RMTU Welcomes Public Ownership For New Cook Strait Ferries

Rail and Maritime Transport Union media release Friday 17 July 2026

The Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU) has welcomed the Government’s confirmation that the two new Cook Strait ferries will remain under public ownership and continue to be operated by KiwiRail. 

RMTU General Secretary Todd Valster says the announcement, which locks in KiwiRail as the long-term operator of the upcoming Kupe and Cook ferries, represents a major victory for the future of our national rail network.

RMTU General Secretary Todd Valster says the announcement is a good decision for the entire transport sector.

He says workers and industry experts have warned against the fragmentation or privatisation of the critical Cook Strait rail ferry link. 

“Today’s decision ensures that the seamless, rail-enabled link connecting New Zealand from Northland to Southland remains unbroken.”

Mr Valster says since the inception of the rail-ferry service in 1962, these ships have functioned as a floating extension of the Main Trunk Line.

“In 1962, the introduction of rail ferries fundamentally transformed New Zealand’s economy,” he says. 

“It turned two isolated island economies into a single, unified national market. These ferries belong to all New Zealanders, and protecting them as public assets ensures that our national infrastructure serves the public good, now and for generations to come.”

ENDS

For more information contact Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU) General Secretary Todd Valster on mobile027 445 4691