TranzCoastal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The TranzCoastal is a long-distance passenger train between Picton and Christchurch in the South Island of New Zealand. The service is operated by Tranz Scenic. It was known as the Coastal Pacific at the time of its introduction.
In April 2006, Toll Rail announced [1] the sale of the TranzCoastal along with the TranzAlpine.
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[edit] History
Before the Main North Line was completed, the open sections were served by mixed trains and the Culverden Express. On 15 December 1945, the Main North Line was completed and the Picton Express began operating, providing a direct daily service between Picton and Christchurch. However, in January 1946, the Picton Express was cut to operating just thrice weekly, and its popularity and profitability declined. In February 1956, the Picton Express was withdrawn and replaced by a more regular railcar service, utilising RM class 88 seaters. When these railcars wore out in the 1970s, carriage trains were re-introduced to the route and they were sometimes also known as the Picton Express.
[edit] Route
The service runs daily between Christchurch and Picton, New Zealand, passing through Kaikoura and Blenheim, following the portion of the South Island Main Trunk known as the Main North Line. It was introduced on Sunday, 25 September 1988 and timetabled to complete its journey either way in 5 hours and 20 minutes. The present timetable allows for the northbound journey to take 5 hours and 13 minutes and the southbound journey to take 5 hours and 21 minutes.
[edit] Rolling stock
From 1982 until 1988, the service, known then as the (out and back) Picton Express, initially shared the same 12 former second class 56 foot long carriages, 56' guard's van and six 50' wooden box wagons turned parcels vans as the then (out and back from both end stations simultaneously) Greymouth or West Coast Expresses. All these cars and wagons were painted bright red and had wall-to-wall carpet, fluorescent strip lights and later, from Addington Workshops, a new design of seat installed. Cars with luggage spaces each sat 46. Passenger-only cars seated 52. During 1984-1985, while the red Picton/Greymouth cars were being fitted out with new seats, three Southerner cars and a modular van for baggage were utilised on this train.
[edit] Re-Equipping
In 1987, due to the need to re-equip the deteriorating yellow Northerner trains, cars were reallocated and refurbished to cover this and, hopefully, bring the travelling public back to rail at the same time.
With this change, the last three original Southerner day cars remaining were refurbished to the same design as the three "big window" cars serving on the TranzAlpine and the sole Connoisseur car. Two cars seated 51 each in the same seats designed by Addington Workshops, which were reupholstered and re-arranged, alcove-style, around tables. The third car became a 31 seat servery/observation car fitted similar to its Alpine counterpart, but with detail differences in the buffet counter area. A Mitsubishi - built modular van was fitted with an 11kW petrol generator at the handbrake end for power/baggage duties.
Like the TranzAlpine, the new panorama Picton train became a favourite for rail travellers, yet did not quite attract the level of popularity its Greymouth equivalent did. In 1993, a "backpackers" car (a former red Picton/Greymouth car with luggage space at one end) was introduced, to the train traveller looking for a cheaper option. This premise proved popular, as did conveying up to five wagons enabled to travel at 100km/h conveying priority freight for the North Island or deep South. In the early 1990s, the panorama cars were equipped with pressure ventilation like the Bay Express cars and the TranzAlpine rear view/observation car.
[edit] Connoisseur Service
On Monday, January 19, 1987, a private tourism firm leased a 29 later 45 seat single-lavatory later South Island Main Trunk Main South Line first class car refurbished in 1970 for the Southerner and attached it to the Picton train initially, before expanding their operation to include the Greymouth and later the Invercargill runs. It was marketed as a luxury carriage, even though it only offered the same level of comfort as other Southerner cars, yet the service afforded was higher standard. Originally named the Connoisseurs' Express car, it was heavily refurbished to offer a superior quality service and renamed The Connoisseur car.
[edit] Rebranding and Re-Equipping
During 1996, the original TranzAlpine servery/observation car was thoroughly overhauled and air-conditioning installed, and this car, along with the two former Lynx Express cars and the car with luggage space became permanently assigned to this train. The backpackers' car was later replaced by the only former Southerner, later Northerner car to escape rebuilding as a panorama car or scrapping. It was fitted out with 47 of the same type of seat, designed at Addington, it formerly had in the mid to late 1980s, all seats facing toward the two centre tables, one on both sides of the aisle of the car, and became the new backpackers' car. Also, the former Connoisseur car, thoroughly refurbished the year before with air conditioning installed, assumed regular duty on this service. The Lynx Express power/baggage van, and later the first of the 90kW NIMT power/baggage vans were also permanently allocated to this service. Later, the second backpacker car had air conditioning installed, then, in late 2003, was transferred north for use on North Island Overlander/Northerner long distance or Masterton/Wairarapa Connection commuter services. It never returned.
The power/baggage van fitted out for the initial third NIMT passenger trainset in 1992, had its central and one end module converted into an open viewing area, while the other end module remained as is for luggage.
[edit] See also
[edit] External link
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