100 Extra New Wagons For The Rail Network

MEDIA RELEASE
[ 30 October 2008

100 Extra New Wagons For The Rail Network

Capacity on New Zealand's rail network has now increased thanks to the addition of 100 new generation rail wagons that have come into commission with KiwiRail this week.

The real advantage of these new IM wagons is that one wagon alone can carry over 53 tonnes and that compares to 44 tonne for the average truck. One wagon can take the equivalent of either three 20-foot containers or one 40-foot container and one 20-foot container.In the past the older UK wagons could only carry one 40-foot container equivalent.

This will encourage more freight onto rail and off New Zealand roads.60 of the new wagons will be used on the KiwiRail and the Port of Tauranga's Metroport service while the remaining 40 and the released wagons will go into the general wagon fleet.

Currently three trains travel daily between MetroPort Auckland and the Port of Tauranga,. Each train up until now has carried 94 twenty-foot equivalent containers while the extra wagons will see this increase to 109 per train.

KiwiRail Group General Manager Lloyd Major says, the train plan that has been running up until now has been able to cope with demand, but at certain peak times of the year deliveries from Tauranga into Auckland have taken longer than we would have liked for our customers. These new wagons will alleviate that problem.

"Also having the extra 40 wagons go into the general fleet as we head into the peak pre Christmas season will also enhance the service we are able to give the growing numbers of customers who are now using rail," says Mr Major.

Port of Tauranga Chief Executive Mark Cairns says, he is delighted to see the 60 new wagons being commissioned onto the MetroPort Auckland service.

"The new wagons, combined with the three passing loop extensions currently being constructed between Hamilton and Tauranga, will provide a significant new tranche of capacity, guaranteeing improved service delivery for Auckland importers", says Mr Cairns.

"Rail continues to be an integral part of the Port of Tauranga's business model with approximately 40% of all cargo moving into and out of the Port by rail. The introduction of these new wagons is another example of the excellent partnership that exists with KiwiRail."

Mr Cairns says,growing a further 23% last year, MetroPort Auckland is now a well established component in New Zealand's Supply Chain, moving over 170,000 teus (twenty foot container equivalents) into and out of the greater Auckland Region.

ENDS

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