KiwiRail’s new track maintenance fleet was commissioned today, part of a $25 million project to improve the efficiency and quality of New Zealand’s rail track maintenance.
Transport Minister Steven Joyce ‘turned the key’ on the ballast cleaner machine at a ceremony in KiwiRail’s freight depot in Te Rapa this afternoon, officially marking the fleet’s commissioning for operation on the network.
Speaking at the event, KiwiRail Chairman Jim Bolger said the fleet will maintain and renew the track to a higher standard than previously possible in New Zealand.
“If rail is to meet the demands of a modern freight network, then it needs the right tools of the trade to do so,” Mr Bolger said.
“When people think about rail, they think about trains but often forget that trains need a network to run on. When track condition is poor this impacts on KiwiRail’s ability to offer reliable, efficient and competitive services to its customers.
“As well as improving the condition of the track, the new fleet will improve the efficiency of track maintenance work, reducing the impact on freight movements.”
The Ballast Cleaner Group fleet includes a ballast cleaner machine which screens ballast, recycling what can be re-used and disposing of waste. Material handling wagons allow the cleaner to operate efficiently by ensuring a continuous flow of new ballast in and reject material out. The other equipment helps restore the track to operational line speed following cleaning.
Mr Bolger said that with freight volumes forecast to increase by 75 per cent over the next twenty years, KiwiRail was targeting investment to those lines which carry the heaviest freight volumes.
“Our aim is build capacity and reliability to meet customer demand. The busiest rail freight route is the ‘golden triangle’ between Auckland and Tauranga so the Ballast Cleaner Group will spend its first year of operation in that area.”