Two new Interislander ferries will enter service on the Cook Strait by Christmas 2029, New Zealand officials said.
The ferries will be about 200 meters long and about 28 meters wide, longer and wider than the current Interislander fleet of three, New Zealand Minister of Rail Winston Peters said in remarks delivered in the Legislative Council Chamber of Parliament in Wellington. Both ferries will have a capacity of 1,500 passengers and space for 40 rail wagons.
“Road-only ferries would require us to reconfigure the whole operation, at considerable costs,” Peters said.
“Road and rail ferries mean we shunt large freight volumes in single movements,” Peters added. “That saves time, and time is money.”
KiwiRail welcomed the news.
“As New Zealand’s only company moving freight by rail, KiwiRail is particularly happy to see that specifications are for rail-enabled ferries which will ensure the lowest operating cost for rail freight and increased capacity for road transport operators,” KiwiRail Chief Executive Peter Reidy said in a statement.
“The decision to go with rail-enabled ferries gives our freight customers the confidence to include rail in their investment decisions enabling them to release capital to higher earning alternatives,” Reidy added.
