Alan Wickens |
29th September 2006 09:44 |
New Zealand - Overlander train axed then saved.
Toll Rail, operator of New Zealand's rail network announced several months ago that its daily Auckland to Wellington daily passenger service (The Overlander) would be axed on 30th September. Poor patronage was cited for the withdrawal. Following much publicity, petitions, Government subsidy requests and the like, Toll decided just two days out from the final service that they would continue the train but on a limited operation. The train will operate on Friday, Saturday and Sunday only and then on a seven day basis from December through the summer tourist season. The train is particularly popular with visitors. The journey of some 660kms takes around twelve hours between the two cities, meandering through the volcanic uplands of the central North Island which is quite spectacular. Besides The Overlander, Toll's only other long-distance passenger trains operate in the South Island, namely The Tranz Coastal (between Picton and Christchurch) and the Tranz Alpine (between Christchurch and Greymouth), the latter being extremely popular with tourists as it travels through the Southern Alps. Definitely one of the great railway journeys of the world.
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