The Southerner (train)
Encyclopedia
The Southerner was a passenger express train
that ran in New Zealand
's South Island
between Christchurch
and Invercargill
via Dunedin
along the Main South Line
. It commenced service on Tuesday, 1 December 1970 and ceased on Sunday, 10 February 2002. It was one of the premier passenger trains in New Zealand and its existence made Invercargill the southernmost passenger station in the world.
s between Christchurch and Dunedin.
In the days of steam-hauled expresses, one particular part of the Main South Line gained an element of fame. Mail was carried as well as passengers, and the process of delivering and receiving mail at stations during the journey would often delay the express. For this reason, when locomotive drivers hit the relatively flat, straight track of the Canterbury Plains
approaching Christchurch, they would seek to run their expresses as fast as possible and try to make up as much lost time as they could. Many claims were made of passing the official New Zealand rail speed record of 125 km/h (78 mph) set by a Vulcan railcar
in trials, and the line itself came to be known as the "racetrack".
, and a serious effort was being made to replace it with diesel-electric engines in the South. The introduction of the DJ class
in 1968 sealed steam's fate, and in 1970, plans were made to introduce a brand new diesel-hauled express to replace the premier express between Christchurch, Dunedin, and Invercargill, the South Island Limited
. The new train was named the Southerner. It would be hauled by members of the DJ class, and unlike the steam-hauled expresses, it would not carry mail. It entered service 1 December 1970.
The business model behind the Southerner was to be a limited stop service, stopping only at major towns, with feeder bus services to smaller towns bypassed by the train. The introduction of buffet cars, the first time since the removal of dining cars in the 1930s as an economy measure, also eliminated the "pie and cuppa" refreshment stops, which added time and inconvenience to the journey. In addition, the Southerner was a single class train, using former first class carriages to provide the rolling stock. As a result, all passengers enjoyed 3 abreast wide reclining seats, significantly greater comfort than other rail or bus options provided at the time.
Despite the introduction of the Southerner, steam-hauled expresses continued to operate on Friday and Sunday evenings for almost 11 months. The last one ran on 26 October 1971; this was the last steam-hauled regularly scheduled revenue service in New Zealand. The service was replaced with a diesel-hauled train, which continued until 1979. The evening railcars lasted a few years longer, but the age of the Vulcan railcars was becoming increasingly obvious and the service was canceled in April 1976 without replacement. After 1979, the Southerner was the only long-distance passenger service on the Main South Line.
) first class NZR 56-foot carriage
s, two (later three) full buffet cars, three vans and, in the 1980s, three wooden 50-ft bogie box wagons for parcels. All passenger cars were rebuilt 56-ft stock dating from 1938-1945.
Two 56-ft cars, one a pressure-ventilated former half first class (14 seats) half second class (28 seats) car, and the other the only 56-ft car to serve in a Vice Regal capacity for a Governor-General
as a kitchen carriage for the 1934-built North Island Vice Regal car (hence the unique design), were rebuilt as full buffet cars, incorporating full length counters and 20 stools. In 1973, a former double-toilet (later designated a North Island Main Trunk Railway first class car) was rebuilt as a third buffet car. Two cars retained their "coupe" compartment for train staff, one car for each train, and another two retained their compartments for hostesses, again, one car to each train.
spring bogies under the other carriages and vans, the Kinki bogies offered a superior quality ride - passengers complained about the riding quality of the other cars. The bucket seats were completely reupholstered with Teal blue vinyl.
With the success of new Korean bogies underneath Northerner carriages, the Southerner cars were also fitted with this type of bogie. Work on car underframes was less substantial than that carried out on the Northerner.
designed a new seat type for passengers and these had proved successful in Picton
/Greymouth
cars, so the Southerner cars received these seats also, increasing seating capacity
from 29 or 33 to 45 or 50 per car.
Once new seats were installed, one 45-seat car with staff compartment and one 50-seat car without were sent to the North Island for use on the two Gisborne Expresses. In their place on the Southerner were two 32-seat Endeavour
cars.
With delays in the overhaul and refurbishment of all the InterCity Rail passenger services, the Southerner suffered most. From late 1987, with the Northerner
services requiring replacement stock, eight carriages from the Southerner were refurbished for the task.
