Today
Freight is the mainstay of rail traffic in Christchurch. Rail freight handling has been centralised at the Middleton freight terminal which opened in 1998. Industrial areas in Sockburn and Woolston also serve as rail freight hubs. Prior to the opening of the Middleton freight terminal, freight was shunted between several sites along the Main South Line through Christchurch.
Opportunities for providing inter-modal services are being considered at expanding industrial areas in Islington, Rolleston and Southbrook, with possibilities also being considered in the Marsh/Shands and Chaneys areas.
According to Environment Canterbury, Christchurch geography and public transport usage patterns mean that public transport is currently best served with a bus-based system. However, in anticipation of future growth they are intending to consider other transport modes with preliminary investigations due in 2008. Other transport modes to be investigated, such as heavy rail or new light rail systems, are expected to meet several performance criteria before they can be considered as options for future public transport requirements. Also suggested has been a hybrid bus/rail system which makes use of the existing heavy rail network around Christchurch to provide services to satellite towns with vehicles that are also able to run off the rails in a guided busway.
Two long-distance passenger services operate from Christchurch: the TranzAlpine to Greymouth and the Coastal Pacific to Picton with departures each morning, returning in the evening. Occasional steam-hauled excursion trains are operated by Mainline Steam.
The purchase of the rail operations division of Toll NZ by the New Zealand Government has revived hope of the return of a commuter rail service to Christchurch, linking the city to satellite towns such as Lyttelton, Rangiora and Rolleston. While heavy rail is still considered to be the best long-term option, cost and population remain significant obstacles to the implementation of this option. Rollestons predicted growth to 50,000 residents is expected to be a population level at which rail could be considered viable, but it has been noted that in both the Wellington and Auckland regions where commuter rail networks are in operation that these services are often not viable without a government subsidy.
Read more about this topic: Rail Transport In Christchurch
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