KiwiRail

4.9

19 customer reviews

About
Popular Routes
Stations
Reviews
Schedule and Timetable

About KiwiRail

A railway journey is a convenient way to explore the country. No matter whether you are after a quintessentially old school experience with a slow long-haul train or a super modern highspeed express, a train travel allows you to get to your destination in style and enjoy the trip at its most. KiwiRail is one of the operators you can book a train ride with. Before confirming your booking, remember to check the date of your travel, class, price and conditions of your fare.

What are the Main Stations of KiwiRail?

The main stations covered by KiwiRail’s route map include

Palmerston North
Auckland Strand
National Park
Otorohanga
Wellington
Christchurch
Picton
Arthurs Pass
Kaikoura
Blenheim
Hamilton Station
Greymouth
Ohakune
Taumarunui
Paraparaumu
Rangiora
Papakura
Rolleston
Darfield
Springfield Station
Otira
Moana
Dunedin
Timaru

What are the Most Popular Routes of KiwiRail?

Here are some of the routes offered by KiwiRail which enjoy the greatest popularity with travellers:

What are the Train Classes & Prices of KiwiRail?

Depending on the length of your trip and your preferences you can choose a first or second class ticket in a sleeper coach for an overnight trip or opt for a hard or soft seat if available. Note that the choice of ticket classes depends both on the route and the length of your trip. Basically, your train may feature first class berths but you will not be able to book one if you are doing just a short two-hour stretch. In general, second class berths are a good choice for longer trips, and soft seats get you covered if your train ride is supposed to take under 4-5 hours.

Pros & Cons of Train Travel

Pros of Train Travel

The best thing about railway travel is no traffic jams. Even on rush-hour, long weekends or during the high season
An easy online booking process – you do not need to go to the railway station, which was the case in many places not so long ago!
Prices for train tickets are usually more affordable compared to airplane tickets yet for certain destinations and trips the total travel time can be almost the same
While rail travel is obviously slower than air travel, railway stations are often located in the centre of the city which saves you a sack of time getting to/from there while airports are almost always are quite a long way out of the city
Travelling by night allows you to save on a hotel room and sleep well at the same time – opposite to a night bus where even the sleeping class is a huge compromise
On certain routes luxury service is available

Cons of Train Travel

For longer trips a train ride is definitely more time consuming than air journeys
Trains do ride on schedule but being out of schedule is not unheard of for train travel – and delays can be huge, so if you are planning a connection to your flight, carefully check the time your train arrives at the station and think twice.
Cleanliness is sometimes an issue with second and third class tickets, and with toilets, too.
If your train makes a lot of stops, in some cases it is difficult to figure out when to get off as stops are not always clearly announced or marked with the exception of an electronic screen.

KiwiRail Popular Routes

Kaikoura to Picton

Train Scenic Plus (all inclusive)

10:00

Train Scenic