This resulted in the remaining three Southerner cars, cars from the Picton/Greymouth pool and two former Picton/Greymouth cars that were heavily refurbished and overhauled for the "new" TranzAlpine
Express keeping the services running, and also saw the standard of service drop considerably. The three full buffet cars were still utilised on these trains. The two TranzAlpine cars had their Addington seat numbers reduced from 52 each to 50. The seats were reupholstered and modified before being reinstalled, and were re-arranged into bays of four, alcove-style, around tables. These two cars, still retaining their small windows, were permanently allocated to the Southerner when Rail Passenger decided to make the TranzAlpine an all-panorama train.
. It was thoroughly overhauled and refurbished, and offered users a more upmarket service.
In 1988, three more red Picton/Greymouth cars and an Endeavour car were refurbished as a "new" Southerner, entering service Monday, July 4, 1988, joining the two cars already fitted as such. The Endeavour car and one Picton/Greymouth car were fitted out as servery cars, each seating 31 in bays of four, alcove-style. The other two cars seated 50 alcove-style. The seats were reupholstered and new carpet laid down in all four cars. Two Mitsubishi
-built modular FM
vans were equipped with 11 kW generators on their handbrake ends and became power-baggage vans for the "new" trains. Its reintroduction also saw the ceasation of parcels traffic on the trains.
This seating arrangement, while accepted on the TranzAlpine
, Coastal Pacific, and Bay Expresses
, proved unsuccessful on the Southerners, so one car from each set had seating re-arranged to a "forward-facing" layout.
van, and the first of the two Bay Express panorama cars was also allocated to this train as the initial attempt to re-equip this train with panorama cars.
In September, 1995, five of the first batch of 11 non-air conditioned panorama cars were thoroughly overhauled, air conditioning and a new-style seat (as in the third three-car Northerner and Overlander set) were installed. Two of these were permanently allocated to the Southerner, the second two temporarily, with the fifth juggling duties between Invercargill, Greymouth and Picton. The two original servery/observation cars were similarly refurbished. The third TranzAlpine/Coastal Pacific and the first of the two Southerner 11 kW power/baggage vans were fitted with newer, more powerful generators (though less powerful than their NIMT counterparts) and the Southerner van had its public viewing module re-enclosed for luggage carriage again. Later that year, when the Bay Express was re-equipped with two of those seven refurbished cars, the original two Bay Express cars were similarly refurbished and permanently allocated to the Southerner.
Patronage continued to fall away, even when from 1993 onwards panorama cars were introduced to this service. Two cars came from the original Bay Express, two were Southerner cars turned panorama cars for the TranzAlpine and Coastal Pacific and one car that was formerly The Connoisseur car
(also an original Southerner car). Two Picton/Greymouth cars turned panorama cars also served these trains until joining the Bay Express to Napier. The original TranzAlpine servery/observation car and its Coastal Pacific equivalent were assigned to the Southerner.
locomotive, passenger car with luggage space at one end, servery car, day car and the second of three TranzAlpine and Coastal Pacific power-baggage vans was hit at Rolleston by a concrete mixing truck. The bowl of the truck bounced off all three passenger cars, and ripped two wide open. Three people were killed http://www.taic.org.nz/ReportsandSafetyRecs/RailReports/tabid/85/ctl/Detail/mid/483/InvNumber/1993-112/Page/31/language/en-US/Default.aspx.
Two days later, a replacement train consisting of three recently refurbished cars and the Mitsubishi-built modular FM power and baggage van with 37.5 kW generator from the Auckland excursion fleet was brought in to supplement the remaining four Southerner cars. The first and second of these temporary replacement cars seated 50, alcove-style, like the Southerner cars, but with a more modern seat, seen on upgraded Masterton cars and the NIMT cars. The third car seated 54 in the same type of seat, but with all seats facing into two centre tables, one on each side of the aisle. The NIMT car turned buffet car in 1973 returned to the train as part of the replacement consist.
On Thursday, November 14, 1996, one of the two Southerner trains was involved in another level-crossing accident, this time at Waimate, killing four people.
The train was involved in another accident in July, 2000, colliding with a ute, at Edendale, 53 km north of Invercargill.
