| Type | Brand |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport in New Zealand |
| Founded | 1987 (As InterCity Rail) |
| Headquarters | Wellington, New Zealand |
| Area served | New Zealand |
| Services | Long-distance passenger trains |
| Parent | KiwiRail |
| Website | http://www.tranzscenic.co.nz |
Tranz Scenic is the long-distance passenger train brand of KiwiRail, formed from the New Zealand Railways Corporation InterCity Rail services. Tranz Scenic was renamed along with the other operating divisions of Tranz Rail in 1995. In 2001 Tranz Rail created a subsidiary company, Tranz Scenic 2001 Ltd, and sold 50% of it to two directors of the Victoria, Australia rail operator West Coast Railway. A number of services were discontinued then, despite protests. After Toll Holdings purchased Tranz Rail in 2003 it purchased the 50% share of Tranz Scenic 2001 Ltd and absorbed it into Toll Rail. In 2008 Toll Rail was taken over by the New Zealand government.
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In 2004 Tranz Scenic withdrew the Northerner overnight Auckland-Wellington service, citing poor patronage. This was the last overnight service in New Zealand. Tranz Scenic also reduced the number of stations served by the Overlander service on the North Island Main Trunk.
In April 2006, Toll NZ announced that it was proposing to[1] sell its two South Island trains, the TranzAlpine and the TranzCoastal. In July the end of The Overlander service was announced, but after significant protest and an increase in patronage (due to the publicity) the service continued, operating on Friday, Saturday and Sunday during winter and daily in peak summer. In 2009 an increase in 7 day a week Overlander operations was announced, a result of increasing passenger numbers.
Tranz Scenic is also trialling services with its refurbished Silver Fern railcar to destinations such as Napier and Gisborne as part of its Explore By Rail trips. Other special Silver Fern tours include a Queen's Birthday day tour to Napier and a tour to the Tui brewery via the Manawatu Gorge. Past trips included an Easter Weekend trip to Gisborne, Valentine's Weekend and ANZAC Weekend tours to central North Island. If these services continue to be successful, more trips may be run.
The TranzScenic brand and blue livery will be replaced with a new silver livery with straight KiwiRail branding with the introduction of the new AK carriages on the TranzAlpine and TranzCoastal services.[2]
The Capital Connection: refurbished 1970s NZR British Rail Mark 2 carriages.
The Overlander, The TranzAlpine and The TranzCoastal: NZR 56-foot carriages, most dating from the 1940s. They were extensively refurbished in the late 1980s, receiving new bogies and panoramic windows. The capital expenditure required for their replacement is seen as a major impediment to the future of the operation.
In March 2009 the New Zealand government confirmed NZ$39.9 million funding for a new fleet of 17 modern tourist carriages, to be used on the TranzAlpine and TranzCoastal routes. The AK Class are the first new passenger carriages to be entirely designed and built in New Zealand for many years. The AK Class is currently under construction at KiwiRail's Hillside Workshops in Dunedin.
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