TranzAlpine

TranzAlpine

A TranzAlpine service in Otira
Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
Status	Operating
Locale	South Island, New Zealand
First service	22 November 1987
Current operator(s)	Great Journeys New Zealand
Former operator(s)	InterCity Rail (1987–1995) Tranz Scenic 1995–2012 KiwiRail Scenic Journeys 2012–2017
Ridership	204,000 (2006 financial year)
Website	www.greatjourneysofnz.co.nz/tranzalpine/
Route
Termini	Christchurch Greymouth
Stops	9
Distance travelled	223 km (139 mi)
Average journey time	4 hours, 50 minutes
Service frequency	Daily each way
On-board services
Class(es)	Scenic Class, Scenic Plus Class
Seating arrangements	Airline style Table bay
Catering facilities	On-board café
Observation facilities	Large windows in all carriages Open-air viewing carriage
Baggage facilities	Overhead glass shelves Baggage carriage
Other facilities	Toilets
Technical
Rolling stock	Two DX locomotives (Additional Four Locomotives added between Arthur's Pass station and Otira station) Four to six AK carriages One to two AKCs café carriages One to two open-air observation AKV vans One AKL luggage van
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Route map Legend km h:mm Main North Line to Picton 00.5 0:00 Christchurch 00.0 0:01 start of Main North Line Main South Line to Lyttelton 0:01 Addington Junction Main South Line 31.9 0:19 Rolleston Main South Line to Timaru 00.0 0:20 start of Midland Line 0:38 Darfield Whitecliffs Branch Oxford Branch to Main North Line Sheffield 1:00 Springfield Tunnel 1 Paterson's Creek bridge Tunnels 2 - 4 Tunnels 5 - 7 Staircase viaduct Tunnels 8 - 10 Broken River viaduct Tunnels 12 - 16 Bridge 28 "Slovens Creek" 1:57 Cass Waimakariri River bridge Bealey River bridge 2:27 Arthur's Pass Otira Tunnel 8.566 km 5.323 mi Rolleston River bridge 2:48 Otira 3:07 Jackson Taramakau River bridge Inchbonnie Crooked River bridge 3:32 Moana Arnold River bridge Tunnel 18 3:48 Kokiri Stillwater–Ngākawau Line Stillwater Rapahoe Branch (formerly Rewanui Branch) 212.0 4:30 Greymouth Hokitika Branch (formerly to Ross) km h:mm This diagram: view talk edit

The TranzAlpine is a passenger train operated by the Great Journeys New Zealand division of KiwiRail in the South Island of New Zealand over the Midland Line; often regarded to be one of the world's great train journeys for the scenery through which it passes (see famous trains). The journey is 223 kilometres (139 mi) one-way, taking almost five hours. There are 16 tunnels and four viaducts, with the Staircase Viaduct elevated as much as 75 metres (246 ft).

The train has become increasingly popular, and carried 204,000 passengers in the financial year ending 2007.^[1] By 2016, passenger numbers were approximately 130,000 a year, but rising again after the setback of the Christchurch earthquake, and were exceeding pre-earthquake levels.^[2]

The TranzAlpine service was suspended in 2020 and again in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but resumed on 14 January 2022.^[3]