The Aratere in Picton ahead of its final Cook Strait sailing. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
KiwiRail has agreed to sell the Interislander ferry Aratere to a buyer, which will deliver it to a specialist recycling shipyard in India.
Interislander's executive general manager Duncan Roy said the ferry which has been retired from service had served the country well for 26 years.
It was retired in August to make way for the port infrastructure needed for the arrival of two new rail enabled ferries which are due to be delivered in 2029.
"Aratere is not suitable for most ferry operators due to its age and the fact it would require significant modification or specialist port infrastructure. Therefore, we have pursued a safe, efficient and environmentally responsible recycling option."
5m passengers transported across Cook Strait
In its time in service the ship made 53,000 crossings and took more than five million passengers across Cook Strait.
The ferry first arrived on New Zealand's shores in 1999 having been built in Spain at the Hijos de J Barreras shipyard a year prior. It replaced the Aratika, which had been in service from 1974.
In 2011 the Aratere headed to Singapore for six months for a $53 million 30 metre extension which increased the number of passengers it could hold from 400 to 650.
As part of that work, new propellers were fitted to it which became a focus when two years later the ferry's starboard propeller was lost in Cook Strait.
The scene near Picton when the ferry ran aground. Photo: Supplied: Marlborough Express
On an evening sailing on 21 June 2024, the Aratere ran aground just outside of Picton with 47 passengers on board.
No one was injured, but it triggered a Transport Accident Investigation Commission investigation, with its interim report finding a 36-second auto pilot mistake led to the grounding.
It also found the crew did not know how to take back control from the autopilot, and it took about two minutes before the ship was brought back under manual control.
In April, Rail Minister Winston Peters announced it would be retired due to it being the only ferry where rail freight could roll on and off it.
That meant it couldn't be used at another wharf in Picton while port upgrades there and in Wellington are underway for the new ferries.
At the time Peters said it would have cost $120 million to keep the Aratere in service.
Meanwhile, KiwiRail has conducted due diligence and physical inspections of the shipyard in India, Roy said.
Interislander has been working closely with the Environmental Protection Authority throughout the process.
"Once the buyer takes ownership of the ship it will be responsible for crewing its journey to the recycling yard subject to review by the EPA, which is pending," Roy said.
KiwiRail has repurposed appliances, furniture, and other items from Aratere across its fleet and operations, while some items have been donated.
Once the ferry had been disposed of Interislander would move to its next chapter "of modern, efficient, larger rail-enabled ferries", Roy said.
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