The purchase of the Valentine ferry will provide resilience and secure freight capacity heading into the busy summer and Christmas period, Interislander General Manager Walter Rushbrook says
Interislander leased the freight-only Valentine in November 2021 to provide freight capacity across Te Moana-o-Raukawa Cook Strait while repairs were undertaken on the Kaiarahi gearbox.
KiwiRail had an option to purchase Valentine at the end of the lease period and has exercised this option, buying the ship from Gotland Shipping for $8.6 million.
Valentine has been an invaluable addition to the Interislander fleet over the past nine months, providing vital Cook Strait freight capacity for the road and rail networks.
KiwiRail plays a critical role in New Zealand’s supply chain, providing the SH1 and main trunk rail connection between the North and South Islands. Valentine has helped maintain that connection during a challenging period.
Valentine has proved to be a great freight ship with the ability to carry up to 80 truck units each sailing. This has especially been helpful while Interislander has been undertaking scheduled maintenance on the fleet through the winter period and while completing the Kaiarahi gearbox repairs.
Purchasing Valentine means we have additional capacity and resilience for our customers as we prepare for the pre-Christmas peak in freight demand.
