Call for rail north of Auckland as truck convoy starts moving Christmas containers

Friday, 11 December 2020

Up to a dozen trucks loaded with Christmas cargo are leaving Northport in Whangārei every hour.

Calls for a rail link to the busy Northport are increasing as extra trucks start transporting thousands of containers from the port to Auckland.

National Road Carriers says some 2700 extra truck trips will be needed between Marsden Point and Auckland to move the Auckland-bound containers off the 261m ship Constantinos P.

The container ship was diverted to Northland after congestion at Ports of Auckland meant it could not be unloaded there in time for Christmas.

A container truck leaves Northport with three containers on Friday morning.

The ship, run by ANL Container Lines, was originally scheduled to stop at Auckland's port on December 5 but congestion relating to the Covid-19 impact globally and a lack of staff meant the date was delayed to December 22.

**READ MORE:

The 261m Constantinos P, which berthed on Sunday, is Northport's largest visitor, laden with Christmas cargo.

* Why State Highway 1 between Auckland and Whangārei could be clogged with trucks from Friday

* Safety fears over 2700 truck trips from giant container ship in Northland to Auckland

A large container truck, capable of carrying several containers, arrives at Northport on Friday morning.

* Rail line to Marsden Point, and possible port move, one step closer

Northport, at Whangārei's Marsden Point, is a natural deep-water channel. (File photo)

Northport agreed to help, even though the ship is the largest to berth at the port and the port is not fully equipped to unload it, chief executive Jon Moore said in a statement.

The ship berthed on Sunday, with a fire at Northport on Saturday not disrupting operations.

However, a number of the trucks entering and leaving Northport on Friday morning were capable of carrying two or three containers, suggesting National Road Carriers’ estimates of truck movements were high.

The port was busy, not only with container trucks but also with logging trucks supplying the port's main staple.

The containers are unable to be transported by rail because the north Auckland rail line is closed by a $110 million redevelopment and a link to the port’s location at Marsden Point has not been built.

News of the extra truck trips has made some Whangārei residents postpone trips to Auckland due to fears of congestion.

It has also sparked more calls for the rail link to Northport to be built.

“When is the line opening?” one resident asked on Neighbourly. “There are more container ships coming to Northport.”

Other residents have complained about the poor state of the road between Marsden Point and Auckland.

“The Government need to take a serious look the disgusting state of the roads. Throwing a bagful of metal into a pot hole doesn't resolve much, does it,” another resident said on Neighbourly.

Trucks on the move

By 9am on Friday morning, a number of the trucks had passed through Wellsford on their way to Auckland.

Bayley, a shop worker at Biltong Plus in Wellsford, said SH1 was “super busy” but still moving.

“I’ve seen about eight of those trucks heading down towards Auckland and about 15 going up towards Whangārei.”

Karen Lennon, the owner of Woody’s Winners, also in Wellsford, said it wasn’t too bad so far on the roads.

“I saw a few big trucks going up north yesterday, but at this time of the year we just expect delays anyway.”

Lennon hoped the extra trucks coming through might help ramp-up business.

“They can feel free to make a coffee stop and buy a Lotto ticket here on the way through,” she said.

Costs high, roads difficult, trucking companies say

Trucking companies say they are pulling out all the stops to make the shipment work.

Pamela Bonney of L W Bonney and Sons said freight costs on cargo from the ship were likely to be significantly more expensive than usual, because of the complexities of the operation and the extra distance involved.

However, the industry was very good at rising to new challenges, she said. During the Covid-19 lockdowns, road transport operators and their teams of dispatchers and drivers had pulled out all stops to keep goods flowing.

“We'll do the same here, and what it is about is making sure the drivers who go north have the adequate experience to drive those roads, that they understand the roads, and that they respect those roads.

“But what we do know is that there are a number of black spots there and also significant roadworks taking place, and a significant amount of traffic at this time of year,” Bonney said.

“So as a transport operator we have to make sure we have everything in place.''

ANL Container Lines has been approached for comment.