KiwiRail is halving the number of trips on its TranzAlpine train service across the Southern Alps between Christchurch and Greymouth.
The TranzAlpine train crosses the Waimakariri bridge. Photo: Great Journeys of New Zealand / TranzAlpine
The change to the winter timetable starts on 3 May and runs through to the end of the October school holidays (17 October).
The rail company is anticipating lower demand this winter while New Zealand's borders remain closed to international tourists.
Chief executive Greg Miller said 75 percent of their passengers before the Covid-19 pandemic had been from overseas.
Locals have been ticking the trip off their bucket list of things to do, but demand remains significantly down on pre-Covid levels.
The train service will operate two days a week, with the regular four-day-a-week service resuming in October.
"We must be realistic in this difficult period for tourism operators. Our new schedule more closely aligns our services to actual demand.
"We have been offering substantial discounts on the services and will continue to do so ahead of the anticipated opening of the border with Australia.
"When New Zealand re-opens to visitors, we will look at adding additional services to meet demand.
"In the meantime, we will take the opportunity to carry out maintenance on carriages used for the services."
The TranzAlpine service will run every week between Christchurch and Greymouth (same day return) on Thursdays and Fridays only.
The Coastal Pacific between Christchurch and Picton will continue operating through the winter, but only on weekends.
"It has been many years since the Coastal Pacific continued through the winter season, and the decision to keep it running reflects the strong demand from New Zealanders for this panoramic trip", Miller said.
