Future of Northland Rail

[Matt L]

Did Kiwirail discuss in detail the clearance issues? Is it a case of daylighting the Makarau tunnel and lowering the floor of the others? Couple that with a Northport connection and I can see a 300 million price tag!

I hope the customers can be found and the port link is constructed

There was some talk a while ago about the Northland Regional buying some specialised low floor wagons that would allow high cubes through the tunnel and leasing them to Kiwirail. The intention being that they would be used to build up demand so that eventually a case could be made to fix issues permanently.

[eurokiwi78]

Perhaps some well wagons (udk) might become surplus to kiwirail requirements with the arrival of newer wagons which could be leased to northland council.

Also I wonder if there are still any UKa wagons floating around and with the lower deck height could they sneak thru the makarau with high cubes.

[royce]

Hopefully when they turn Otahuhu into a proper interchange. If I had my way, there would be a bus road down the middle of the platform (obviously the platform would need to be widened), enabling extremely easy transfers (some stations in Perth are like that).

This is probably the best idea you have ever had. It would be great for railbuses as well when things go wrong.

And today there's a work train on the Dargaville Branch, discharging rails. That would seem an odd thing to do on the eve of announcing closure. Perhaps there's hope for the Dargaville and Otiria lines as well.

It makes me think that the transport of chip from Portland to Kawerau must be profitable enough to make the retention of the Dargaville branch and the Otiria line worthwhile. Even if the transport of logs from Dargaville and Otiria to Portland is marginal; for them.

There was some talk a while ago about the Northland Regional buying some specialised low floor wagons that would allow high cubes through the tunnel and leasing them to Kiwirail. The intention being that they would be used to build up demand so that eventually a case could be made to fix issues permanently.

Maybe the Tenix heavy engineering shop at the old port could build them. At least it would keep the Northland Regional council money in the local area.

[RH9]

Does Fonterra normally use high cubes for exporting its goods or doesnt it matter what type they use?

Would be good to see the line carry more than pulp products as I havent seen containers on the line since 2010! 125 and 126 are always just logs n chips now from what ive seen.

Any pics of the work up dargaville ways Geoff?

[kaiwhara]

Yes generally.

[robincole]

I saw a work train at Helensville on Friday 16th.

[millsy]

KR is supposed to be deciding on the lines future this month....

Anyone heard any whispers in the royal court?

[duddley]

I would say picking up a 35,000 tonne contract is a good sign that would equate to 20 something more containers on the line each week.

[geoff_184]

Perhaps some well wagons (udk) might become surplus to kiwirail requirements with the arrival of newer wagons which could be leased to northland council.

Also I wonder if there are still any UKa wagons floating around and with the lower deck height could they sneak thru the makarau with high cubes.

Not much market for 20' high cubes though, and they already use UDA/UDK on the NAL if any do need to go up there. The new wagons talked about would be to enable 40' high cubes.

There's only nine UKA's and their decks are only 5cm lower than a normal UK. Not enough to get a high cube through the Makarau tunnel.

Would be good to see the line carry more than pulp products as I havent seen containers on the line since 2010! 125 and 126 are always just logs n chips now from what ive seen.

Containers go on 124/129 at night. Forestry stuff on 125/126 in the day.

Haven't seen any pics of the Dargaville work train, sorry.

Just heard 130 toot at O'Neills Rd, seems to be running early tonight.

[RH9]

Thanks for the info guys, I have a very keen interest in this line. It has so much potential if they would just spend a bit getting the line speeds faster by removing speed restrictions in all the tunnels and connecting to the port.

To get a 40ft hicube thru the Makarau would be on one really "low" wagon! I have some nice pics of the tunnel portal i'll post up sometime with a DA loco peeking out. Even that loco looked a tight fit.....

Will have to do some trainspotting of 124/130 one night

[rail_up]

I had reason to go to Dargaville this week.

On my way into town I stopped at the Subway, which is on the main road. While I was waiting to be served (there was a bit of a queue with only one person serving) I stood
in the doorway watching the traffic.
I counted THREE logging trucks go past (heading out of town) fully laden - truck and trailer units - with large logs on them.

Stood there quietly thinking to myself "Well there's three trucks that don't need to be on the road, what's wrong with the railway?"

[RH9]

Yeah thats exactly what I would have been thinking....but hey Kiwi Rail are probably not even chasing the tonnage that hard.

I regularly see laden logging trucks heading north up the motorway, would that be timber destined for North Port? Some things just dont make sense to me

[pickle]

I hate logging trucks when on the road. I always worry that one is going to fall off.

[rail_up]

I always worry that one is going to fall off.

