New Zealand Railways Road Services
Encyclopedia
The New Zealand Railways Road Services was a branch of the New Zealand Railways Department
and later the New Zealand Railways Corporation
. It operated long-distance, tourist and suburban bus services and freight trucking
and parcel
services.
on the Waiau Branch
and Waiau Ferry in Canterbury
. By the 1920s NZR was noticing a considerable downturn in rail passenger traffic on many lines due to increasing ownership of private cars, and from 1923 it began to co-ordinate rail passenger services with private bus services. In November 1926 NZR purchased a private bus firm operating between Hastings
and Napier
in the Hawke's Bay
region. NZR then acquired various other bus services in Dunedin
and the Hutt Valley, and by 1928 was operating 56 buses. In 1931 Parliament passed the Transport Licensing Act
, which regulated local bus services to ensure that services would not compete with NZR. This further increased acquisitions by NZR of small bus companies.
There was a certain amount of rivalry within NZR between NZRRS and the rail Traffic Branch and in many ways they competed
with rather than complemented each other. For example, many cities had bus terminals
some distance from railway stations and many NZRRS routes ran parallel to and at similar times to trains.
,. and as part of the new Passenger Business Group, NZRRS was split into three brands:
The freight trucking business was combined with rail
freight into the Freight Business Group, branded Railfreight Systems.
and the road transport operations were sold:
New Zealand Railways Department
The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway system. The Department was created in 1880 and was reformed in 1981 into the New...
and later the New Zealand Railways Corporation
New Zealand Railways Corporation
KiwiRail Network, formerly ONTRACK , is the infrastructure arm of KiwiRail. The ONTRACK trading name was introduced in 2004 after the government repurchased all of New Zealand's rail infrastructure from Toll NZ. It does not operate revenue rolling stock...
. It operated long-distance, tourist and suburban bus services and freight trucking
Truck driver
A truck driver , is a person who earns a living as the driver of a truck, usually a semi truck, box truck, or dump truck.Truck drivers provide an essential service to...
and parcel
Package delivery
Package delivery or parcel delivery is the shipping of packages or high value mail as single shipments. While the service is provided by most postal systems, private package delivery services have also existed in competition with and in place of public postal services.-Package delivery in the...
services.
History
The first bus operation by NZR began on 1 October 1907, between CulverdenCulverden
Culverden is a small town in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. The 2006 New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings had a usually-resident population of 420. This represented an increase of 7% or 27 people from the previous census in 2001.Culverden is located on State Highway...
on the Waiau Branch
Waiau Branch
The Waiau Branch was a branch line railway in the northern Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. Known as the Great Northern Railway for its first few decades of life, the Waiau Branch was seen as part of a main line north but was ultimately superseded by a coastal route...
and Waiau Ferry in Canterbury
Canterbury, New Zealand
The New Zealand region of Canterbury is mainly composed of the Canterbury Plains and the surrounding mountains. Its main city, Christchurch, hosts the main office of the Christchurch City Council, the Canterbury Regional Council - called Environment Canterbury - and the University of Canterbury.-...
. By the 1920s NZR was noticing a considerable downturn in rail passenger traffic on many lines due to increasing ownership of private cars, and from 1923 it began to co-ordinate rail passenger services with private bus services. In November 1926 NZR purchased a private bus firm operating between Hastings
Hastings, New Zealand
The city of Hastings is a major urban settlement in the Hawke's Bay region of the North Island of New Zealand, and it is the largest settlement by population in Hawke's Bay. Hastings city is the administrative centre of the Hastings District...
and Napier
Napier, New Zealand
Napier is a New Zealand city with a seaport, located in Hawke's Bay on the eastern coast of the North Island. The population of Napier is about About 18 kilometres south of Napier is the inland city of Hastings. These two neighboring cities are often called "The Twin Cities" or "The Bay Cities"...
in the Hawke's Bay
Hawke's Bay
Hawke's Bay is a region of New Zealand. Hawke's Bay is recognised on the world stage for its award-winning wines. The regional council sits in both the cities of Napier and Hastings.-Geography:...
region. NZR then acquired various other bus services in Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
and the Hutt Valley, and by 1928 was operating 56 buses. In 1931 Parliament passed the Transport Licensing Act
Transport Licensing Act 1931
The Transport Licensing Act 1931 was a New Zealand Act of Parliament regulating land transport. It was introduced following a Royal Commission on road and rail competition in 1930...
