Port of Tauranga

Increased MetroPort Rail Capacity

Posted on 13th December 2007

Rail Partnership Between Port of Tauranga and Toll Rail Continues to Grow
Toll Rail and the Port of Tauranga have signed an agreement to add 60 new generation rail wagons to the MetroPort Auckland service and orders have been placed to ensure they are delivered in time for next year's peak cargo season.

Currently, four trains a day travel between MetroPort Auckland and the Port of Tauranga, with six trains on a Monday. Each train currently carries 94 twenty foot equivalent containers (TEUs) and the extra wagons will see this increase to 109 TEUs per train. Weekly capacity will increase from 2,700 TEUs currently to over 3,200 TEUs for next season.

Toll Chief Executive David Jackson says, "We've experienced up to 16% increase in the MetroPort Auckland business this year and have recently upgraded the service from three to four return trains per day.

"The train plan we have been running up until now has been able to cope with demand, but at certain peak times of the year deliveries from Tauranga into Auckland have taken longer than we would like for our customers. These new wagons will alleviate that problem."

Mr Jackson said, "We fully expect the growth experienced by MetroPort Auckland to continue. We will grow and improve the rail services we provide and this is just another example. Despite speculation about ownership and the relationship between the Government and ourselves, it is business as usual for us and will continue that way".

Port of Tauranga Chief Executive, Mark Cairns, comments, "MetroPort Auckland has proven to be a very successful strategy for the Port of Tauranga and Toll Rail in facilitating a 500% growth in container throughput through the Port since implementation in 1999".

"The MetroPort Auckland operation is now a well-established component of New Zealand's supply chain and the preferred choice for a large number of Auckland's importers and exporters, with over 150,000 TEUs expected to be transported into and out of the greater Auckland region this financial year."

Mr Cairns said, "Following two consecutive record months through our Container Terminal, the timing is right to invest in additional capacity for MetroPort Auckland, to ensure that we provide a sustainable platform for future growth for our customers".

For further details, contact:
Sue Foley Mark Cairns
GM Corporate Affairs Chief Executive
Toll NZ Port of Tauranga Limited
Ph: 0274 313 920 Ph: 07 572 8829
www.port-tauranga.co.nz