Interislander's only rail-enabled ferry to be retired

Interislander's only rail-enabled ferry to be retired

Interislander's only rail-enabled ferry, the Aratere, will be retired this year to make way for the construction of new port infrastructure, seeing...

Aratere, Interislander's only rail-enabled ferry to retire

The Aratere made headlines last year when it ran aground near Picton.

KiwiRail to retire Aratere

Dale Crisp KIWIRAIL will retire Interisland Line’s only rail-enabled Cook Strait ro-pax Aratere in order to work on new infrastructure for the 2029-expected replacement ferries. Chief executive Peter Reidy announced today [30 April] that KiwiRail had been advised that work on demolishing Aratere’s decaying wharf in Picton could begin later this year or early next year. “Aratere requires specific loading and unloading infrastructure so it cannot …

Future of the Aratere

Minister for Rail Winston Peters says the decision by the KiwiRail board to retire the Aratere from service is about the next 60 years of rail on the Cook Strait. Ferry Holdings supports this decision.  “We will not waste one tax dollar on shuffling infrastructure to keep the vessel in service for the sake of it or add any infrastructure risk to our objective of completion in 2029.  That would have cost $120 million. “Building marine infrastruct…