, which regulated local bus services to ensure that services would not compete with NZR. This further increased acquisitions by NZR of small bus companies.
There was a certain amount of rivalry within NZR between NZRRS and the rail Traffic Branch and in many ways they competed
Competition
Competition is a contest between individuals, groups, animals, etc. for territory, a niche, or a location of resources. It arises whenever two and only two strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Competition occurs naturally between living organisms which co-exist in the same environment. For...
with rather than complemented each other. For example, many cities had bus terminals
Bus station
A bus station is a structure where city or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. It is larger than a bus stop, which is usually simply a place on the roadside, where buses can stop...
some distance from railway stations and many NZRRS routes ran parallel to and at similar times to trains.
Restructuring
In 1985 the land operations of NZRC was restructured into market-based bi-modal (road and rail) business groups, rather than branches based on mode of transportMode of transport
Mode of transport is a term used to distinguish substantially different ways to perform transport. The most dominant modes of transport are aviation, land transport, which includes rail, road and off-road transport, and ship transport...
,. and as part of the new Passenger Business Group, NZRRS was split into three brands:
- InterCityIntercity (New Zealand)InterCity Group Ltd is a passenger transport and tourism company and operates New Zealand's largest coach network and ferries and cruises in the Bay of Islands...
, long-haul passenger services - Cityline, urban passenger services
- Speedlink, parcels services
The freight trucking business was combined with rail
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
freight into the Freight Business Group, branded Railfreight Systems.
Privatisation
Road and rail services were separated in 1991 when the rail and ferry operations of New Zealand Railways Corporation were transferred to New Zealand RailTranz Rail
Tranz Rail, formally Tranz Rail Holdings Ltd , was the main rail operator in New Zealand from 1991 until it was purchased by Toll Holdings in 2003.- Formation :...
and the road transport operations were sold:
- InterCity in 1991 to InterCity Management Limited, a group of seven of the largest private coachCoach (vehicle)A coach is a large motor vehicle, a type of bus, used for conveying passengers on excursions and on longer distance express coach scheduled transport between cities - or even between countries...
companies - Whangarei Bus Company, Bayline Group, Ritchies Transport HoldingsRitchies CoachlinesRitchies Transport Holdings Ltd was established in 1972 and describes itself on its website as "the largest privately owned bus and coach transport operator in New Zealand" with a fleet of "over 600" vehicles spread across depots nationwide....
, Tranzit Group, Pacific Tourways, Gutherys Coachlines and Nelson SBL - Cityline in Wellington and Auckland to Wellington City TransportGOWellingtonGO Wellington is the brand name of the NZ Bus Wellington, New Zealand subsidiary Wellington City Transport Ltd, branded Stagecoach Wellington by its previous owner, the Stagecoach Group. The name was announced in November 2006 with a new livery, by NZ Bus owner Infratil...
and subsequently to Stagecoach New ZealandStagecoach New ZealandNZ Bus, formerly Stagecoach New Zealand, is New Zealand's largest bus company, operating in Auckland, Wellington and Whangarei, with a fleet of around 1,000 vehicles. It owned 96% of Fullers Ferries in Auckland but has sold this shareholding...
; in Dunedin to Newton's Coachways; New Plymouth to Waitara taken over by Withatruck Coachlines - Speedlink Parcels to New Zealand PostNew Zealand PostNew Zealand Post, commonly referred by its acronym, NZPost is a State owned enterprise responsible for providing postal service in New Zealand.-History:...
.
See also
- Transport in New ZealandTransport in New ZealandTransport in New Zealand, with its mountainous topography and a relatively small population mostly located near its long coastline, has always faced many challenges. Before Europeans arrived, Māori either walked or used watercraft on rivers or along the coasts...
- New Zealand Railways DepartmentNew Zealand Railways DepartmentThe New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway system. The Department was created in 1880 and was reformed in 1981 into the New...
- New Zealand Railways CorporationNew Zealand Railways CorporationKiwiRail Network, formerly ONTRACK , is the infrastructure arm of KiwiRail. The ONTRACK trading name was introduced in 2004 after the government repurchased all of New Zealand's rail infrastructure from Toll NZ. It does not operate revenue rolling stock...
- Intercity (New Zealand)Intercity (New Zealand)InterCity Group Ltd is a passenger transport and tourism company and operates New Zealand's largest coach network and ferries and cruises in the Bay of Islands...