On Monday, January 8, 2001, the southbound Southerner was again involved in a rail crossing smash, this time with a cattle truck. The DC
class locomotive and two of three passenger carriages were derailed, injuring 21 passengers and forcing the destruction of ten cattle.http://www.nzherald.co.nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=167767
and Dunedin, another 19 minutes was slashed from the schedule.
. The Southerner had a full service buffet car with 20 seats, that served hot meals and cafeteria style food, until this was replaced with a buffet bar service in the early 1990s, for passengers to purchase food to be consumed at their seats.
and DX
classes.
The service ran at a financial loss and had been supported by government subsidies until these were abolished for all long distance passenger trains in 1989. New Zealand Rail changed the seating configuration of the coaches by replacing the very generous seat pitch three abreast configuration with a more standard four abreast with reduced (but still generous compared to bus) seat pitch. The full service buffet car was replaced with a buffet servery. Both measures reduced costs significantly, but the service was challenged by the increasing number of low-cost shuttle bus services, particularly between Christchurch and Dunedin, which were significantly cheaper than the train. Nonetheless, the Southerner still operated seven days a week, with one service running each way.
As branch lines were nearly non-existent, with those still in use not open to passenger trains, and as Dunedin's suburban passenger services had been withdrawn by 1982, it was the sole regular train to stop at the famous Dunedin Railway Station
, once the country's busiest station. At this time, the typical consist of the Southerner comprised two-three passenger carriages and a power/luggage van, and the southbound journey from Christchurch and Dunedin was timetabled to take 5 hours 46 minutes, with an additional 3 hours 19 minutes required to reach Invercargill. Northbound, the journey from Invercargill to Dunedin was scheduled to last 3 hours 28 minutes, with another 5 hours 27 minutes necessary to complete the trip to Christchurch.
It continued to face increased bus competition, and with increased car ownership and competition in the airline industry, the Southerner seemed unable to find a profitable niche on its route.
In 2001, a 50% share in long-distance passenger services was sold to directors of Australia
n company West Coast Railway
, but neither it nor any other company elected to purchase the Southerner without the promise of a subsidy. The Ministry of Economic Development
funded a feasibility study into the economic impact of subsidising the Southerner, but this failed to demonstrate a viable business case for the service - patronage had fallen to an average of between 40 and 50 people per day in each direction. This was roughly half what was necessary to make the train economically viable. As neither airline nor bus services along the route were subsidised, the government decided not to subsidise the train and its demise was inevitable.
Public outcry failed to save the train, and the last services ran on Sunday, 10 February 2002. The carriages were re-allocated to the TranzAlpine
between Christchurch and Greymouth and the TranzCoastal between Christchurch and Picton
. Invercargill lost its status as the southernmost passenger station in the world.
is now almost wholly without any passenger trains. The northern portion between Christchurch and Rolleston
is still used by the TranzAlpine, and Dunedin Railway Station and the Main South Line to Wingatui remain in use as by the Taieri Gorge Limited, a popular daily tourist train operated by the Taieri Gorge Railway
along the former Otago Central Railway. Taieri Gorge Railway also run weekly trips on their Seasider
service on the section of line between Dunedin and Palmerston.
With rising petrol prices and demand for travel, especially to and from Invercargill, there is now some talk of reinstating the Southerner on an Invercargill-Dunedin-Invercargill daily rotation. With Otago University and Southern Institute of Technology encouraging studies between the two popular campuses, students would benefit if enough interest was generated. Kiwirail has stated that they have no interest in services but said a private operator would be assisted if an attempt was made to operate the route.
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
that ran in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
between Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
and Invercargill
Invercargill
Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff,...
via 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...
along the Main South Line
Main South Line
The Main South Line, sometimes referred to as part of the South Island Main Trunk Railway, is a railroad line that runs north and south from Lyttelton in New Zealand through Christchurch and along the east coast of the South Island to Invercargill via Dunedin...
. It commenced service on Tuesday, 1 December 1970 and ceased on Sunday, 10 February 2002. It was one of the premier passenger trains in New Zealand and its existence made Invercargill the southernmost passenger station in the world.
Before the Southerner
Express passenger trains on the Main South Line were some of the last services to be hauled by steam locomotives in New Zealand. These services, especially in the late 19th century and early 20th century, were the flagship of the nation's passenger network and received the newest and best motive power and rolling stock. In the mid 20th century these expresses were augmented by evening railcarRailcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
s between Christchurch and Dunedin.
