New Zealand’s road freight sector has welcomed the Government’s confirmation of two new rail-enabled ferries for the Cook Strait by 2029 — though one group warns of cost risks and the need to stay on schedule.
Trucking bodies Transporting New Zealand and the National Road Carriers Association (NRC) say the announcement from Rail Minister Winston Peters is a good step forward.
“It is positive that the road freight industry has some certainty around the Cook Strait connection,” Transporting NZ policy and advocacy lead Billy Clemens says.
“This includes a Christmas 2029 deadline for delivery of two new vessels, the fact they will be rail enabled, and that combined passenger and commercial vehicle lane metres will increase from 4,380 vehicle lane metres to 4,800 vehicle lane metres.”
However, Clemens says members were frustrated by the long delay in reaching this point and urged cross-party support to avoid further setbacks.
“[I]t is frustrating for many of our road freight members that it’s taken so long to get to this point, and that scheduled delivery now sits close to the end of the current fleet’s natural design life. The Government cannot afford further delays. This tight timeframe makes bipartisan support for the current project particularly important.”
He also highlighted a key warning from a June 2024 Ministerial Advisory Group report, which urged the Government to lock in a shipbuilding contract by October 1 to avoid losing competitive opportunities to other global operators.
Clemens says that while the group had no fixed view on rail-enabled versus rail-compatible vessels, cost overruns must be carefully monitored.
“Transporting New Zealand hasn’t taken a fixed view on rail-enablement vs rail-compatibility, but we have noted that Ministry of Transport advised the Government in December 2023 that the rail-enabled iReX ferries and the associated land-side infrastructure were a key factor in the project’s cost escalation.”
Meanwhile, the National Road Carriers Association echoed the need for certainty, with policy and advocacy general manager James Smith welcoming the return of momentum to the replacement programme.
“The freight industry has been looking for certainty that reliable connections between the North and South Islands would continue and the plan announced by Minister for Rail Winston Peters provides that.
“Utilising as much of the existing infrastructure and retaining the ability to move both rail and road vehicles across Cook Strait is a great result for our industry,” Smith says.
