new zealand train service

the overlander is a journey through the heart of the North Island travelling between Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city and home of the Sky Tower, to Wellington, New Zealand’s arts and culture capital.

Along the way you pass the Central North Island ski towns of National Park and Ohakune, popular with young and old alike. You also see fantastic views of New Zealand farmland, the volcanic plateau, Mount Ruapehu, the world famous Raurimu Spiral, and stunning river gorges – all from our panoramic windows or open air viewing decks allowing you the best possible views.

All carriages feature large panoramic windows giving sweeping views of the magnificent North Island. The Observation Carriage includes a mix of seating including lounge style seating. The lounge style seating is arranged at the very rear of this glass backed carriage enabling you to enjoy a totally unique Overlander experience. The Overlander departs Auckland and Wellington daily.

The TranzCoastal travels between the delightful port of Picton and Christchurch, the South Island’s largest city. This journey is a scenic feast, with the Kaikoura mountain ranges on one side of your train and the rugged Pacific Ocean coastline on the other.

Along the way you pass though the village of Kaikoura, where you can break your journey to take in the whale watching or dare to get closer and swim with the dolphins. Travel through some of New Zealand’s finest horticultural and farmland areas, and see amazing wildlife such as dolphins, seals and penguins from the comfort of your carriage.

The TranzCoastal travels through 22 tunnels and crosses 175 bridges, one of them being New Zealand’s only road-rail bridge. As on The TranzAlpine, The TranzCoastal includes an open air viewing carriage where all your senses are awakened with the clean, fresh, sea air. The TranzCoastal departs Christchurch and Picton daily.

The TranzAlpine travels between Christchurch and Greymouth, from one coast of New Zealand to the other. From your carriage you’ll see the fields of the Canterbury Plains and farmland, followed by the spectacular gorges and river valleys of the Waimakariri River.

Your train then climbs into the Southern Alps before descending through lush beech rain forest to the West Coast town of Greymouth – a great base for visits to Punakaiki and the always popular glaciers. The TranzAlpine includes both one way seating and tabled group seating.

Both styles allow you to experience the amazing views while enjoying the company of other passengers on-board. An open air viewing carraige allows you to get even closer to the stunning scenery and provides many opportunities to photograph your favourite spots. There’s a lot to look forward to! Our journey is 223.8 kilometres long and takes just four and a half hours. There are 16 tunnels, and 5 viaducts, the highest being the Staircase standing at 73 metres. The TranzAlpine departs Christchurch and Greymouth daily.

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Remember: the longer your hire is, the cheaper the rate on your rental car.