Image: Emagnetic/stock.adobe.comKiwiRail Board Chair David McLean has announced that he advised shareholding Ministers last week of his intention to...

Nadine Taylor says the grounding of the Aratere near Picton has raised questions about how KiwiRail is looking after its Interislander ferries.

The government was "highly unimpressed" with KiwiRail's ferry maintenance standards, Simeon Brown said earlier this week.

The grounding of the Aratere ferry is a wake-up call for the coalition government to invest in new vessels and infrastructure, critics say.

People have been turning out in Picton to get a glimpse of the stranded Aratere, which is visible from parts of the seaside town.

The Aratere grounding shows the fragility of the link between the North and South islands, Transporting NZ says.

Interislander's three ferries were all built in the 1990s and have been hit by mechanical problems in recent years.

The Interislander ferry only recently underwent wet dock maintenance, which included the replacement of its steering system.

A maritime adventure set on the low seas of a ferry run to ground The post The Secret Diary of .. the grounded Aratere ferry appeared first on...

One of the KiwiRail shareholding ministers says there are good reasons for the InterIslander ferry service to stay in government hands.