Is there another solution for the Southerner train?

There has been ongoing discussion about re-introducing The Southerner train service between Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill and, more recently, possible regular passenger train services between Christchurch and Dunedin.

In May 2025, I travelled on KiwiRail’s Great Journeys New Zealand 'Southerner' train service as a day excursion. This was a fact finding exercise to see how regular Christchurch to Dunedin passenger train services would work under a 'public transport' style of inter-regional passenger transport.

I spoke to various people travelling, asking them what would be the best option, one train service, each way per day travelling between Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill or two return services per day between Christchurch and Dunedin.

The general consensus was two return services per day between Christchurch and Dunedin.

As a result of my travels, factoring in the departure and arrival times of the TranzAlpine and Coastal Pacific trains at Addington station, I have come up with a concept timetable for inter-regional passenger train services as part of the Canterbury and Southern (Dunedin and Southland) intra/inter regional passenger rail initiatives between Christchurch and Dunedin.

Christchurch to Dunedin

Depart 7.30am/Arrive 1.00pm*
Depart 1.30pm/Arrive 7.00pm

Dunedin to Christchurch

Depart 7.00am/Arrive 12.30pm
Depart 2.00pm/Arrive 7.30pm*

Journey time - 5 hours and 30 minutes (based on the 1999 Southerner timetable).

*Connects with regional (between Dunedin and Balclutha), inter-regional (between Dunedin and Invercargill) passenger train services and urban, semi-rural and regional bus services.

Stations - Christchurch (Addington, Rolleston), Ashburton, Timaru, Oamaru, Palmerston and Dunedin.

Since Christchurch to Dunedin inter-regional passenger services would be 'public transport' services, they would be included in Canterbury, Otago and Southland's RLTPs (land transport regional plan) with 50% funding from the National Public Transport Agency, fares (from Motu Move - the national contactless 'tap & travel' payment system) and rate payer subsidies from the three regional councils - Canterbury, Otago and Southland.

Train sets used, would be bi-directional, bi-mode 4-5 carriage sets, based on the 'national regional passenger rail' specification developed from the final manufacturing specifications of the Lower North Island Mobility project sets for Wellington and Palmerston North.

Dunedin would have a local maintenance/stabling facility with associated local crew base, for intra/inter-regional passenger train services north to Christchurch and south to Balclutha and Invercargill.

Chris McKellar is a long-time advocate for better passenger transport in New Zealand. More information can be found at https://www.publictransportforum.nz/