Wellington's old commuter trains to start being shipped away 18 months after being retired
Tuesday, 6 June 2017
The final set of Wellington's old commuter trains, still gathering dust and graffiti in the capital's railyards, are finally set to be shipped offshore, 18 months after they left service.
The 26 Ganz Mavag trains were taken off the tracks in May last year and sold to South African company Apex Industrial. Another 17 decommissioned trains were earlier sold to the same company and shipped abroad.
Greater Wellington Regional Council said in March it was still waiting to receive full payment for the second set of trains, but council spokesman Stephen Heath said on Tuesday the matter had since been 'resolved'.
'We're expecting the trains to start being shipped out in four months.'
**READ MORE:
* Old trains gathering dust with no departure date set
* Last Ganz Mavag checks out**
* Next stop Africa for old Ganz Mavags
The units served Wellington for 34 years but have been subject to vandalism, mainly graffiti, since being retired and replaced by the new Matangi trains.
It was unclear where in Africa the latest trains were headed or what they would be used for once they reached the continent, Heath said.
'Once they're in the hands of the company, it's up to them what they do with them.
'We're not going to say anything more about it. We've said all that needs to be said.'
A council spokeswoman said one two-car unit had been retained for heritage purposes.
The council was not concerned about deterioration or vandalism of the trains but was taking reasonable steps to keep them secure, she said.
Apex Industrial, which runs a website named Locomotives for Africa, is based in Queensland, Australia.
According to the website, Apex has 50 Ganz Mavag units available 'in good running order'.