Case for Christchurch ‘Events Express’ train stacking up

Monday, 24 November 2025

Private train operator Mainland Rail is working on an ‘Events Express’ train service in time for the opening of One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha in April 2026.

The case for privately-run passenger rail in Greater Christchurch for major events appears to be stacking up, with private investors, the city council and KiwiRail keenly involved.

What is understood to be across the board support for Mainland Rail’s ‘Events Express’ train may finally be made public in an early December presentation to the Christchurch City Council.

The company’s case for a private rail service from Rangiora, Rolleston and potentially Ashburton was first revealed by The Press in August. Director Paul Jackson wants the service to begin in time for the opening of One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha in April, but the “key ingredient” was a central city platform.

Jackson now says his company will not be funding the platform directly, but “private partners” were involved, and they were collaborating on the draft design.

Mayor Phil Mauger told The Press although he understood the platform location - by the Moorhouse Ave and Colombo St overbridge - was on railway land, the city council was considering leasing some attached land.

The land, owned by the South City C3 Church, could be where passengers spilled out from the train and hopped onto e-Scooters, Mauger said, or began the 1.1 kilometre walk to the stadium.

Located at the end of a cul-de-sac on Pilgrim Pl, Mauger imagined a place where taxis could lay in wait.

The Christchurch Railway Station on Moorhouse Ave in 1991, a short walk from the prospective new railway platform site. It became Science Alive! and was demolished after the quakes.

“I’d love to see it work, I really would,” he said. “I feel we should put something [money] towards it to see if it works.”

The closest existing platform was 3.8 kilometres from the stadium in Addington.

The project was largely aimed at Greater Christchurch, with clear demand from residents in the Selwyn and Waimakariri districts, but Jackson has previously said the train may go as far as Ashburton.

Paul Jackson, director of Mainland Rail, says his company had a number of passenger rail initiatives underway.

Although unconfirmed, the company may have aspirations for a train servicetravelling as far as Dunedin. Mauger, who has met with Mainland Rail and is a keen supporter, twice publicly said the train would go to Dunedin while on the campaign trail, ahead of the October elections.

Mainland Rail did not confirm or deny the possibility when asked again this week.

“We have a number of initiatives underway to expand passenger rail in Christchurch, and we expect to make further announcements shortly,” Jackson said.

He said his team was working closely with KiwiRail on the project. A KiwiRail spokesperson confirmed technical discussions were progressing and building a new station was a key step.

There had also been preliminary discussions about monthly slots in the track timetable for an event service, the KiwiRail spokesperson said.

The passenger carriages were already purchased and transported to the South Island earlier this year.

It included retired carriages from Capital Connection, a route which offered return trips of about 143 kilometres - just over two hours - between Wellington and Palmerston North.

Jackson has previously explained he saw the trains as a solution to congestion in what was already the slowest driving city in New Zealand.

Although Mainland Rail was working on an events-specific project, the companies register showed Jackson separately registered Greater Christchurch Rail Ltd in mid-July.

Jackson has previously said he would not comment on his aspirations for that company due to commercial sensitivity, but did say he saw the events express as a “live experiment” for future commuter rail.