KiwiRail’s efforts to keep freight moving around New Zealand following the Kaikoura earthquake saw it take home an Australasian Rail Industry Award in Sydney last night.

KiwiRail’s second generation DL Locomotives were officially launched today in Auckland by the Minister of Transport, Hon Gerry Brownlee.

Heavier and longer freight trains are now travelling around the lower North Island due to a growing international demand for export logs.

Dedicated overnight rail freight services are being introduced between Auckland and Palmerston North in September.

MEDIA STATEMENT

KiwiRail is disappointed in claims being made  that the rail business  is  "...handing  Fonterra everything it wants...".

KiwiRail’s youngest locomotive engineer (train driver), Todd Hewetson completed his trainings and taken  his first run in sole charge of a freight train  one week before his 21^st birthday.

A small piece of new business from Express Couriers Ltd sends a signal that KiwiRail is back in the game when it comes to time critical.

KiwiRail will shortly begin hauling logs from Wairarapa to Wellington by rail as part of a joint venture with lower North Island forestry exporters and CentrePort.

Further investment is to be made in the busy East Coast Main Trunk (ECMT) rail line between Hamilton and Tauranga to ensure it can continue to meet increasing customer demand for additional rail freight services.

KiwiRail is reminding motorists, cyclists  and pedestrians to take care at level crossings in the Bay of Plenty and Waikato regions now there are extra trains running between Hamilton, Tauranga and Mt Maunganui.