The New Zealand AK class carriage is a type of 17 cars built by Dunedin's Hillside Workshops for KiwiRail's long-distance passenger operation The Great Journeys of New Zealand. Consisting of 11 AK saloon cars and four AKC cafe cars, supplemented by three AKL luggage vans and four AKV open-air viewing/generator vans converted from AG vans, similar to those previously used on the Coastal Pacific and the TranzAlpine. Two AK, an AKC, an AKL and an AKV entered service on the Coastal Pacific on 2 November 2011. The class is used on the Coastal Pacific, the Northern Explorer and the TranzAlpine, replacing panorama 56-foot carriages. Funding of $NZ39.9 million was announced by the fifth National government in March 2009. The class features a new white livery with the KiwiRail logo. Due to passenger loadings falling on both South Island trains as a result of the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, three AK, one AKC, one AKL and one AKV were transferred to the North Island for the new three-times-a-week Auckland-Wellington Northern Explorer. In late 2018, the redistributed Coastal Pacific carriages were returned for the re-opening of the service in December 2018. As part of the re-opening of the Coastal Pacific, the Government and KiwiRail announced new NZ$40 million carriage investment including new premium carriages. KiwiRail is considering converting some of the existing AK carriages to Premium Carriages.
Design
The class was designed by KiwiRail's mechanical design staff in Wellington. It has GPS-triggered announcements, with displays on ceiling-mounted screens and commentary at each seat in five languages: English, French, German, Japanese and Mandarin. It runs on newly designed air-cushioned P11 bogies. Seating was supplied by a Wellington-based manufacturer. With large panoramic windows and quarter lights in the roof, the area of glass per AK car is. To one side of each seat is a jack for headphones for the on-board commentary, and in front of each seat is a flip-down tray table. Seats facing each other in groups of four are positioned around a fixed table. Power points are provided at each seat area. Carry-on baggage can be stored overhead.
Support vehicles
In March 2018 it was reported that two SA carriages were being overhauled and converted into luggage vans for KiwiRail Scenic Journeys. This was later revised to three SA carriage conversions into AKS luggage vans of six SA carriages moved to Hutt Workshops. The new AKS vans are fitted with a crew compartment, luggage and bicycle racks, recycling and catering storage. AK and AKV cars at Wellington
