Otago tourism train rides could run to Port Chalmers by next summer if Port Otago gets its way and KiwiRail grants access.
Passengers from cruise ships used to be able to board a train from the port for a scenic ride through the Taieri Gorge, but a change occurred when services resumed after the Covid pandemic.
Buses sourced from the Otago Heritage Bus Society have been used to get passengers from Port Chalmers to Dunedin for the train rides this summer as an interim measure.
Port Otago chief executive Kevin Winders said the arrangements that existed before Covid had worked well.
The Taieri Gorge trip is run by Dunedin Railways, but it would need KiwiRail to allow access to the tracks out to Port Chalmers to restore the full trip.
‘‘We’re a bit saddened KiwiRail couldn’t accommodate this post-Covid,’’ Mr Winders said.
‘‘We’re actively lobbying for the return of rail to the wharf.’’
KiwiRail has been approached for comment.
Dunedin Railways, owned by the Dunedin City Council, has been run in limited fashion by Dunedin Venues Management Ltd since the pandemic.
Chief executive Terry Davies said there were discussions with KiwiRail about what might happen next summer.
The interim solution of using heritage buses to get passengers from Port Chalmers to Dunedin had been effective and seamless, he said.
He said the service for passengers was as good as before the pandemic.
Otago Heritage Bus Society operations manager Andrew Robinson said the society was approached last year after it was established Dunedin Railways would not secure access to the railway tracks to Port Chalmers.
The oldest bus was from 1976, he said.
The society’s usual focus is repairing and restoring old buses.
It had been able to bring together the buses for Dunedin Railways with a fairly short lead-in time, Mr Robinson said.
‘‘We could do it again if we had to,’’ he said.
There are broader issues with Otago bus services in the past year amid a national driver shortage and cancelled trips.
A passenger yesterday said a bus for the Otago Regional Council transporting people from Port Chalmers to Dunedin was overcrowded, potentially creating safety problems.
The council and the bus company concerned, Ritchies Transport, have been approached for comment.
Shuttle services aimed at cruise ship passengers also run between Port Chalmers and Dunedin.