A truck or a log? LOL

I nearly collided with a log that had fallen from a truck, north of Whangarei some months ago. I was heading north to see an old friend, and as you come down off this hill, the road opens up into two lanes, one for passing.

I was in the left-hand lane, and there were a couple of cars in front of me. We're all traveling along quite nicely when I notice BOTH the cars in front of me pull quickly into the passing lane. I look ahead to see what they are needing to pass, and I see no vehicle!

I am now wondering to myself why they both pulled into the right-hand lane, when I notice something big and offensive lying broadside across the lane I am still in!
Oh crappy-crap... there's a stinkin' great LOG lying across the road! I'm talking 6 m long and 400 mm diameter.

Sure gonna hurt if I clip that doing 100 km/h...

Time for some ABS action ... step on the brakes, quickly look in the rear-vision mirror and haul the wheel across into the other lane.

Lucky, boys... we missed it.

Grind to a halt and jump out, along with a few other people that had now stopped, and move the offending item to the side of the road.

[geoff_184]

Rail line upgrade costs focus of talks

Northern Advocate
Rosemary Roberts | Monday, August 27, 2012 13:00


Options for meeting the capital costs of upgrading the railway line between Auckland and Whangarei will be thrashed out this month or early September, says Northland Regional Council CEO Malcolm Nicholson.

Recent discussions with Jim Quinn, CEO of KiwiRail, were "positive regarding the review of the line and the potential for retaining an operational service" but KiwiRail could not pay to upgrade the line, Mr Nicholson said in a report to the council's monthly meeting in Whangarei last week.

"KiwiRail's view is that there is a very real market opportunity within the region and when this is combined with the capital costs required to upgrade the line the situation merits further investigation," he said.

Staff from the New Zealand Transport Agency and the Northland Regional Council were developing "a robust understanding" of the market opportunities with key businesses in Northland. The proposed meeting would involve representatives of the NZTA, the NRC and KiwiRail.

Mr Nicholson said the capital cost of upgrading the line was much lower than originally anticipated.

Options for raising the capital included a bid to the Government supported by Northland seed funding, and/or exploring options for private investment from Northland businesses which currently used rail as part of their supply chain.

Meanwhile, the council has moved ahead on possible uses of some flat land on either side of part of the corridor of land set aside for a rail link between Marsden Pt and the rail line from Auckland, commissioning Telfer Young (Northland and Taranaki) to prepare an assessment of the properties "to determine highest and best use". Uses previously suggested include an extensive poplar nursery to meet an extreme shortage of poplar poles in Northland, and a shooting range.

[Rolls-Royce]

The North Auckland Line needs to be upgraded to main trunk line standard between Auckland and Whangarei, along with building a new branch line to the Marsden Point Port. The lines north of Whangarei to Kauri/Otiria and south to Tangowahine/Dargaville could be renamed and operated as minor branch lines with shunts.

On the North Auckland line, all the speed restrictions need to be lifted on the section between Swanson and Whangarei, all tunnels need to be widened or daylighted to allow all classes of wagons and locomotives to travel on the line, and the Makarau deviation needs to be built.

The North Auckland line between Auckland and Whangarei is an essential piece of New Zealand's transport infrastructure and should be considered part of the main trunk lines running the length of the country to Invercargill.

All we need now is a Labour-Greens-NZ First Government who will recognise this and will provide the funding.

[pickle]

Indeed Rolls - Royce. I've almost given up on the CRL or any other public transport project under this government. We need to focus on the fight to keep these lines open and then after the election we can hopefully focus on upgrading and renewal projects.

[RH9]

Would please me no end to see the NAL brought out of the 1800's and turned into a modern and fast section of trunk line. Northland is a happening region and the line should grab its fair share of tonnage.

If KR had the money they prob would upgrade the line but in the current environment they simply cant. The money will no doubt be hard to find but yes a left wing government is its best hope. God help my other hobby if that happens though (fast cars lol)

Thanks for the updates Geoff.....you certainly have the inside word on most rail related news!

[duddley]

I wonder why it says the costs to upgrade the line are lower then anticipated? Hopefully that could mean highcubes on the line and DL locos being allowed on the NAL.

[RH9]

I wonder why it says the costs to upgrade the line are lower then anticipated? Hopefully that could mean highcubes on the line and DL locos being allowed on the NAL.

I was thinking the same thing......that would be a great sight! Makarau tunnel daylighting must be a similar undertaking to what was done on the NIMT when they daylighted several tunnels? How many tunnels on the NAL need floor lowering? The ones north of Hoteo might be slightly larger bore as they were built later on??