KiwiRail and Fonterra are celebrating a full return of rail volume to Northland rail.
With the North Auckland Line reopening in September, Fonterra has gradually ramped up its rail volume to sixteen rail wagons per day.
According to Fonterra, each tonne of freight moved by rail results in a 70 per cent reduction in carbon emissions compared to road transport, supporting the dairy co-operative’s dedication to lowering its environmental impact while meeting the needs of its customers.
Fonterra’s Director of Global Supply Chain, Santiago Aon, said returning to full rail volume and transitioning away from the temporary road operation marks a significant milestone.
“Being able to return to rail in Northland helps to improve safety, reduce congestion, avoid carbon emissions and lower road maintenance costs for the region,” he added.
KiwiRail Chief Asset Development Officer David Gordon said the North Auckland Line has also undergone significant work to make it more resilient to future weather events.
This included improving culverts and drainage, strengthening slip-prone slopes and installing close to 500 metres of retaining structures.
“This milestone highlights the importance of this part of our network to Fonterra and the impact to them when it is not operational,” Gordon said.
“With the return of full rail volume, we are fully committed to ensuring our network’s resilience, providing consistently strong on-time performance, and delivering the significant Value of Rail benefits that are important to both Fonterra and its customers.
“Northland is a critical part of Fonterra’s New Zealand network, and we’ll be putting our best foot forward to support their operations and ESG goals.”
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