Tranz Scenic

Type	Private company
Founded	1987 (As InterCity Rail)
Headquarters	Wellington, New Zealand
Area served	New Zealand
Industry	Transport in New Zealand
Services	Long-distance passenger trains
Parent	KiwiRail
Website	http://www.tranzscenic.co.nz

Tranz Scenic is the long-distance passenger train brand of KiwiRail, formed from the New Zealand Railways Corporation InterCity Rail services. Tranz Scenic was renamed along with the other operating divisions of Tranz Rail in 1995. In 2001 Tranz Rail created a subsidiary company, Tranz Scenic 2001 Ltd, and sold 50% of it to two directors of the Victoria, Australia rail operator West Coast Railway. A number of services were discontinued then, despite protests. After Toll Holdings purchased Tranz Rail in 2003 it purchased the 50% share of Tranz Scenic 2001 Ltd and absorbed it into Toll Rail.

Contents 1 Services 1.1 Current trains 1.2 Former trains 1.2.1 Withdrawn 1995 1.2.2 Withdrawn 2001 1.2.3 Withdrawn 2002 1.2.4 Withdrawn 2004 2 Rolling stock 3 See also 4 External links 5 References

[edit] Services

In 2004 Tranz Scenic withdrew the Northerner overnight Auckland-Wellington service, citing poor patronage. This was the last overnight service in New Zealand. Tranz Scenic also reduced the number of stations served by the Overlander service on the North Island Main Trunk.

In April 2006, Toll NZ announced that it was proposing to^[1] sell its two South Island trains, the TranzAlpine and the TranzCoastal. In July the end of The Overlander service was announced, but after significant protest and an increase in patronage (due to the publicity) the service continued, operating on Friday, Saturday and Sunday during winter and daily in peak summer.

Wikinews has related news: Toll to cancel Overlander train service

[edit] Current trains

• The Capital Connection: Palmerston North-Wellington, Monday-Friday
• The Overlander: Auckland-Wellington, daily in summer, Friday-Sunday in winter
• The TranzAlpine: Christchurch-Greymouth, daily
• The TranzCoastal: Christchurch-Picton, daily

[edit] Former trains

[edit] Withdrawn 1995

• The Lynx Express: Picton-Christchurch

[edit] Withdrawn 2001

• The Bay Express: Wellington-Napier
• The Geyserland: Auckland-Rotorua
• The Kaimai Express: Auckland-Tauranga
• The Waikato Connection: Hamilton-Auckland

[edit] Withdrawn 2002

• The Southerner: Christchurch- Dunedin- Invercargill

[edit] Withdrawn 2004

• The Northerner: Auckland-Wellington overnight

[edit] Rolling stock

The Capital Connection: refurbished 1970s ex-British Rail Mark 2 S class carriages.

The Overlander, The TranzAlpine and The TranzCoastal: NZR 56-ft carriages, most dating from the 1940s. They were extensively refurbished in the late 1980s, receiving new bogies and panoramic windows. The capital expenditure required for their replacement is seen as a major impediment to the future of the operation.

On 22 June 2008 the New Zealand government announced that the Tranz Scenic carriage fleet would be updated with brand new carriages (class AK), to be built by Hillside Engineering in Dunedin, for use in the South Island. $25.4m will be spent on the TranzAlpine, with $27m shared between the TranzCoastal and the Overlander, the latter service continuing to use AO series carriages.

[edit] See also

• KiwiRail
• Toll NZ
• Rail transport in New Zealand

[edit] External links

• Tranz Scenic

[edit] References

v • d • e Rail operators of New Zealand Current operators KiwiRail  • Tranz Scenic  • Tranz Metro  • Taieri Gorge Railway  • Veolia Former operators New Zealand Railways Department (NZR)  • New Zealand Railways Corporation  • New Zealand Rail Ltd  • Tranz Rail  • Toll Rail