KiwiRail has reached the next phase of its plans to extend the platform at Greymouth Railway Station to accommodate longer tourism trains, asking contractors to submit tenders for the work.
The platform extension is part of a $40 million investment from the Government’s Provincial Development Fund to add more carriages and introduce a premium service to the popular TranzAlpine service.
KiwiRail Chief Operating Officer Capital Projects David Gordon says a contractor will be selected in early 2020 and construction was expected to begin in March.
“We are extending the platform by 185 metres to the west to accommodate the longer train, and improve access to and from the station from Mackay Street and Tainui Street.
“We know how important the TranzAlpine is to the West Coast economy and are committed to expanding the service. The Government’s $40 million investment will allow us to bring thousands more tourists to the West Coast each year, enabling other tourism ventures and creating jobs.
“This week we have seen the welcome return of the TranzAlpine following an initial repair of the Omoto slip. We are continuing to work on a long-term repair to the slip to improve the resilience of this tourism service."
The tender period closes on 16 December 2019.