OVERLANDER (TRAIN)

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The 'Overlander' is a long-distance rail passenger service between Auckland and Wellington in the North Island of New Zealand.^[1] It is operated by Tranz Scenic.
It replaced the previous service operated by RM class Silver Fern railcars along the North Island Main Trunk (NIMT) on Monday, December 2, 1991. Following the withdrawal of the overnight Northerner, it is the only regular passenger train on the NIMT between Pukekohe and Palmerston North.

Contents

Withdrawal proposals

Rolling Stock

Extra Carriages

Re-equipping

Vans

Double duty

New life (post 2006)

Former Passenger Stops

References

External links

Withdrawal proposals

On 25 July 2006 it was announced that the service would be withdrawn at the end of September due to the service making a loss for some time. The last trains were scheduled to run on Saturday, 30 September 2006.
On 18 August 2006 the Green Party announced a Save the Overlander campaign, this received public reaction, typically from the small towns along the train's route.
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On 28 September 2006 (three days before the service was due to end), Toll announced that the service would continue operating, on a reduced schedule. Its pre-October 2006 timetable had one train each way each day, and the new timetable has service on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in the off-peak winter season, daily in the peak summer and Easter period.
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The current service is marketed at the tourist market.
The Manning Group has proposed a service that would run twice a day, with eight stops between Auckland and Wellington ^[20].
The first regular daylight Wellington-Auckland passenger train services, augmenting the older overnight services, were the steam-hauled Daylight Limited and diesel-hauled Scenic Daylight that ran primarily during summer months and Easter holiday period for many years from the 1920s onwards. The arrival of the Blue Streak and Silver Fern railcars saw an end for the time being to regular carriage trains, except when the Silver Fern railcars were replaced by carriage trains.

Rolling Stock

Originally, the service was operated with six Northerner cars (originally single lavatory first class cars, later designated South Island Main Trunk first class cars and among those refurbished for the original Southerner expresses of 1970), the Bay Express servery/observation/rear-view car, and what was once both The Connoisseur car and TranzAlpine rear-view/observation car and the two Northerner modular-designed handbrake end-mounted 11kW generator power-luggage vans, painted in the dark blue InterCity logo with 220 mm white stripe sandwiching a 100 mm red band, minus the parcels traffic.
In December 1991, another modular van was refitted with a generator and a Wairarapa Connection car fitted with 32 seats to a newer design arranged alcove-style and a servery to facilitate the introduction of a third trainset for maintenance requirements, the third set thus becoming a "spare".

Extra Carriages

The former Vice-Regal (Governor-General) car turned Southerner full buffet car was refitted in 1993 and returned to the NIMT with 24 seats to a newer design arranged alcove style and a short buffet counter to replace the full-length counter and 20 bar stools.
A new "no frills" fare was introduced, using the remaining six Northerner cars, a Southerner car and two Auckland excursion cars between 1995 and 2002. With the cancellation of the Bay Express in 2001, the three panorama cars from that train were utilised as a "fourth" set for the NIMT.

Re-equipping

From December 1991 until December 1994, nine 56-ft ex second class passenger coaches built in New Zealand between 1937 and 1945 (one the former TranzAlpine rear-view observation car, one a Southerner car, two from Auckland excursion, three from Auckland suburban and two from Wairarapa commuter services) were extensively refurbished similar to the successful "big window" panorama cars used on the TranzAlpine, Coastal Pacific and pressure-ventilated Bay Express cars and made into three 3-car/1-van sets for "new" Overlander/Northerner services, each including a coach with a servery bar where hot food, snacks and beverages can be bought during the trip, a rear view observation car and a 49-seat day car. All nine cars were fully air-conditioned.

Vans

Three modular-designed vans, one from the Telecom train, one from the Sesqui 1990 and one from the Bay Express trains were refitted to newer designs, all incorporating new-style 90kW generators for increased on-train requirements, as power-luggage vans. An Auckland suburban van, the other of two Bay Express vans and the second of two Northerner vans were similarly refitted to serve this train.

Double duty

As the Overlander and Northerner shared rolling stock, substantially better carriage utilisation was achieved, compared to having two train sets sitting unused for over 12 hours a day.
On Wednesday, August 16, 2006, the first air-conditioned 42-seat rear-view Northerner/Overlander car and its air-conditioned 49-seat day car running mate, were taken to Hutt Workshops and stored, their bogies went under the ex-British Rail cars for the Wairarapa Connection.

New life (post 2006)

The Overlander's reprieve has seen an interim refurbishment programme implemented, both internally and externally. Externally, the three former Bay Express cars and seven existing Overlander cars retain the Cato blue paint scheme of the Tranz Rail era, but with the new "Overlander" promotional logo introduced by Toll Rail on the sides in large white letters. Also, structural repair work has been carried out. Internally, the cars have been tidied up and seats replaced or reupholstered in some cars, new carpet laid in others.

Former Passenger Stops

Between Pukekohe and Hamilton

★ Te Kauwhata (discontinued April 2005)

★ Huntly (discontinued April 2005)
Between Hamilton and Otorohanga

★ Te Awamutu (discontinued April 2005)
Between Tamarunui and National Park - pre 1980s/Overlander

★ Manunui

★ Piriaka

★ Kakahi - steam engine turning point.

★ Owhango

★ Oio

★ Raurimu - location of the Raurimu Spiral
Between Ohakune and Marton

★ Waiouru - the highest station on the line (discontinued April 2005)

★ Taihape - previously had a dining room, and engines were changed (discontinued April 2005)
Between Levin and Paraparaumu

★ Otaki (discontinued April 2005)

★ Waikanae (discontinued April 2005)

References

1. The Overlander: A Journey Through the Interior
2. Overlander stops at fewer stations
3. Train service runs out of steam
4. Enthusiast laments Overlander loss
5. Overlander no longer competitive
6. Tourism NZ unconcerned at Overlander
7. Ruapehu lobbies for new train
8. Nostalgia brings booking boom for Overlander
9. Greens trackside for save the Overlander campaign
10. Toll says Overlander will end as planned
11. Overlander stay of execution sought
12. Another push to save Overlander
13. Overlander meeting fails to keep train on tracks
14. Old song to save train
15. Council vows to keep train going
16. Barrow of support for Overlander
17. Overlander announcement
18. Overlander's final fate revealed today?
19. Overlander train service continues
20. Overlander saved

External links

★ Tranz Scenic's website

★ 18 August 2006: Greens put "Save the Overlander" campaign on the rails