In the days of steam-hauled expresses, one particular part of the Main South Line gained an element of fame. Mail was carried as well as passengers, and the process of delivering and receiving mail at stations during the journey would often delay the express. For this reason, when locomotive drivers hit the relatively flat, straight track of the Canterbury Plains
Canterbury Plains
The Canterbury Plains are an area in New Zealand centred to the south of the city of Christchurch in the Canterbury Region. Their northern extremes are at the foot of the Hundalee Hills in the Hurunui District, and in the south they merge into the plains of North Otago beyond the Waitaki...
approaching Christchurch, they would seek to run their expresses as fast as possible and try to make up as much lost time as they could. Many claims were made of passing the official New Zealand rail speed record of 125 km/h (78 mph) set by a Vulcan railcar
NZR RM class (Vulcan)
The NZR RM class Vulcan railcars were operated by the New Zealand Railways Department in the South Island of New Zealand. All New Zealand railcars were classified as RM, and these were known as Vulcan railcars, from the name of the manufacturer, Vulcan Foundry of Britain. - Background :On 9 May...
in trials, and the line itself came to be known as the "racetrack".
Introduction
By the late 1960s steam motive power had been phased out from the North IslandNorth Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
, and a serious effort was being made to replace it with diesel-electric engines in the South. The introduction of the DJ class
NZR DJ class
The NZR DJ class locomotive is a class of diesel-electric locomotive used in New Zealand. The class were purchased from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries with a modernisation loan from the World Bank to replace steam locomotives in the South Island, where most of the class members worked most of their...
in 1968 sealed steam's fate, and in 1970, plans were made to introduce a brand new diesel-hauled express to replace the premier express between Christchurch, Dunedin, and Invercargill, the South Island Limited
South Island Limited
The South Island Limited was a passenger express train operated by the New Zealand Railways Department between 1949 and 1970. It operated between Christchurch and Invercargill via Dunedin, and in its heyday, it was New Zealand's premier express....
. The new train was named the Southerner. It would be hauled by members of the DJ class, and unlike the steam-hauled expresses, it would not carry mail. It entered service 1 December 1970.
The business model behind the Southerner was to be a limited stop service, stopping only at major towns, with feeder bus services to smaller towns bypassed by the train. The introduction of buffet cars, the first time since the removal of dining cars in the 1930s as an economy measure, also eliminated the "pie and cuppa" refreshment stops, which added time and inconvenience to the journey. In addition, the Southerner was a single class train, using former first class carriages to provide the rolling stock. As a result, all passengers enjoyed 3 abreast wide reclining seats, significantly greater comfort than other rail or bus options provided at the time.
Despite the introduction of the Southerner, steam-hauled expresses continued to operate on Friday and Sunday evenings for almost 11 months. The last one ran on 26 October 1971; this was the last steam-hauled regularly scheduled revenue service in New Zealand. The service was replaced with a diesel-hauled train, which continued until 1979. The evening railcars lasted a few years longer, but the age of the Vulcan railcars was becoming increasingly obvious and the service was canceled in April 1976 without replacement. After 1979, the Southerner was the only long-distance passenger service on the Main South Line.
Rolling stock
The original Southerner consisted of ten (later 12) single-toilet South Island Main Trunk RailwaySouth Island Main Trunk Railway
The Main North Line between Picton and Christchurch and the Main South Line between Lyttelton and Invercargill, running down the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand, are sometimes together referred to as the South Island Main Trunk Railway...
) first class NZR 56-foot carriage
NZR 56-foot carriage
The NZR 56-foot carriage is a class of 17.07m-long railway passenger car formerly used on almost all long-distance rail transport in New Zealand, and still in service. Some have been preserved.-1927: Prototypes:...
s, two (later three) full buffet cars, three vans and, in the 1980s, three wooden 50-ft bogie box wagons for parcels. All passenger cars were rebuilt 56-ft stock dating from 1938-1945.
