The Government has signed a $800 million contract for 18 battery-electric multi-unit trains to travel the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines from Wellington.
More than a year after announcing the $800m for acquiring new trains, Transport Minister Chris Bishop and regional councillors were at Wellington Railway Station on Monday morning to announce a contract had been signed with French train manufacturer Alstom.
The new fleet was expected to enter service from 2030, and will double the current service, including four return train journeys between Wellington and Palmerston North. The new trains would be named Tūhono, meaning to connect or unite.
Although the Government, in July 2024, said it would consider all engine types when acquiring the trains, it had now settled on battery-electric.
