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October 10, 2025

Sale of Aratere

Ferry in harbour from above

Please attribute to Duncan Roy, Executive General Manager Interislander

KiwiRail has entered into an agreement to sell the aged and out of service Interislander ferry Aratere to a buyer which will deliver it to a specialist recycling shipyard in India.

Aratere has served New Zealand well for 26 years. It was retired in August to make way for port infrastructure needed for the arrival of two brand new rail enabled ferries arriving in 2029.

Aratere is not suitable for most ferry operators due to its age and the fact it would require significant modification or specialist port infrastructure. Therefore, we have pursued a safe, efficient and environmentally responsible recycling option.

KiwiRail has conducted due diligence and physical inspections of the shipyard.

We have been liaising closely with New Zealand’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) throughout the process. Once the buyer takes ownership of the ship it will be responsible for crewing its journey to the recycling yard subject to review by the EPA, which is pending.

To maximise resource use, KiwiRail has repurposed appliances, furniture, and other items from Aratere across its fleet and operations, with any remaining quality items donated.

The responsible recycling of Aratere is part of our transition to the next chapter of modern, efficient, larger rail-enabled ferries.

Media release
ferries
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Interislander