ONTRACK operates New Zealand’s railway network. We manage the movement of trains along our network and maintain and upgrade the tracks.
Keeping trains on the moveEach week our train control team manages the movement of:
- 900 freight trains
- 52 inter-city passenger trains
- about 3,500 suburban passenger services - 2,200 in Wellington and 1,300 in Auckland.
Providing tracks for trainsMaintaining and upgrading the rail network is a big job. Our assets include:
- 900 staff
- 4,000km of track
- 6 million sleepers (concrete and wooden)
- 1,700 bridges
- 150 tunnels
- 12,000 culverts
- 18,000 hectares of land
- signalling infrastructure such as communications and electrical cables, lights and points
- level crossing barrier arms and lights
- rolling stock, such as infrastructure wagons.
Keeping the network fit for purposeWe work hard to ensure rail services run as efficiently and safely as possible by:
- laying new tracks and sleepers
- upgrading level crossings
- reducing temporary speed restrictions that are put in place for safety when the track is not up to scratch.
To achieve this we focus on the following areas.
MaintenanceThe day to day work that involves activities like fixing faults and clearing culverts.
RenewalRenewal work involves replacing assets that have reached the end of their useful life.
UpgradesUpgrades involve installing new assets or replacing existing assets with something better. Find out more about our ongoing rail upgrades on the projects page.
RehabilitationRehabilitation includes a combination of upgrade, renewal and maintenance work.