rail Limited was privatised and sold to a consortium named TranzRail Holdings Limited in 1993, and changed its name to Tranz Rail in 1995. As part of the rebranding exercise, InterCity Rail was renamed Tranz Scenic.

As part of a restructuring programme, in November 2001 Tranz Scenic was incorporated as stand-alone subsidiary Tranz Scenic (2001) Ltd. Tranz Rail sold 50% of Tranz Scenic to two directors of the Victoria, Australia, rail operator West Coast Railway for $33 million.[4] The sale included long-distance passenger rolling stock and ten diesel locomotives of the DC class (reclassified DCP), and two EF class electric locomotives. Tranz Rail was taken over by Australian transport firm Toll Holdings in 2003, and in July 2004 the 50% share of Tranz Scenic was purchased by Toll, as one of the West Coast Railway directors had died and the business was not performing adequately.[5]

The company was renamed Toll NZ and did not retain any of the Tranz Rail directors. In May 2008 the New Zealand Government agreed to buy the rail and sea transport assets of Toll NZ Limited for $665 million.[6] The government branded the new company KiwiRail.

In 2011, KiwiRail developed a new brand of passenger trains geared toward the increasing tourism industry in New Zealand. The new brand, named KiwiRail Scenic Journeys, was launched with a new breed of AK-class carriages designed to showcase New Zealand's scenery[7], as well as providing long-distance passenger train services. During the transformation, the TranzCoastal train was rebranded as the Coastal Pacific and the Overlander became the Northern Explorer; whereas the TranzAlpine's name was retained.[8]

Meanwhile, KiwiRail's ferry brand, Interislander, was building on its core business taking vehicles and freight across Cook Strait and looking to promote the trip as an iconic tourism experience and a scenic alternative to flying.

In 2017, KiwiRail decided to bring them together under one brand, The Great Journeys of New Zealand, which offers a connected passenger service throughout New Zealand, from Auckland to Greymouth, via train and ferry. The division is now experiencing rapid double digit annual growth, due to the growth of Chinese tourism to New Zealand, leading KiwiRail to announce that it may purchase eight AK-class carriages to add to the seventeen purchased in 2010.[9]

Services

Scenic trains

The Northern Explorer about to depart from Wellington Railway Station with new AK class carriages.
DCP 4761 in Tranz Scenic livery hauling the TranzAlpine.

The Great Journeys of New Zealand operates three Scenic trains services:

Line Frequency (each way) Calling at Notes
Coastal Pacific Daily (summer only) Picton, Blenheim, Seddon, Kaikoura, Waipara, Rangiora, Christchurch Suspended from November 2016 as a result of significant line damage from the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake. Expected to reopen 1 December 2018.[10]
Northern Explorer 6 per week, one-way only Auckland Strand, Papakura, Hamilton, Otorohanga, National Park, Ohakune, Palmerston North, Paraparaumu, Wellington Runs southbound from Auckland on Saturday, Monday and Thursday. Runs northbound from Wellington on Sunday, Tuesday and Friday. There is no service on Wednesday.
TranzAlpine Daily Christchurch, Rolleston, Darfield, Springfield, Arthur's Pass, Otira, Moana, Kokiri, Greymouth

Cook Strait ferries

Three Cook Strait passenger ferries operate under the brand Interislander:

Image Name Built Entered service Capacity Notes
Passengers Road Rail
DEV Aratere 1998 1999 600 + 31 crew 1050 lane metres 420 lane metres (32 wagons) Numbers are post 2011 modifications.
MS Kaiarahi 1998 2015 550 1900 none built 1998 as Dawn Merchant; chartered temporarily by Interislander in 2014 as Stena Alegra while Aratere was out of service, then chartered long-term in 2015 and renamed Kaiarahi
MV Kaitaki 1994 2005 1350 + 60 crew 1780 lane metres (550 cars) none built 1994 as Isle of Innisfree; chartered by Interislander in 2005 as Challenger; renamed Kaitaki 2007

KiwiRail Scenic Journeys's former Capital Connection train is not included in the Great Journeys of New Zealand brand. It is, however, operated by KiwiRail and subsidised by the Greater Wellington Regional Council as a long-distance commuter train.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ "The Great Journeys of New Zealand launch". Scoop Independent News.
  2. ^ Stott, Bob (1984). "Booz Allen report in summary". Rails: 217.
  3. ^ "New Zealand Railways Corporation Restructuring Act 1990". Government of New Zealand. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  4. ^ "Auckland rail deal clinched". New Zealand Herald. 24 December 2001. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
  5. ^ "Toll NZ buys back Tranz Scenic passenger services". 20 May 2004. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
  6. ^ "Rail buy back marks new sustainable transport era". 5 May 2008. Retrieved 5 May 2008.
  7. ^ "On Board Our Trains". Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  8. ^ "KiwiRail Scenic Journeys". Wikipedia. Wikipedia.
  9. ^ "KiwiRail may spend $50M on new carriages". 7 May 2017.
  10. ^ "Kaikoura earthquake rips through New Zealand". The Great Journeys of New Zealand. 19 July 2018.
  11. ^ "Regional Transport Committee 07 March 2017 PASSENGER RAIL WORKING PARTY UPDATE" (PDF). Horizons Regional Council.
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