Two 56-ft cars, one a pressure-ventilated former half first class (14 seats) half second class (28 seats) car, and the other the only 56-ft car to serve in a Vice Regal capacity for a Governor-General
Governor-General of New Zealand
The Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....
as a kitchen carriage for the 1934-built North Island Vice Regal car (hence the unique design), were rebuilt as full buffet cars, incorporating full length counters and 20 stools. In 1973, a former double-toilet (later designated a North Island Main Trunk Railway first class car) was rebuilt as a third buffet car. Two cars retained their "coupe" compartment for train staff, one car for each train, and another two retained their compartments for hostesses, again, one car to each train.
New bogies and seats
The buffet cars were fitted with new Japanese bogies of Kinki-Sharyo manufacture. Compared to the TimkenTimken Company
The Timken Company is a global manufacturer of bearings, alloy steels, and related components and assemblies.- History :The company was founded by Henry Timken in St. Louis, Missouri in 1899 and incorporated as The Timken Roller Bearing Axle Company. A year earlier, in 1898, Timken got a patent...
spring bogies under the other carriages and vans, the Kinki bogies offered a superior quality ride - passengers complained about the riding quality of the other cars. The bucket seats were completely reupholstered with Teal blue vinyl.
With the success of new Korean bogies underneath Northerner carriages, the Southerner cars were also fitted with this type of bogie. Work on car underframes was less substantial than that carried out on the Northerner.
InterCity Rail upgrade
In the 1980s NZR Addington WorkshopsAddington Workshops
The Addington Railway Workshops was a major railway facility established in the Christchurch suburb of Addington in May 1880 by the New Zealand Railways Department. The workshops were previously in Carlyle Street and closed in 1990.-Description:...
designed a new seat type for passengers and these had proved successful in Picton
Picton, New Zealand
Picton is a town in the Marlborough region of New Zealand. It is close to the head of Queen Charlotte Sound near the north-east corner of the South Island. The population was 2928 in the 2006 Census, a decrease of 72 from 2001...
/Greymouth
Greymouth
Greymouth is the largest town in the West Coast region in the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council. The population of the whole Grey District is , which accounts for % of the West Coast's inhabitants...
cars, so the Southerner cars received these seats also, increasing seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
from 29 or 33 to 45 or 50 per car.
Once new seats were installed, one 45-seat car with staff compartment and one 50-seat car without were sent to the North Island for use on the two Gisborne Expresses. In their place on the Southerner were two 32-seat Endeavour
Endeavour (train)
The Endeavour was a long-distance passenger train service between Wellington and Napier in the North Island of New Zealand...
cars.
With delays in the overhaul and refurbishment of all the InterCity Rail passenger services, the Southerner suffered most. From late 1987, with the Northerner
Northerner (train)
The Northerner was an overnight passenger train between Wellington and Auckland in New Zealand. Originally numbered 227 southbound and 626 northbound, it replaced the unnamed and less revered ordinary express trains supplementing the luxurious Silver Star , which had replaced the Night Limited in...
services requiring replacement stock, eight carriages from the Southerner were refurbished for the task.
This resulted in the remaining three Southerner cars, cars from the Picton/Greymouth pool and two former Picton/Greymouth cars that were heavily refurbished and overhauled for the "new" TranzAlpine
TranzAlpine
The TranzAlpine Express is a passenger train operated by Tranz Scenic in the South Island of New Zealand. This trip is often regarded to be one of the world's great train journeys for the scenery through which it passes . The journey is one-way, taking about four and a half hours...
Express keeping the services running, and also saw the standard of service drop considerably. The three full buffet cars were still utilised on these trains. The two TranzAlpine cars had their Addington seat numbers reduced from 52 each to 50. The seats were reupholstered and modified before being reinstalled, and were re-arranged into bays of four, alcove-style, around tables. These two cars, still retaining their small windows, were permanently allocated to the Southerner when Rail Passenger decided to make the TranzAlpine an all-panorama train.
Connoisseur
At the same time the InterCity refurbishment programme started, a private tourist firm leased a Southerner carriage and marketed it as The Connoisseur carThe Connoisseur car
The Connoisseur cars were special railway carriages that were used in the consist of a number of passenger trains in New Zealand.- Inception :...
. It was thoroughly overhauled and refurbished, and offered users a more upmarket service.
