Interislander has confirmed the Aratere will make its final scheduled Cook Strait sailing on August 18, marking a major step towards the company’s new rail-enabled ferries due in 2029.
The vessel’s retirement will follow the return of the Kaiārahi from scheduled dry-dock maintenance in Singapore. Kaiārahi, now freshly painted with a cleaned hull and a full maintenance schedule completed, is expected back in service at 3.30pm on Monday, August 18, in time for Aratere’s last run from Picton at 11am the same day.
Aratere’s departure from service will allow for the demolition of its specialised Picton wharf later this year, part of the port infrastructure upgrades for the new fleet. The ship’s unique design, which includes integrated rail tracks, prevents it from using Interislander’s other berths.
Interislander executive general manager Duncan Roy says the milestone signals the start of the company’s transition to a modernised fleet.
“This is the start of our preparation for the new ships, and while it will have some impact on capacity on Cook Strait until they arrive, we will make it as smooth as possible for our passengers and freight customers. No booking changes are required for freight customers or passengers as a new two-ship timetable is already in place.
“The capacity of the two new ferries will be larger than our current fleet of three ships, so while this change is challenging, it’s a necessary step towards a more efficient and sustainable future,” Roy says.
To maintain rail freight services, Interislander will expand the use of road bridging, moving freight by trailer onto its vessels and reconnecting to trains at the other end.
“Significant preparation has already gone into super-charging this operation – including bringing in new equipment, recruiting and training new staff and fine-tuning our rail freight handling processes.
“Our transition timetable optimises the additional time needed for road bridging to ensure all rail freight will be serviced at the levels our rail freight customers need and expect. This has already been factored into current bookings,” Roy says.
Interislander is still weighing up options for Aratere’s sale, with the vessel to be laid up at its Wellington berth while a shipbroker is engaged.
A private farewell event for the Aratere crew will be held early next month.
