KiwiRail stories
Budget 2022 will fund ageing locomotives and tracks, but critics say it largely brings New Zealand rail up to where it should already be.
KiwiRail’s financial turnaround will now be led by a familiar hand as Peter Reidy returns after nearly four years at Fletcher Construction.
Projects saving time, money and emissions were among eight winners at the 2021 IPWEA NZ Asset Management Excellence Awards.
A TAIC report warns poor planning around level crossings can leave road users exposed to trains after a double fatality near Morrinsville.
The council says wider benefits for ratepayers followed once it stopped choosing projects on the lowest price and focused on long-term value.
Christmas freight and passenger services face major disruption after KiwiRail’s chief executive quit amid looming nationwide strike action.
New Zealand businesses and holidaymakers will get extra Cook Strait capacity after KiwiRail leased the freight-only Valentine to cover a broken ferry.
Businesses facing port delays will gain extra freight capacity as KiwiRail adds a weekday Auckland-Christchurch service from early October.
Projects that kept ferries running, roads safer and power supply secure were among the winners at Civil Contractors New Zealand’s awards in Wellington.
Labour and supply chain pressures could slow the sector’s rebound, despite forecast construction growth of 5.5% this year.
The funding will create hundreds of jobs and lift freight reliability as ageing locomotives and wagons are replaced nationwide.
Rail firms can now plan further ahead, but experts warn the fund will be stretched as electric vehicles erode its core revenue base.
NZD $45 billion of new works will need smarter engineering and earlier ground planning if delays and overruns are to be avoided.
The site could draw USD $2 billion to USD $4 billion in logistics investment and ease freight congestion around Palmerston North.
Experts say the $50 billion COVID-19 recovery plan will lift jobs and infrastructure, but warn it leaves big tax and housing gaps.
Better freight services and more reliable trains are set to follow, as the funding also covers new ferries and ageing locomotives.
Freight in Northland will move by rail for the first time, after a NZD $109.7 million boost to reopen lines and build a terminal.
Long-term upgrades to tracks, trains and ferries could finally be unlocked as the government shifts rail funding away from annual budget battles.
Pragmatic solutions are needed to cut waste, trim compliance costs and keep safety goals intact as prescriptive rules prove too rigid.
Skills shortages are forcing infrastructure firms to widen hiring, as sector leaders say diversity and inclusion are key to future growth.