In 1988, three more red Picton/Greymouth cars and an Endeavour car were refurbished as a "new" Southerner, entering service Monday, July 4, 1988, joining the two cars already fitted as such. The Endeavour car and one Picton/Greymouth car were fitted out as servery cars, each seating 31 in bays of four, alcove-style. The other two cars seated 50 alcove-style. The seats were reupholstered and new carpet laid down in all four cars. Two Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi
The Mitsubishi Group , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company that consists of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy...
-built modular FM
NZR FM guards van
The NZR FM guards van is a rail vehicle in New Zealand originally used on freight trains but now used primarily on passenger trains, reclassified AG.-First batch, 1977:...
vans were equipped with 11 kW generators on their handbrake ends and became power-baggage vans for the "new" trains. Its reintroduction also saw the ceasation of parcels traffic on the trains.
This seating arrangement, while accepted on the TranzAlpine
TranzAlpine
The TranzAlpine Express is a passenger train operated by Tranz Scenic in the South Island of New Zealand. This trip is often regarded to be one of the world's great train journeys for the scenery through which it passes . The journey is one-way, taking about four and a half hours...
, Coastal Pacific, and Bay Expresses
Bay Express (train)
The Bay Express was a passenger train between Wellington and Napier in New Zealand's North Island, operating from Monday, 11 December 1989 until Sunday, 7 October 2001. It was operated by New Zealand Railways, later Tranz Scenic.- Introduction:...
, proved unsuccessful on the Southerners, so one car from each set had seating re-arranged to a "forward-facing" layout.
Replacement rolling stock
On August 27, 1993, a former Wairarapa Connection car turned NIMT servery car was brought in to replace the servery car damaged in the Rolleston smash two days earlier, along with three refurbished Auckland excursion cars and their 37.5 kW FMNZR FM guards van
The NZR FM guards van is a rail vehicle in New Zealand originally used on freight trains but now used primarily on passenger trains, reclassified AG.-First batch, 1977:...
van, and the first of the two Bay Express panorama cars was also allocated to this train as the initial attempt to re-equip this train with panorama cars.
In September, 1995, five of the first batch of 11 non-air conditioned panorama cars were thoroughly overhauled, air conditioning and a new-style seat (as in the third three-car Northerner and Overlander set) were installed. Two of these were permanently allocated to the Southerner, the second two temporarily, with the fifth juggling duties between Invercargill, Greymouth and Picton. The two original servery/observation cars were similarly refurbished. The third TranzAlpine/Coastal Pacific and the first of the two Southerner 11 kW power/baggage vans were fitted with newer, more powerful generators (though less powerful than their NIMT counterparts) and the Southerner van had its public viewing module re-enclosed for luggage carriage again. Later that year, when the Bay Express was re-equipped with two of those seven refurbished cars, the original two Bay Express cars were similarly refurbished and permanently allocated to the Southerner.
Additional services
After air-conditioned panorama cars were introduce, thr trains' popularity did increase to the extent where Tranz Scenic introduced extra services on Fridays. There were the Christchurch-Dunedin, Invercargill-Christchurch, Christchurch-Invercargill and Dunedin-Christchurch services, numbered #903 to #906. These were short-lived and after the November 15, 1996 level-crossing accident, ceased.Patronage continued to fall away, even when from 1993 onwards panorama cars were introduced to this service. Two cars came from the original Bay Express, two were Southerner cars turned panorama cars for the TranzAlpine and Coastal Pacific and one car that was formerly The Connoisseur car
The Connoisseur car
The Connoisseur cars were special railway carriages that were used in the consist of a number of passenger trains in New Zealand.- Inception :...
(also an original Southerner car). Two Picton/Greymouth cars turned panorama cars also served these trains until joining the Bay Express to Napier. The original TranzAlpine servery/observation car and its Coastal Pacific equivalent were assigned to the Southerner.
Accidents
On Wednesday 25 August 1993, the southbound Southerner, consisting of a DF classNZR DF class (1979)
The NZR DF class of 1979 is a class of 30 Co-Co diesel-electric locomotives built by General Motors Diesel of Canada between 1979 and 1981. Between 1992 and 1997, all the locomotives were rebuilt as the DFT class, a turbocharged version of the DF....
locomotive, passenger car with luggage space at one end, servery car, day car and the second of three TranzAlpine and Coastal Pacific power-baggage vans was hit at Rolleston by a concrete mixing truck. The bowl of the truck bounced off all three passenger cars, and ripped two wide open. Three people were killed http://www.taic.org.nz/ReportsandSafetyRecs/RailReports/tabid/85/ctl/Detail/mid/483/InvNumber/1993-112/Page/31/language/en-US/Default.aspx.
