Aratere was taken out of service following a grounding incident that occurred near New Zealand’s South Island on June 21, 2024.
The ferry was eventually refloated. However, Maritime New Zealand later charged KiwiRail with violating the New Zealand Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 due to the company’s failure to keep the crew and the passengers safe while on board the ferry during and after the grounding.
The timeline of Aratere’s grounding, as outlined in an interim report published by the Transport Accident Investigation Commission of New Zealand late last year, can be read here.