Category: Regional Transport
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What Happened To Christchurch’s Commuter Trains (Part 1)
On 30 April 1976, the last remaining commuter train service in North Canterbury, the Christchurch to Rangiora workers’ train service, closed down. Since that time there have been no commuter train services operated in the Christchurch area. The commuter trains in Canterbury, which at one point included New Zealand’s first electric train passenger network, were…
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Gisborne Line Saga Dates Back 40 Years
The debate over the viability and future of the Gisborne Line is not new and dates back 40 years. Having that knowledge will aid considerably in understanding the relevance and context of ongoing discussion over the railway between Napier and Gisborne. The Napier Gisborne Line (part of the Palmerston North Gisborne Line) opened in 1942.…
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Government Announces New Trains For Lower North Island
An article in Stuff’s Wellington newspaper, The Post, announced today that the government’s 2023 budget will including funding for 18 hybrid trains for the Kapiti and Wairarapa line services in the lower North Island. These trains run on the Wairarapa Line from Wellington to Masterton (excluding the Wellington commuter network) (The Wairarapa Connection services) and…