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Mainfreight is one of growing group of transporters viewing rail as a valuable partner.
Rail’s years of gradual decline, followed by more years of steady decline, damaged its reputation but new rolling stock is attracting interest from logistics companies welcoming alternative freight modes.
The rail future looks brighter as a new wave of second generation DL Locomotives was launched in Auckland last month. Said outgoing KiwiRail chief executive, Jim Quinn: “Over 30 DL locomotives are in operation around the North Island which provides capacity and grunt to ensure we deliver for our customers.”
Quinn adds: “With the delivery of the new locomotives we are now able to move some to the lower North Island to improve capacity for customers in that region and begin retiring old and under-powered locomotives.”
Some of KiwiRail’s 179 mainline locomotives date back to 1965.
“Without these new additions to the freight fleet we would not have been able to achieve this growth, or deliver the capacity our customers were asking for,” says Quinn – who thanked Kiwirail customers for their commitment, and the Government for its investment support.
Kiwirail is committed to a 10-year infrastructure investment programme, seen as vital if it is to realise its freight delivery potential.
Quinn adds: “Across the country we are moving more freight, and we are forecasting that this level of growth will continue.”
Under Quinn’s management, Kiwirail has seen growth of $100 million in freight business, alongside $1.4 billion of capital investment on infrastructure and network improvements.
Kiwirail’s new rolling stock, the first significant investment in some decades has been coming on stream since 2010 and is now gaining momentum as the new Chinese-made stock of 20 new locos, 535 freight wagons and 258 curtain-sided freight containers begins to enters commercial freight service.
