# Minister for Rail

The Minister for Rail, formerly the Minister of Railways, is a minister in the New Zealand Government. The minister is responsible for KiwiRail, the state-owned enterprise that operates the national rail network and the Interislander ferry service. The position was recreated in 2024 after a twenty-year period in abeyance.
The current Minister for Rail is Winston Peters.

## History

The position of Minister of Railways was created in 1895 to oversee the New Zealand Railways Department fifteen years after the department was formed. The minister's purview shifted to the New Zealand Railways Corporation in 1981 and gained New Zealand Rail Limited in 1990. The railway network was privatised in 1993 and the portfolio was disestablished.
The rail network came back into public ownership in 2008 (see KiwiRail) but separate ministerial responsibility for rail was not restored until 2024. Until that time, the Minister of State Owned Enterprises and Minister of Transport were the shareholding ministers for KiwiRail.

## Office-holders

The following MPs have held the office of Minister for Rail:

### Key

Liberal  Reform  United  Labour  National  New Zealand First
| No. | No. | Name | Term of Office | Term of Office | Prime Minister |
| As Minister of Railways ||||||||
| | 1 | Alfred Cadman | 1 January 1895 | 21 December 1899 | Seddon |
| | 2 | Joseph Ward | 5 January 1900 | 6 August 1906 | Seddon |
| | 2 | Joseph Ward | 5 January 1900 | 6 August 1906 | Hall-Jones |
| | 3 | William Hall-Jones | 6 August 1906 | 30 November 1908 | Ward |
| | 4 | John A. Millar | 6 January 1909 | 28 March 1912 | Ward |
| | 5 | Arthur Myers | 28 March 1912 | 10 July 1912 | Mackenzie |
| | 6 | William Herries | 10 July 1912 | 3 September 1919 | Massey |
| | 7 | William Massey | 3 September 1919 | 16 May 1922 | Massey |
| | 8 | David Guthrie | 16 May 1922 | 6 June 1923 | Massey |
| | 9 | Gordon Coates | 6 June 1923 | 10 December 1928 | Massey |
| | 9 | Gordon Coates | 6 June 1923 | 10 December 1928 | Bell |
| | 9 | Gordon Coates | 6 June 1923 | 10 December 1928 | Coates |
| | 10 | William Taverner | 10 December 1928 | 28 May 1930 | Ward |
| | 11 | Bill Veitch | 28 May 1930 | 22 September 1931 | Forbes |
| | 12 | George Forbes | 22 September 1931 | 6 December 1935 | Forbes |
| | 13 | Dan Sullivan | 6 December 1935 | 12 December 1941 | Savage |
| | 13 | Dan Sullivan | 6 December 1935 | 12 December 1941 | Fraser |
| | 14 | Bob Semple | 12 December 1941 | 12 December 1949 | Fraser |
| | 15 | Stan Goosman | 13 December 1949 | 26 November 1954 | Holland |
| | 16 | John McAlpine | 26 November 1954 | 12 December 1957 | Holland |
| | 16 | John McAlpine | 26 November 1954 | 12 December 1957 | Holyoake |
| | 17 | Mick Moohan | 12 December 1957 | 12 December 1960 | Nash |
| | (16) | John McAlpine | 12 December 1960 | 12 December 1966 | Holyoake |
| | 17 | Peter Gordon | 12 December 1966 | 8 December 1972 | Holyoake |
| | 17 | Peter Gordon | 12 December 1966 | 8 December 1972 | Marshall |
| | 18 | Tom McGuigan | 8 December 1972 | 10 September 1974 | Kirk |
| | 19 | Ron Bailey | 10 September 1974 | 12 December 1975 | Rowling |
| | 20 | Colin McLachlan | 12 December 1975 | 11 December 1981 | Muldoon |
| | 21 | George Gair | 11 December 1981 | 26 July 1984 | Muldoon |
| | 22 | Richard Prebble | 26 July 1984 | 4 November 1988 | Lange |
| | 23 | David Lange | 4 November 1988 | 8 November 1988 | Lange |
| | 24 | Stan Rodger | 8 November 1988 | 9 February 1990 | Lange |
| | 24 | Stan Rodger | 8 November 1988 | 9 February 1990 | Palmer |
| | (22) | Richard Prebble | 9 February 1990 | 2 November 1990 | Palmer |
| | (22) | Richard Prebble | 9 February 1990 | 2 November 1990 | Moore |
| | 25 | Doug Kidd | 2 November 1990 | 3 October 1991 | Bolger |
| | 26 | Maurice McTigue | 3 October 1991 | 1 July 1993 | Bolger |
| | 27 | Wyatt Creech | 1 July 1993 | 21 December 1993 | Bolger |
| | 28 | Philip Burdon | 21 December 1993 | 16 December 1996 | Bolger |
| As Minister for Rail ||||||||
| | 29 | Winston Peters | 11 December 2024 | present | Luxon |