AK Open Day

Prior to the commencement of the new Northern Explorer service between Auckland and Wellington, KiwiRail held an open day at Britomart to show off the new AK carriages. Here, AK 2018 stands at Britomart Platform 3 for the public to view

24 June 2012

The interior of AK 2018. Each seat also has two power points at floor level

24 June 2012

The AK carriages all feature HDTVs, as seen here in cafe car AKC 2511

24 June 2012

The AKC cafe looks similar to the buffet in the ASO carriage of old

24 June 2012

At the Wellington end of the train is AKV 13, a combined generator and viewing platform, much larger than on the old AG vans. The van was rebuilt from AG 101, itself rebuilt from an earlier FM class guard's van

24 June 2012

The plaque in AKV 13

24 June 2012

DC 4692 stands at Britomart with the AK consist. As this locomotive is a known good performer, it is semi-permanently allocated to the Northern Explorer

24 June 2012

The ends of the AK and its plug doors, the ends clearly inspired by the S and SW classes

24 June 2012