The Great Journeys of New Zealand
 | |
| Brand | |
| Industry |
Rail transport in New Zealand Ferry transport |
| Founded | 2017 |
| Headquarters | Wellington, New Zealand |
Area served | New Zealand |
| Services | Long-distance passenger trains, Inter-island passenger ferry |
| Parent | KiwiRail (2017 - present) |
| Website | https://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 replaces the former tourism brand, KiwiRail Scenic Journeys[1].
History
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 Scenic carriages designed to showcase New Zealand's scenery, 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.[2]
Meanwhile, KiwiRail's ferry brand, Interislander, was building on its core business taking vehicles and freight across the 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.
Services
Scenic trains
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 early-mid 2018. |
| 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 |
See also
References
- ↑ "The Great Journeys of New Zealand launch". Scoop Independent News.
- ↑ "KiwiRail Scenic Journeys". Wikipedia. Wikipedia.