|
|} The ''Coastal Pacific'' is a long-distance passenger train between Picton and Christchurch in the South Island of New Zealand, operated by Tranz Scenic.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 title=The TranzCoastal: Discover the wild spirit of the coast )〕 It was called the ''TranzCoastal'' from May 2000 until temporarily withdrawn in February 2011. It was the first train to use the new AK class carriages. == History == Before the Main North Line was completed, the open sections were served by mixed trains and the Culverden Express. On 15 December 1945 the line was completed and the Picton Express began operating, providing a daily service between Picton and Christchurch. In January 1946 the express was cut to thrice weekly, and its popularity and profitability declined. In February 1956 it was replaced by a more frequent railcar service, using RM class 88-seaters. Falling patronage, led to smaller Vulcan railcars being used from 1968 to 1975 with small trains, in summer, sometimes known as the ''Picton Express''. In 1976 at the suggestion of Rangiora MP, Dereck Quigley, the old former first class cars, previously used on the overnight Picton- Christchurch, 'Cabbage Train' were transferred to the day express to provide train heating and several other 56 ft carriages were fitted with heaters to make an economical train. Progressively the old carriages were updated and a buffet carriage was eventually added to replace the Kaikoura, pie and tea stop, at the last traditional, old NZR style refreshment stop. In April 2006, Toll NZ announced its intention to sell the ''TranzCoastal'' and the ''TranzAlpine''. However, with the purchase of Toll NZ's rail assets in 2008 by the government, these plans never came to fruition. KiwiRail has upgraded the remaining three long-distance passenger services. Following the 6.3 magnitude earthquake that struck Christchurch on February 22, KiwiRail suspended the train, later announcing that it would return on 15 August 2011 under its original name, the ''Coastal Pacific''. It was replaced by a bus service, which was withdrawn on 10 April. Since 2013 the train has been run as a seasonal service, serving the peak tourist season between about September to April with no services in the winter months, to offset operating losses. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Coastal Pacific」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|