Two days later, a replacement train consisting of three recently refurbished cars and the Mitsubishi-built modular FM power and baggage van with 37.5 kW generator from the Auckland excursion fleet was brought in to supplement the remaining four Southerner cars. The first and second of these temporary replacement cars seated 50, alcove-style, like the Southerner cars, but with a more modern seat, seen on upgraded Masterton cars and the NIMT cars. The third car seated 54 in the same type of seat, but with all seats facing into two centre tables, one on each side of the aisle. The NIMT car turned buffet car in 1973 returned to the train as part of the replacement consist.
On Thursday, November 14, 1996, one of the two Southerner trains was involved in another level-crossing accident, this time at Waimate, killing four people.
The train was involved in another accident in July, 2000, colliding with a ute, at Edendale, 53 km north of Invercargill.
On Monday, January 8, 2001, the southbound Southerner was again involved in a rail crossing smash, this time with a cattle truck. The DC
NZR DC class
The NZR DC class locomotive is the most common class of locomotive currently in operation on the New Zealand rail network. Primarily employed to haul freight trains operated by KiwiRail, the class is also used for long-distance passenger trains operated by Tranz Scenic and suburban passenger trains...
class locomotive and two of three passenger carriages were derailed, injuring 21 passengers and forcing the destruction of ten cattle.http://www.nzherald.co.nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=167767
Timetable
The advantages of the new technology and the removal of delays caused by the carriage of mail, and the elimination of refreshment stops (with the inclusion of a buffet car) became apparent instantly, with the travel time between Christchurch and Dunedin cut by almost an hour from 7 hours 9 minutes to 6 hours 14 minutes. Typically, two DJ diesels hauled the train, and when a third was added to increase power on the rugged, difficult line between OamaruOamaru
Oamaru , the largest town in North Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand, is the main town in the Waitaki District. It is 80 kilometres south of Timaru and 120 kilometres north of Dunedin, on the Pacific coast, and State Highway 1 and the railway Main South Line connects it to both...
and Dunedin, another 19 minutes was slashed from the schedule.
Dining service
The Southerner is also notable for being the first train to include a full dining service on New Zealand Railways since the abolition of dining cars as an economy measure in World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The Southerner had a full service buffet car with 20 seats, that served hot meals and cafeteria style food, until this was replaced with a buffet bar service in the early 1990s, for passengers to purchase food to be consumed at their seats.
Withdrawal
By the 1990s, the DJ class had been largely withdrawn from service and other locomotives hauled the Southerner, including members of the DCNZR DC class
The NZR DC class locomotive is the most common class of locomotive currently in operation on the New Zealand rail network. Primarily employed to haul freight trains operated by KiwiRail, the class is also used for long-distance passenger trains operated by Tranz Scenic and suburban passenger trains...
and DX
NZR DX class
The NZR DX class is a class of 49 Co-Co diesel-electric locomotives that currently operates on New Zealand's national railway network.Built by General Electric in Erie, Pennsylvania, United States, they were introduced to New Zealand between 1972 and 1976. The class is based on the General Electric...
classes.
The service ran at a financial loss and had been supported by government subsidies until these were abolished for all long distance passenger trains in 1989. New Zealand Rail changed the seating configuration of the coaches by replacing the very generous seat pitch three abreast configuration with a more standard four abreast with reduced (but still generous compared to bus) seat pitch. The full service buffet car was replaced with a buffet servery. Both measures reduced costs significantly, but the service was challenged by the increasing number of low-cost shuttle bus services, particularly between Christchurch and Dunedin, which were significantly cheaper than the train. Nonetheless, the Southerner still operated seven days a week, with one service running each way.
As branch lines were nearly non-existent, with those still in use not open to passenger trains, and as Dunedin's suburban passenger services had been withdrawn by 1982, it was the sole regular train to stop at the famous Dunedin Railway Station
Dunedin Railway Station
Possibly the best-known building in the southern half of New Zealand's South Island, Dunedin Railway Station is a jewel in the country's architectural crown. Designed by George Troup, the station is the fourth building to have served as Dunedin's railway station...
