NZ Freight Capacity: Cook Strait ferry cargo capacity to be boosted?
March 10th, 2010
Trucking companies and rail freight customers can look forward to improved inter-island freight services with KiwiRail considering expanding the Interislander ferry Aratere to boost its capacity. General Manager for Interislander Thomas Davis says the company is looking at increasing the capacity of the Aratere, in order to handle more passengers, vehicles and rail freight in some critical key time slots when the present capacity is at a premium.
Davis adds rail capacity between Auckland and Christchurch is constrained on the Cook Strait with only two rail ferries with limited capacity at key times. Increasing capacity will allow more freight to move by rail on existing trains and ferry sailings improving the productivity of the rail network and removing trucks from the road.
Interislander is investigating a 29 metre extension to the ship, currently 150 metres long and the project would also include a revised bow design to boost the ship’s sailing qualities. “The alterations to the hull and bow will improve the way the Aratere cuts through the waves, boosting the ability to achieve on time performance and reducing fuel consumption. The results of initial computer modelling also show the changes will reduce the wake produced in the Marlborough Sounds by as much as 30%.”
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