Major Milestone For Palmerston North Rail Hub

KiwiRail’s Regional Freight Hub in Palmerston North has taken a strong step forward, with its designation being confirmed.

The planned 175 hectare rail-road hub on the northern edge of the city is an important part of Te Utanganui, the Central New Zealand Distribution Hub – a unique multi modal freight distribution hub consisting of rail, road, air and sea connections. Te Utanganui is already home to major distribution warehouses and development of the KiwiRail rail hub is expected to further increase the desirability of businesses locating within the area.

Executive General Manager Property Anna Allen says KiwiRail had received $40 million seed funding through the Government’s Provincial Growth Fund in 2018, which has allowed us to get to this stage.

“We have completed the high-level design (Master Plan) of the Hub, begun purchasing land for it and now had it’s footprint designated for rail use,” she says.

“Palmerston North is already a major logistics centre for central New Zealand, and Te Utanganui is aimed at taking that to the next level.

“Our Regional Freight Hub will make sure rail is a part of that growth, and that growing freight movements in the decades ahead benefit from the low transport emissions train’s offer.”

Ms Allen says KiwiRail is currently working on an investment case to build the Hub. The Hub would be built in stages over the coming decades and KiwiRail was aiming to start enabling works for the first stage from 2027.

“The Regional Freight Hub is a major infrastructure project, that will allow us to grow rail freight for the next 100 years. There is still a lot of work to do behind the scenes and we expect it will be a few years before there are spades in the ground.

“We are committed to meeting the conditions of our designation and will be working with mana whenua and other iwi and hapū and establishing a community liaison group, to ensure our key stakeholders remain involved as we progress.”

David Murphy, Chief Planning Officer for Palmerston North City Council, says the future KiwiRail development will be a welcome addition to Te Utanganui, which is a collaboration between PNCC, Manawatū District Council, and CEDA, in partnership with Rangitāne o Manawatū. Already located within the freight hub is Palmerston North Airport, and large format transport, warehousing and logistics operations.

“Te Utanganui is set to grow as more land is zoned for development, with the KiwiRail hub a significant contributor to that growth.

“Complementing the Golden Triangle (Auckland – Hamilton- Tauranga) and the southern Christchurch node, Te Utanganui will act as the third node in New Zealand’s national transport and freight network in the heart of the country.”

More information about the Regional Freight Hub, including FAQs about the designation and next steps, is available at:

https://www.kiwirail.co.nz/our-network/our-regions/regional-freight-hub/

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