Two years after the Kaikoura earthquake suspended its operations, New Zealand’s Coastal Pacific scenic train services will start up again on the Main North Line from the beginning of December this year.
Landslides from the earthquake in November 2016 significantly damaged the rail line, leading to the suspension of the Coastal Pacific along with freight rail services.
While freight trains are now running again on the Main North Line, Coastal Pacific operator KiwiRail has postponed the return of the scenic train service, which runs between Christchurch and Picton via the Kaikoura coastline. From 1 December, however, the iconic journey will once again be open to passengers.
KiwiRail’s Alan Piper said that the operator will be expecting high patronage numbers upon its reopening.
“We are delighted to confirm this well-loved service will be running again this summer, allowing thousands of travellers from around the world to once again enjoy this spectacular coastline by train,” Alan Piper.
“This will be very welcome news for the people of Kaikoura, as the Coastal Pacific plays a critical role in the local economy by bringing thousands of tourists into the area.”
Prior to the Kaikoura earthquake, approximately 43,000 passengers rode the Coastal Pacific during the summer season, reportedly spending around spending $35 million in the Marlborough and Kaikoura regions.
Piper said that, while the Coastal Pacific had been out of action, KiwiRail’s other scenic tourist services – the South Island TranzAlpine and the North Island Northern Explorer – had experienced a 10% boost in passenger growth.
“Our scenic trains play an important role in getting domestic and international tourists out into often hard to reach regions, and are becoming increasingly popular,” he said.
“Having the service back up and running reconnects our journeys across New Zealand allowing people to travel from Auckland to Christchurch and across to the West Coast by train and ferry.”
The Coastal Pacific will run from December until late April 2019, departing from Christchurch each morning (with the exception of Christmas Day) and returning from Picton each afternoon.
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