, once the country's busiest station. At this time, the typical consist of the Southerner comprised two-three passenger carriages and a power/luggage van, and the southbound journey from Christchurch and Dunedin was timetabled to take 5 hours 46 minutes, with an additional 3 hours 19 minutes required to reach Invercargill. Northbound, the journey from Invercargill to Dunedin was scheduled to last 3 hours 28 minutes, with another 5 hours 27 minutes necessary to complete the trip to Christchurch.
It continued to face increased bus competition, and with increased car ownership and competition in the airline industry, the Southerner seemed unable to find a profitable niche on its route.
In 2001, a 50% share in long-distance passenger services was sold to directors of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n company West Coast Railway
West Coast Railway (Victoria)
West Coast Railway was the trading name of The Victorian Railway Company Pty Ltd, a railway company operating in Victoria, Australia. The company operated passenger services between Melbourne and Warrnambool from 1993 to 2004.-History:...
, but neither it nor any other company elected to purchase the Southerner without the promise of a subsidy. The Ministry of Economic Development
New Zealand Ministry of Economic Development
The Ministry of Economic Development is a New Zealand public sector organisation tasked with promoting development of New Zealand's economy....
funded a feasibility study into the economic impact of subsidising the Southerner, but this failed to demonstrate a viable business case for the service - patronage had fallen to an average of between 40 and 50 people per day in each direction. This was roughly half what was necessary to make the train economically viable. As neither airline nor bus services along the route were subsidised, the government decided not to subsidise the train and its demise was inevitable.
Public outcry failed to save the train, and the last services ran on Sunday, 10 February 2002. The carriages were re-allocated to the TranzAlpine
TranzAlpine
The TranzAlpine Express is a passenger train operated by Tranz Scenic in the South Island of New Zealand. This trip is often regarded to be one of the world's great train journeys for the scenery through which it passes . The journey is one-way, taking about four and a half hours...
between Christchurch and Greymouth and the TranzCoastal between Christchurch and Picton
Picton, New Zealand
Picton is a town in the Marlborough region of New Zealand. It is close to the head of Queen Charlotte Sound near the north-east corner of the South Island. The population was 2928 in the 2006 Census, a decrease of 72 from 2001...
. Invercargill lost its status as the southernmost passenger station in the world.
After the Southerner
The Main South LineMain South Line
The Main South Line, sometimes referred to as part of the South Island Main Trunk Railway, is a railroad line that runs north and south from Lyttelton in New Zealand through Christchurch and along the east coast of the South Island to Invercargill via Dunedin...
is now almost wholly without any passenger trains. The northern portion between Christchurch and Rolleston
Rolleston
Rolleston could be*Rolleston, New Zealand*Rolleston, Queensland in AustraliaIn England :*Rolleston, Devon*Rolleston, Leicestershire*Rolleston, Nottinghamshire**Rolleston railway station*Rolleston, Staffordshire-Surname:* Sir John Rolleston...
is still used by the TranzAlpine, and Dunedin Railway Station and the Main South Line to Wingatui remain in use as by the Taieri Gorge Limited, a popular daily tourist train operated by the Taieri Gorge Railway
Taieri Gorge Railway
The Taieri Gorge Railway is a railway line and tourist train operation based at Dunedin Railway Station in the South Island of New Zealand...
along the former Otago Central Railway. Taieri Gorge Railway also run weekly trips on their Seasider
Seasider (train)
The Seasider is a tourist train in the South Island of New Zealand, operated by the Taieri Gorge Railway along the Main South Line between the historic Dunedin Railway Station and Palmerston once or twice a week in the summer months and occasionally during winter. Since the demise of the...
service on the section of line between Dunedin and Palmerston.
With rising petrol prices and demand for travel, especially to and from Invercargill, there is now some talk of reinstating the Southerner on an Invercargill-Dunedin-Invercargill daily rotation. With Otago University and Southern Institute of Technology encouraging studies between the two popular campuses, students would benefit if enough interest was generated. Kiwirail has stated that they have no interest in services but said a private operator would be assisted if an attempt was made to operate the route.