Pitched as a way to give New Zealanders "real transport choices" for long journeys, the Green Party's rail plan would put passenger trains back on existing lines between several major cities.

📋 Greens: Passenger rail between major cities, October 2026 →

What it does

• Starts an overnight sleeper service between Auckland and Wellington, which the party says needs new sleeper trains and operating funding.
• Restores passenger rail between Christchurch and Dunedin, with a potential extension to Invercargill, adding stations, passing loops and better signals and level crossings.
• Improves, electrifies and extends Te Huia from Hamilton to Tauranga in two stages, starting with Kaimai tunnel ventilation, stations and passing loops, then works for a faster journey.
• Costs about $4.02 billion on the party's figures, the NZ Herald reported: $110 million for a pilot overnight service, $2.05 billion for Auckland to Tauranga, $410 million for Christchurch to Dunedin and $1.45 billion for the second Tauranga stage.
• Forms part of the Greens' wider transport plan. The party says fares would cover most of the overnight service's running costs and that Infometrics found its costings reasonable, 1News reported.

The debate

• Transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter said the tracks are already there and should be used.
• National leader Christopher Luxon said taxpayers should not underwrite something he called a "white elephant" that was not commercially viable.
• NZ First leader Winston Peters said he was not opposed to a sleeper train in principle but wanted the practical case done first, and Transport Minister Chris Bishop said an overnight service would not stack up, BusinessDesk reported.