More than 40 years after regular passenger and freight ferry services between Lyttelton and Wellington finished, KiwiRail is considering reviving the service, which previously ran for more than 80 years.By reopening such as service, KiwiRail could enable freight companies who regularly send trucks from Auckland to Christchurch to continue such a service and not have to drive the longer “inland” route through Murchison and the Lewis Pass.
“We are investigating the technical viability of it, and capacity at Lyttelton, and hope to be in a position by the end of the week to see whether it’s feasible or not,” KiwiRail general manager asset services Todd Moyle told Stuff.
According to Stuff, Lyttelton Port of Christchurch (LPC) says it had the capacity and would like to help, but it was up to the transport operators.
Getting supplies to Christchurch is the primary concern for Mainfreight managing director Don Braid.
The resumption of the Cook Strait ferry service is allowing Mainfreight to get freight to its Blenheim depot, but it now faces the issue of a longer road route to Christchurch via Murchison and the Lewis Pass.
Braid says using the Lewis Pass route adds another 2.5 hours to the Christchurch journey, therefore Mainfreight is considering sending it’s trucks up from Christchurch to Blenheim instead.
The Lyttelton – Wellington “steamer service” came to a close on September 15, 1976, when the TEV Rangatira, then operated by the Ministry of Transport, sailed into Wellington for the final time.
The roll-on, roll-off vessel later served as a troopship in the Falklands War, and after many reincarnations and much time laid up, she was scrapped in Turkey in 2005.
