New Zealand operator KiwiRail says patronage on its Coastal Pacific service rose 9 per cent in its December-March run, following a two-year hiatus due to the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake.
The earthquake at the end of 2016 shut down the South Island’s Main North Line for the majority of 2017.
The Coastal Pacific service returned to the line for the first time on December 1, 2018. The service travels along the Main North Line between Christchurch and Picton.
With early figures showing the 9 per cent rise in patronage since last time the Coastal Pacific operated, KiwiRail’s head of Tourism Ahleen Rayner said New Zealanders and international tourists alike were clearly happy with the opportunity to once again travel by rail along the Kaikoura coastline.
“The return of the Coastal Pacific has exceeded our expectations, with around 27,380 passengers travelling between December and March,” Rayner said.
“This is especially impressive given that the booking window was considerably shorter than it normally would have been, with the Coastal Pacific’s return announced only months before it resumed.
“The success of this season underlines the potential we see in this much-loved service, which is in line for a major expansion.”
The New Zealand Government in 2018 announced it would invest $40 million through the Provincial Growth Fund to introduce new premium carriages on the Coastal Pacific, and make it a year-round service.
KiwiRail listed a number of interesting tidbits recorded so far in the Coastal Pacific’s return. It said nearly 22,000 cups of tea and coffee had been served so far, along with almost 5,000 bottles of wine, 4,568 bottles of beer, 5,788 sandwiches (ham, cheese and egg the most popular filling), 1,774 pies, 1,077 cheese platters, and almost 6,000 ice creams.
The busiest day of the season was 29 December, with 258 passengers total.
The Coastal Pacific will return on 27 September 2019.