Below Rail Infrastructure, Freight Rail, Passenger Rail

Napier-Gisborne operations go to tender

KiwiRail is inviting tenders from tourism and freight rail operators for the opportunity to run services on the Napier-Gisborne rail line on the east coast of the North Island.

Almost three years ago, KiwiRail said that the line would be mothballed due to the costs of repairing storm damage and maintaining the rail line over coming years.

But now the state-owned rail company has put out this Request for Proposal (RFP), after several companies reportedly expressed an interest in the line.

Part of the Palmerston North-Gisborne line, the Napier-Gisborne line runs along the North Island’s eastern coastline, between the port towns of Napier, to the south, and Gisborne, to the north.

KiwiRail’s GM for asset management, engineering and innovation David Gordon said on Tuesday the tender is an opportunity for the company to work with other interested parties to investigate alternative uses on the line.

“A number of people have expressed interest and we hope to receive some high quality, commercially viable bids through the tender process,” Gordon said.

Tender documents are now available on the Government Electronic Tenders Service (GETS).  Tenders close on 10 September 2015, with final decisions expected to be announced by mid-October.

KiwiRail said on the GETS website the RFP is being conducted so the rail company can “identify organisations interested in and capable of running a rail based freight or tourism operation,” and/or “identify different methods of providing such services”.

Click here for tender information.