Govt provides KiwiRail $35M to keep electric freight service

Govt provides KiwiRail $35M to keep electric freight service
Gavin Evans
By Gavin Evans Oct. 30 (BusinessDesk) - The government has provided KiwiRail an extra $35 million to restore its fleet of ageing electric locomotives on the North Island’s main trunk line. The money will be used to refurbish the 30-year-old trains during the next four years. Only eight of the units are currently operational and they had been due to be decommissioned in March 2019 following a decision by the KiwiRail board in December 2016. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters – also Minister of State-owned Enterprises - said refurbishi...