Photo: Cody Coper (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
This is a tricky one for me. On one hand I can see why they did it and it makes sense. But on the other it is a backwards step.
I qoute from Lloyd Burr:
"The state-owned rail company has chosen Chinese-built diesel engines to
replace its antiquated EF locomotives which have run between Hamilton
and Palmerston North since 1988."
30 year old locomotives should not be in the state that they are in. Hell, even the EM/ET class "Ganz Mavag" EMU's which entered service between 1982-83 are still in reasonable condition.
Although with that said, the EM class and EF Class are very different animals.
The reason behind the reduced lifespan of these locomotives surely would have to have been the privatisation that happened with the sale of New Zealand Rail in the 90's. Tranz Rail has put off maintenance of the entire network and the quality of the locomotives, rolling stock, stations and track had degraded to such a low level that even today Kiwirail is still spending lots in order to bring the network back into shape.
It's never a good sign that Tranz Rail was nominated and took out not one, not two, but THREE Roger Awards For The Worst Transnational Corporation Operating in New Zealand.
I quote from the Roger awards of 2000 and 2002 (F.Y.I. Tranz Rail was nominated and took out the awards in 1997, 2000 and 2002)
