Extra capacity on the shipping network has been opened up to get vital supplies to South Island communities affected by last week’s earthquake.
Freight demand has doubled on the Auckland to Christchurch route, with Ports of Auckland (POAL), Lyttelton Port of Christchurch (LPC) and KiwiRail joining forces to get supplies where they’re needed most.
Many roads were damaged during the quake, leaving towns like Kaikoura cut off from the rest of the country.
The two ports have increased capacity and KiwiRail is ramping up rail services from the ports’ inland hubs.
“This is one of a number of initiatives we are deploying and an important step in getting New Zealand moving again,” KiwiRail chief executive Peter Reidy says.
“This will get non time-sensitive freight volumes moving from Auckland down to Lyttelton, which will assist to relieve some pressure on roads.”
