The Green Party has unveiled a $4 billion passenger rail plan aimed at reconnecting major cities and regional communities across Aotearoa using much of the country’s existing rail network.
The proposal includes an overnight sleeper service between Auckland and Wellington, passenger trains between Christchurch and Dunedin, and improvements to Te Huia, including electrification and an extension through to Tauranga.
The Tauranga extension represents the largest component, estimated by the Greens at around $3.5 billion across two stages. Work would include improvements to the Kaimai Tunnel, new stations, passing loops and targeted track upgrades.
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson says the policy is intended to give people more affordable choices for travelling between cities while reconnecting smaller towns and regions to major centres.
Transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter says the emphasis would be on making better use of rail corridors that already exist rather than constructing an entirely new national network. New sleeper trains would be required for the Auckland-Wellington service, while the South Island route would require stations and upgrades to signalling, passing loops and level crossings.
National Party leader Christopher Luxon has questioned the commercial viability of expanded passenger rail and raised concerns about taxpayers underwriting services that fail to cover their costs. The Greens say fares would cover most operating costs of the proposed overnight service and say their costings have been reviewed by economic consultancy Infometrics.
The announcement forms part of the Greens’ wider 2026 transport programme, which proposes increased investment in public transport and rail as alternatives to greater reliance on private vehicles.
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