Description:

Designed by our in-house team, our new curtain-side containers feature artwork inspired by the flora and fauna found in the regions the rail corridor passes through. They serve as a striking visual reminder of the environmental benefits of rail, where every tonne of freight moved delivers up to 70 per cent fewer carbon emissions than the same freight carried by road.

Rich, complex patterns were developed to minimise white space so that graffiti would be less obvious when it does occur. A naturalistic colour palette was selected so the designs would sit comfortably within the landscapes the containers pass through. The designs include ferns, takahē, yellow-eyed and Fiordland penguins, tuatara, wētā, banded rail, crayfish and bats, amongst many other species special to New Zealand.

Our freight trains travel through nearly all parts of the country and across both islands every day. With each freight container 25-feet across and 9.5-feet tall, they offer a massive opportunity for showcasing large design pieces across New Zealand. We realised there was a potential for thousands of people to see environmentally focused designs travelling against a backdrop of New Zealand’s natural scenery every day, deepening the connection between the rail industry and the natural environment.

The colourful curtain-siders have entered service and are turning heads around New Zealand. They are stunning and uniquely New Zealand, while highlighting te taiao (the natural world) and the environmental benefits of rail. This initiative delivers a strong visual message that speaks to our commitment to sustainability.

During a successful pilot in 2023, we saw a significant reduction in graffiti. By incorporating these sustainability-focused designs, we have turned a simple freight container into a powerful tool for communicating the importance of environmental kaitiakitanga (stewardship).

Every year, we move 15 million tonnes of our customers’ freight across New Zealand, supporting manufacturers, exporters and New Zealand’s economy. Moving freight by rail provides a lower emissions option in the supply chain, so our customers can meet their sustainability targets.

Our own sustainability targets are ambitious. We aim to reduce our carbon emissions by 40 per cent by 2035 (against a FY19 baseline) and to reach net zero carbon by 2050. This goal supports the NZ Government’s climate targets and reflects our commitment to being a key player in the decarbonisation of the transport sector.