Politics live Dec 11
Smaller ferries will only reduce infrastructure costs 7%, KiwiRail boss says
KiwiRail chief executive Peter Reidy says KiwiRail's Cook Strait ferry plan was "the right solution for New Zealand".
Even if three smaller ships were brought in "it's only going to reduce the infrastructure cost by 7%".
The ships KiwiRail wanted were only 20% longer, Reidy stold RNZ.
They were designed as fit-for-future designs made for Cook Strait conditions.
"It's very difficult to go and get a ship that might have been doing the English Channel to bring it in here.
"And that's obviously one of the risks, and that's why the option we put on the table was the right solution for New Zealand to deliver a safe and resilient connection across Cook Strait. But, look, we've got to look at other options now."