As the much-anticipated Mainlander train rolled into the Dunedin Railway Station yesterday, waiting on the platform for his daughter and grandchildren was one excited Dunedin grandfather. Yesterday, The Mainlander, run by the Rail and Tourism Group, finished the first half of its inaugural trip from Christchurch to Invercargill. On the sold-out trip was Christchurch resident Caroline Skegg, who made the trip south with her children, Charlotte, 11, and Joey van Tulder, 8. Christchurch resident Caroline Skegg and her two children, Joey and Charlotte van Tulder, travelled south on the Mainlander to visit their grandfather, Sir David Skegg. The Christchurch to Dunedin leg of the trip had about 130 passengers and took almost eight hours.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 20, 2026 15:35 UTC