The first of KiwiRail’s new locomotives have arrived in the country as part of a $1.7b investment into new rolling stock.
Transport Minister Simeon Brown shared footage of the new locomotives being unloaded in Lyttelton.
A total of 66 are being made in Spain by Swiss-based company Stadler Rail and will begin arriving for service in New Zealand between 2024 and 2026.
They will replace a current fleet of 65 South Island locomotives with an average age of 47 years and feature the latest technology, lower emissions and power to move more freight.
KiwiRail will also be adding 24 hybrid battery-diesel yard shunt locomotives featuring a central cab and a maximum axle load of 16 tonnes.
