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Mainfreight group managing director Don Braid says not having rail-enabled ferries will be inefficient and more costly for businesses like his.
He says it will directly lead to Mainfreight adding more than 5,000 truck-and-trailer journeys each year, further deteriorating the country's roading network.
The company has called it 'appalling' that it was not included in the ministerial advisory group making decisions for the future of the Cook Strait rail ferry services.
The iReX project was cancelled in December after the government declined KiwiRail's request for an additional $1.47 billion funding.
Two rail-enabled ferries were set to be delivered by 2026, but construction had not yet started, and a ministerial advisory group was tasked in February with coming up with an alternative plan.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis said this week that no discussions or proposals for replacement ferries had gone to Cabinet in the nine months since the coalition government cancelled the new fleet.
The Kaitaki Interislander ferry leaves Wellington Harbour. Photo: KiwiRail