Overlander (train)
The Overlander is a long-distance rail passenger service between Auckland and Wellington in the North Island of New Zealand. It is operated by Tranz Scenic.
It replaced the Silver Fern service, Sunday, December 8, 1991. The train follows the North Island Main Trunk, and following the withdrawal of the overnight Northerner, is the only regular long-distance passenger service on the line.
In the last two years passenger numbers have dropped from 90,000/year to 50,000/year.
On 25 July 2006 it was announced that the service would be withdrawn at the end of September due to the service making a loss for some time.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 withdrawal of the service will end passenger service between Auckland and Wellington. The last trains ran on Saturday, September 30, 2006.
Rolling stock
The first regular daylight Wellington-Auckland passenger train services were the Daylight Limiteds (steam hauled) and Scenic Daylights (diesel hauled) that ran primarily during summer months for many years from the 1930s onwards. However, the arrival of the Blue Streak and Silver Fern railcars saw an end to regular carriage trains (except when more than one of the Silver Fern railcars were unavailable and railcar replacement trains using all six Endeavour cars and its two vans were operated, unofficially named the Blue Fern). The advantages of the daylight NIMT carriage train concept was realised temporarily when, from Friday, April 7, 1989, two Northerner cars and the then Railfreight Systems Business Car (the first of three Northerner dining cars with six of 40 seats around tables removed and a rear-viewing area including window installed and painted in the dark blue InterCity logo with 220 mm white stripe sandwiching a 100 mm red band) plus a modular van from the Endeavour,replacing one of that train's original two vans and later destined for the Bay Express and, in 1994, the Overlander, were used to compensate for a derailed Silver Fern railcar while another Silver Fern carried out its South Island excursion, leaving only one.
Originally, the service was operated by six Northerner cars (which were originally first class cars for the South Island Main Trunk prior to that), the Bay Express sole servery/observation/rear-view car, the TranzAlpine rear-view/ observation Connoisseur car and the two Northerner modular-designed handbrake end-mounted 11kW generator power-luggage vans, minus the parcels traffic.
Blue Fern
The seating in the two day cars was reduced to line seats up with windows. It was hauled by a DX class locomotive and also known unofficially as the Blue Fern. It proved very popular and even acheived up some of the fastest transit times for passenger services on the NIMT. It returned in November 1990, hauled by a DF class locomotive when another Silver Fern derailed.
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 three-car 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.
The benefits of a carriage train over the three 96-seat railcars quickly became apparent, as had adding rear-view cars to open up viewing opportunities. In addition, 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.
Vans
Three modular-designed vans, one from the Telecom, 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.
Later, in December 1991, another modular van was refitted with a generator and a Wairarapa car fitted with 30 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".
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.
On Wednesday, August 16, 2006, the first air-conditioned 42-seat rear-view Northerner/Overlander car, AO209, and its air-conditioned 49-seat day car running mate, AO117, were taken to Hutt Workshops to be cut up for scrap, their bogies to go under the new second-hand British Rail turned Wairarapa Connection cars.
Current passenger stops
Notes:
- Taumarunui - previously had a dining room, and engines were changed.
- National Park - now a 45-minute lunch stop.
- Porirua (southbound only)
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
- 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