1st March 2024 KiwiRail / Rail“Our scenic tourism business provided a highlight, with a return to 70% of pre-Covid passenger levels,” says the rail and ferry operator.
16th February 2024 Ferry / KiwiRailAn independent ministerial advisory group led by Nelson Airport’s chief executive Mark Thompson has been set up to determine the future of KiwiRail’s Interislander service.
14th February 2024 Interislander / KiwiRailKiwiRail is in talks to cancel its contract with shipbuilder Hyundai for two new hybrid ferries.
23rd January 2024 KiwiRail / RailKiwiRail and Metlink are temporarily suspending Wellington rail services on the Hutt Valley, Melling and Wairarapa lines from today to conduct urgent inspections on overhead power cables.
18th January 2024 Interislander / KiwiRailMaritime NZ is prosecuting KiwiRail over the Kaitaki ferry’s loss of power close to the Wellington coast last summer.
15th January 2024 Interislander / KiwiRailThe government will set up an expert advisory group to provide it with independent advice on KiwiRail’s Interislander ferry service.
15th January 2024 KiwiRail / RailKiwiRail says it is “beyond thrilled” to represent New Zealand in being featured on The New York Times’ 52 places to go in 2024 list.
14th December 2023 KiwiRail / RailGreat Journeys New Zealand’s Coastal Pacific scenic train has launched its Scenic Plus premium dining experience and returned to a full seven-day service.
13th December 2023 Interislander / KiwiRailThe Interislander operator abandons its upgrade project after the govt rejects a funding request citing ballooning costs of $3bn.
25th October 2023 KiwiRail / Te HuiaThe Te Huia passenger train between Hamilton and Auckland will run additional weekday and weekend services from February next year.
19th October 2023 KiwiRail / RailRail networks in Auckland and Wellington will be closed over Labour Weekend to enable KiwiRail to conduct line works.
3rd October 2023 KiwiRailThe SOE’s scenic train operations saw revenue jump more than 600% in FY23.
25th September 2023 KiwiRail / RailGreat Journeys New Zealand has restarted the Coastal Pacific train that runs along the South Island’s east coast.
5th September 2023 KiwiRailKiwiRail has made four improvements to its track evaluation car (TEC) procedures to ensure further disruptions to its network are avoided.
30th August 2023 KiwiRail / RailPassenger numbers on the Te Huia train between Hamilton and Auckland hit a high in August despite major disruptions to the service in July.
2nd August 2023 KiwiRailKiwiRail’s TranzAlpine scenic train is putting on a special journey to commemorate the 100th anniversary of a crucial tunnel link between the West Coast and the South Island.
28th July 2023 KiwiRail / RailKiwiRail and Waikato Regional Council will mark Te Huia’s return to central Auckland with free tickets for a week.
17th July 2023 KiwiRail / RailThe Waikato Chamber of Commerce has asked WorkSafe to investigate the reasons why Waka Kotahi has banned the Te Huia passenger train from entering Auckland’s metro rail network.
12th July 2023 KiwiRail / RailThe Te Huia passenger train between Hamilton and Auckland has been banned from entering the city’s metro network, and will instead stop at Papakura rather than its usual termination point at The Strand in Parnell.
11th July 2023 KiwiRail / RailA new memorial at Ongarue in the Manawatu district has been unveiled to mark 100 years since the derailment of a train that killed 17 people and seriously injured 28 others.
10th July 2023 KiwiRail / RailA passenger rail service between Auckland and Wellington could potentially undermine KiwiRail’s Northern Explorer scenic train, according to feedback in a report from the Transport and Infrastructure Committee.
20th June 2023 Ferry / KiwiRailKiwiRail plans to sell its Valentine ferry to free up funding and crew for further passenger and freight ferries.
2nd June 2023 KiwiRail / ToursKiwiRail’s Great Journeys New Zealand has added new rail-based tourism packages to its TranzAlpine experience to encourage visitors to explore the West Coast.
8th May 2023 Interislander / KiwiRailAn investigation into a power outage on Interislander’s Kaitaki ferry on 28 January 2023 has found that KiwiRail did not correctly follow its own equipment replacement processes.
4th May 2023 KiwiRail / RailThe Transport Accident Investigation Commission has warned of growing climate change risk to New Zealand’s rail infrastructure following a derailment.
