KiwiRail to shutter Coastal Pacific service during winter months to stem losses

Mon, 01 Apr 2013

April 2 (BusinessDesk) – KiwiRail, the state-owned railway, will close its Coastal Pacific train service between Picton and Christchurch for the winter months to stem losses running at $3 million a year. The tourist train needs to sell 130 seats to breakeven though last winter some services carried just 30, said Deborah Hume, general manager, passenger, in a statement. The losses reflect “a significant drop in the tourism and domestic travel market to and from Christchurch after the earthquake,” she said. “These losses are highest through wi...

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