2nd May 2023 KiwiRail / RailDisruption to KiwiRail’s Wellington network and services such as the Northern Explorer due to a faulty track evaluation car could be over by the end of the week.
1st May 2023 KiwiRail / RailScenic train journeys on the Northern Explorer will be slower on trips between Wellington and Auckland from today.
20th April 2023 KiwiRailKiwiRail has been fined $350,000 and ordered to pay $30,000 in reparations after a worker was injured on an Interislander ferry.
14th March 2023 KiwiRail / RailKiwiRail’s tourist trains generated $9.3m in revenue for the half year to December 2022, up from the $1.8m reported for the previous Covid-impacted corresponding period.
6th March 2023 International Women's Day / KiwiRailTo mark International Women’s Day this week, the Ticker is publishing a series of articles from women leaders in tourism and will look at the state of equality in the sector.
3rd March 2023 Interislander / KiwiRailThe Interislander ferry Kaitaki will resume passenger services tomorrow following the go-ahead from independent assessors and Maritime New Zealand.
28th February 2023 Ferry / KiwiRailThe Cook Strait operators are accused of flouting compensation rules but they may not have to meet the same standard as airlines.
23rd February 2023 Bluebridge / KiwiRailConsumer New Zealand has criticised Interislander and Bluebridge for failing to do enough to help customers impacted by Cook Strait ferry mechanical failures.
9th February 2023 Interislander / KiwiRailA redesign of the Interislander website aims to improve the customer experience for ferry passengers.
3rd February 2023 Interislander / KiwiRailInterislander is putting on additional sailings of Aratere and Valentine to help meet increased demand for ferries across the Cook Strait.
1st February 2023 Interislander / KiwiRailA fault in an engine cooling system has been identified as the issue that caused KiwiRail’s Kaitaki ferry to lose power and drift across the Cook Strait on Saturday.
31st January 2023 Ferry / KiwiRailThe Maritime Union has criticised the failure of an engine in the Kaitaki ferry as being an indication of an aging fleet.
26th January 2023 Interislander / KiwiRailInterislander facilities will also be able to accommodate two new larger ferries, with diesel and electric hybrid capabilities.
19th January 2023 Auckland Transport / KiwiRail / RailAuckland’s rail network will shut down over the upcoming Anniversary Weekend, says KiwiRail.
7th December 2022 KiwiRailCrowds have gathered in Taumarunui to celebrate the return of the Northern Explorer at a station-side party.
23rd November 2022 KiwiRailKiwiRail’s network-wide rail holiday shutdown in Auckland will take place from 26 December until 15 January to allow workers to conduct network maintenance.
17th November 2022 KiwiRail / Visit RuapehuCentral North Island operators in the Ruapehu region and Taumarunui are set to benefit from the scenic train’s visits.
26th October 2022 KiwiRailKiwiRail will be hoping for a strong rebound in its tourist trains business after revenue fell to $3.5m for the year to June 2022 – the lowest recorded during the pandemic .
19th October 2022 Incident / KiwiRailKiwiRail and Higgins Towing Services have been sentenced and fined in the Wellington District Court for failing to provide a safe working environment.
7th October 2022 KiwiRailKiwiRail will remain a state-owned enterprise to focus on transitioning its above-rail business to be financially self-sufficient, says the government.
3rd October 2022 KiwiRailKiwiRail has reported a surplus of $133.9m for the year to 30 June 2022 in what it called a difficult operating environment.
23rd September 2022 Incident / KiwiRailKiwiRail has undertaken safety reviews and made improvements to its shunting and coupling processes for transferring rail wagons to ferries, following a Transport Accident Investigation Commission inquiry.
15th September 2022 KiwiRailKiwiRail is getting a new system that will enable its train control team to manage the rail network simultaneously from Auckland and Wellington.
13th September 2022 Interislander / KiwiRailInterislander has reportedly paid €5.2m (NZ$8.6m) for the purchase of the Valentine freighter ferry to ensure capacity for customers as it prepares for the pre-Christmas demand.
12th September 2022 Interislander / KiwiRailThe Interislander’s Kaiarahi ferry is back on the water for sea trials after a major gearbox failure took it out of service in August 2021.
